ROAD BIKE Maintenance 3Rd Edition

ZINN& the Art of ROAD BIKE maintenance 3rd Edition

LENNARD ZINN

Illustrated by Todd Telander

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091011 / 10987654321

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Zinn, Lennard. Zinn and the art of road bike maintenance / Lennard Zinn. — 3rd ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-934030-42-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bicycles—Maintenance and repair. 2. Road bicycles—Maintenance and repair. I. Title. TL430.Z557 2009 629.28’772—dc22 2009015195

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Cover, interior design, and composition by Erin Johnson Cover photo by Don Karle; bike by Lennard Zinn Title font Aviano Slab; body text Caecilia CONTENTS

Acknowledgments v Introduction ix

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

1 Tools 1 2 Basic Stuff 17 3 Emergency Repairs 35 4 The Chain 49 5 The Shifting System 73 6 Wheels and Tires 129 7 Brakes 177 8 Cranks and Bottom Brackets 205 9 Pedals 241 10 Saddles and Seatposts 261 11 Stems, Handlebars, and Headsets 277 12 Wheel Building 317 13 Forks 339 14 Frames 349

APPENDIXES

A Troubleshooting Index 361 B Gear Chart 367 C Road Bike Fitting 371 D Glossary 385 E Torque Table 395

Bibliography 408 Index 409 Illustration Index About the Author INTRODUCTION

First things first, but not necessarily in that order. —Doctor Who

ABOUT THIS BOOK firmly believe—and my experience with the repair classes I have taught confirms this—that anyone S o, you want to maintain your road bike? can perform the repairs illustrated on these pages. Congratulations. You will be glad you took It takes only a willingness to learn and the appro- this step. Although it is nice to learn about your priate tools. bike from friends or shop employees who know This book is intended for everyone from shop more about bicycles than you do, you don’t want mechanics to those who only want to know about to depend on them for routine maintenance or fix- the most minimal maintenance their bike ing basic mechanical problems. And the exhilara- requires. Chapter 2 is for those whose interest is tion of riding with the wind in your hair will be limited to the latter; the rest of the book is for enhanced by understanding the structure of the those who choose to go to greater lengths to make mechanical system on which you are sitting and everything work optimally and look clean and to which you are trusting your life. beautiful. Even for those who wish to focus on Even the purest romantic can follow the Chapter 2, the information in Appendix C on fit- simple step-by-step procedures and exploded ting your bike to you instead of the other way diagrams in this book and discover a passion for around will increase your riding pleasure and spreading new grease on old parts. And, I hope, safety. everyone will develop an appreciation for how infusing love into the work will guarantee success WHY DO IT YOURSELF? at bike maintenance. If not, frustration will take over, you will use less care, and your riding enjoy- There are a number of reasons for learning to ment will be compromised. maintain your bike. Obviously it is a lot cheaper Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance allows to fix a bike yourself than pay someone else to you to pick maintenance tasks appropriate for do it. Once you have some skill and experience, it your level of skill and confidence. However, I is also faster. And home-based maintenance is a ix

Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved x necessity for most racers and others who live to many years. Satisfaction can be found in disman- ride and have no visible means of support. tling and cleaning a filthy, barely functional part, As your income increases, economic neces- lubricating it with fresh grease, and reassembling sity ceases to be a significant issue. However, you it so that it works like new. Knowing that you made may find that you enjoy working on your bike those parts work so smoothly—and that you can for reasons other than just saving money. Unless do it again when they next need it—is rewarding. you have a trusted mechanic who services your You will be eager to ride hard and long to see how bike regularly, you are not likely to find anyone your work holds up, rather than being reluctant to who cares as much about your bicycle’s smooth get far from home for fear of breaking down. operation and cleanliness as much as you do, or It is liberating to go on a long ride confident will make your bike a priority when you need that you can fix just about anything that may go to have it the next day or in the next few hours. wrong. Armed with this confidence and the tools Furthermore, if you love to ride, you need to be to put it into action, you will have the freedom to able to fix mechanical breakdowns that occur on explore new roads and go farther than you may the road, especially if you ride alone. otherwise have gone. You may also find yourself If time is your biggest issue, having someone more willing to share your love of the sport with else work on your bike might seem to help. But in riders who are less experienced. You will enjoy reality, even finding the time to drop off your bike riding with them more if you know that you can and pick it up from the shop can be hard. You may fix their questionably maintained bikes, and you be able to perform a simple repair faster than you can bask in their appreciation after you have can make a trip to the bike shop. And you won’t eliminated an annoying squeak or skipping chain like missing a ride during beautiful weather while that threatened to spoil a ride. your bike sits in a shop that is backed up with repairs. Finding out that you can’t just drop off HOW TO USE THIS BOOK your ailing bike during high season and expect anything faster than a three-week turnaround Skim through the entire book. Look at the table on a minor repair can ruin your day. Even arrang- of contents and the exploded diagrams, and get ing and adhering to a repair appointment with the general flavor of the book and what’s inside. a shop can be a hassle. Finally, a shop slammed When it’s time to perform a particular task, you with summer work may return your bike in less will know where to find it, and you will have a than optimal condition because too little time general idea of how to approach it. was devoted to the repair or the mechanic was Illustrator Todd Telander and I have done our inexperienced. Ultimately, you may decide that best to make these pages as understandable as having someone else work on your bike creates possible. The exploded diagrams show precisely more aggravation than it alleviates. how each part goes together. Nevertheless, the Working on your bike can be fun. Bicycles are first time you go through a procedure, you may the manifestation of elegant simplicity. Bicycle find it easier to have a friend read the instructions parts, particularly high-end components, are a out loud as you perform the steps. fantastic value. They are made to work well and Obviously some maintenance tasks are more last a long time. With the proper attention, they complicated than others. I am convinced that can shine in appearance and performance for anyone with an opposable thumb can perform

ZINN & THE ART OF ROAD BIKE MAINTENANCE Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved any repair on a bike. Still, it pays to spend some identify the source of a certain noise or particular xi time getting familiar with the really simple tasks, malfunction in the bike. There is also a compre- such as fixing a flat, before throwing yourself into hensive troubleshooting guide in Appendix A. a complex job such as building a wheel. For those into cyclocross, almost every chap- Tasks and the tools required to accomplish ter in this third edition now has a specific cyclo- them are divided into three levels indicating their cross maintenance section in it. complexity or your proficiency. Level 1 tasks need Many tasks will be simplified or improved by level 1 tools and require of you only using the information presented in the appen- an eagerness to learn. Level 2 and dixes. Appendix B is a complete gear chart and level 3 tasks also have correspond- includes instructions on how to calculate your ing tool sets and are progressively gear if you’re using nonstandard-size wheels LEVEL 1 more difficult. All tools re quired or tires. Appendix C is an extensive section on are shown in Chapter 1. At the end selecting the proper-size bike and positioning of Chapter 2 is the must-read sec- it to fit you. It includes information about set- tion “A General Guide to Performing ting up your bike for time trials or triathlons. LEVEL 2 Mechanical Work” (§ii-19); it states Appendix D, the glossary, is an inclusive diction- general policies and approaches ary of bicycle technical terminology. Appendix that apply to all mechanical work. E lists the tightening (torque) specifications of Note that the symbol § and the almost every bolt on the bike. I can’t emphasize roman numeral following it (§ i) enough how useful it is to use a torque wrench to LEVEL 3 denote the chapter in the book; the tighten bolts as tightly as the component manu- number after the hyphen refers to the section in a facturer intended, but no tighter. Flag Appendix chapter (e.g., §ii-19 indicates material found in sec- E so you can flip to it easily whenever you work tion 19 of Chapter 2). on your bike. Each chapter starts with a list of required The Internet can be a useful supplement to tools in the page margin. If a section involves this book. For instance, bikeschool.com, dtswiss more than basic experience and tools, there will .com, and other sites have spoke-length calculators be an icon designating the difficulty. Tasks and to use when you are building wheels. And exploded illustrations are numbered for easy reference. views of some parts can be found on component- A troubleshooting section is included at the company websites, such as campagnolo.com, end of some chapters. This is the place to go to shimano.com, sram.com, and mavic.com.

Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves. TOOLS —Dorothy Parker Chain lubricant 12-inch ruler Chain tool Lots of rags Rubber gloves

Optional

Chain-elongation he bicycle chain is one of those wondrous iv-1 T indicator technological breakthroughs that we take LUBRICATION Master-link pliers for granted. Without it a bike would be a clumsy and Solvent (citrus- inefficient contraption. The chain is nothing more For best results, use a lubricant intended for based) Self-contained chain than a simple series of links connected by rivets (also bicycle chains. Most lubes sold for this purpose cleaner called pins). Rollers surround each rivet between the work reasonably well at the basic task of keeping Old water bottle link plates and engage the teeth of the cogs and the chain protected and happy. However, I recom- Caliper chainrings. Nothing to it, and yet it is an efficient mend against wax-based lubricants as they don’t Pliers method of transmitting mechanical energy from the lubricate as well. Chain life with them is short Solvent tank pedals to the rear wheel. In terms of weight, cost, and (1,000–1,500 miles). Rohloﬀ cog-wear indicator efficiency, the bicycle chain has no equal, although If you want to get fancy about it, you can people have tried endlessly to improve on it. assess the type of conditions in which you ride Perhaps because it is so simple and famil- and choose a lubricant intended for those condi- iar, the chain is often ignored. To keep your bike tions. Some lubricants are “dry,” formulated to running smoothly, though, you have to pay some pick up less dirt in dry conditions. Other lubes attention to it. It needs to be kept clean and well are “sticky” and therefore less prone to wash off lubricated in order to utilize your energy most in wet conditions. Still others claim to be “metal efficiently, shift smoothly, and operate noiselessly. conditioners” that actually penetrate and alter And because its length increases as it wears, thus the surface of the metal. One of these, ProGold, contacting gear teeth differently than intended, it gives me longer chain life in all riding conditions needs to be replaced regularly to prolong the work- than anything else I have tried, so that’s what ing life of more expensive drivetrain components. I use. 49

Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved 50 Chain lubes are generally sold in spray cans you’ll remove additional oil that has seeped and squeeze bottles. Avoid sprays for regular onto the outside of the links, where it isn’t maintenance chores because they tend to spew needed. oil over everything and droplets from the spray If you’re riding in wet conditions, you’ll need can end up in your lungs. The chain only needs to apply lubricant frequently (after every ride, or a reservoir of oil inside each link; on the outside, even several times during a long, rainy ride). a thin film is sufficient to keep corrosion at bay. Extra oil on the outside will only attract dirt and iv-2 gunk; it does nothing to improve the function of CLEANING BY FREQUENT the chain. WIPING AND LUBRICATION 1. Ideally, drip a small amount of lubricant across each roller from the inside out (Fig. The simplest way to maintain a chain is to wipe 4.1), periodically moving the chain to give it down frequently and then lubricate it. If you easy access to the links you are working on. follow this scheme prior to every ride, you will Regular application is the most important never need to clean your chain with a solvent. thing you can do with the chain. To speed The lubricant softens the old sludge buildup, the process, you can turn the crank slowly which is driven out of the chain when you ride. while dripping lubricant onto the chain as it The problem is that the fresh lubricant also goes by. This method will cause you to apply picks up new dirt and grime, but if this gunk is excess lubricant, which will pick up more wiped off before it is driven deep into the chain, dirt. But overlubricating is preferable to not and the chain is relubricated frequently, it will lubricating, and if you wipe and lube the stay relatively clean as well as supple. Chain chain after each ride or two, it won’t build up cleaning can be performed with the bike stand- excessive grime. ing on the ground or in a bike stand. 2. Wipe the chain off lightly with a clean rag to 1. With a rag in your hand, grasp the lower remove excess oil. length of the chain (between the bottom of 3. If you want to do a champion job, perform the chainring and the lower jockey wheel of this task before you put the bike to bed, and the rear derailleur). then wipe the chain clean again the next 2. Turn the crank backward a number of revo- morning or before the next ride. That way, lutions, pulling the chain through the rag (Fig. 4.2). Periodically rotate the rag to pre- sent a clean section to the chain. 4.1 Dripping oil only where it is needed 3. Lubricate each chain roller carefully as in Figure 4.1, or take the faster method of running the chain past the dripping bottle tip. To simplify this procedure, I recommend leaving a pair of rubber gloves, a rag, and some chain lube next to your bike. Whenever you return from a ride, put on the gloves, wipe and lube the chain, and put your bike away. It takes maybe a minute, your hands stay clean, and your bike is

4.3 Wiping the jockey wheels with a rag iv-3 USING CHAIN-CLEANING UNITS

Several companies make chain-cleaning gizmos that scrub the chain with solvent while the chain is on the bike. These types of chain cleaners are generally made of clear plastic and have two or three rotating brushes that scrub the chain as it moves through the solvent bath (Fig. 4.4). Regularly removing the chain is a pain, as well as inadvisable with 9- or 10-speed chains unless you use a master link, or with 11-speed chains without the special Campagnolo 11-speed pin and chain tool. Not heeding this can result in breaking the chain under high load, driving your foot, and perhaps your entire body, into the asphalt. ready for the next ride. Wipe the chainrings, cogs, Most chain cleaners are supplied with a non- front derailleur, and jockey wheels (Fig. 4.3) while toxic, citrus-based solvent. For your safety and you’re at it, and the entire drivetrain will always other environmental reasons, I strongly recom- work ideally. mend that you continue to use nontoxic citrus

solvents in your chain. If you recycle used diesel chain, and reinstall the top of the unit so fuel, then go ahead and use it. In either case, wear that the chain runs through it (Fig. 4.4). gloves and glasses when using any sort of solvent, 3. Turn the bike’s crank backward. citrus- or petroleum-based. 4. Remove the unit, wipe off the chain with a Citrus-based chain solvents often contain clean cloth, and let it dry. some lubricants as well, so that they won’t dry 5. Lubricate the chain as described in §iv-1. the chain out. The lubricant carried with the solvent is one reason diesel fuel used to have such a iv-4 following as a chain cleaner. A really strong sol- REMOVAL AND CLEANING vent without lubricant (acetone, for example) will displace the oil from inside the rollers. It will later You can also clean the chain by evaporate, leaving a dry, squeaking chain that is removing it from the bicycle and hard to rehabilitate. The same thing can happen cleaning it in a solvent. I rec-

with a citrus-based solvent without an included LEVEL 1 ommend against this approach lubricant, especially if the chain is not allowed to unless the chain has a master dry sufficiently before it is relubricated. link, because repeated disassembly by pushing Here’s the procedure for cleaning the chain rivets in and out weakens the chain. with a chain-cleaning unit: Chain disassembly and reassembly also 1. Remove the top of the chain-cleaner case expand the size of the rivet hole where you put it and pour in solvent up to the fill line. together, allowing the rivet to pop out more eas- 2. Place the unit against the bottom of the ily. Shimano generally supplies two special sub-

ZINN & THE ART OF ROAD BIKE MAINTENANCE Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved pins per chain, which are meant to prevent this After removing the chain, allow the solvent 53 problem. Campagnolo supplies only one, making in the bottle to stand for a few days, decant the removal and reinstallation impossible. clear stuff, and use it again. I’ll say it again: use A hand-opened master link can avoid the a citrus-based solvent. It is safer for the environ- chain weakening caused by pushing pins out. ment, gentler on your skin, and less harmful to Master links are standard on SRAM, Wippermann, breathe. Wear rubber gloves when working with Taya, KMC, and, as of 2009, some Shimano chains. any solvent, and use a respirator meant for vola- An aftermarket master link can also be installed tile organic compounds if you are not using a cit- into any chain, as long as the master link is of the rus-based solvent. There is no sense in fixing your right width. bike so that it goes faster if you end up becoming If you do disassemble the chain (see §iv-7 or a slow, sickly bike rider. §iv-13 for instructions), you can clean it well, even without a solvent tank. Just drop the chain into an iv-5 old jar or water bottle half filled with solvent and CHAIN REPLACEMENT agitate. Using an old water bottle or jar allows you to clean the chain without touching or breathing As the rollers, pins, and plates the solvent—even with citrus solvents. wear out, the chain will lengthen. Here’s the procedure for cleaning the chain That, in turn, will hasten wear and if you don’t have or don’t want to use a chain- LEVEL 1 tear on the other parts of the drive- cleaning unit: train. An elongated chain will con- 1. Remove the chain from the bike (§iv-7 or centrate the load on each individual gear tooth, §iv-13). rather than distributing it over all of the teeth that 2. Drop it in a water bottle or jar. the chain is wrapped around. The concentrated 3. Pour in enough solvent to cover the chain. load will cause the gear teeth to become hook- 4. Shake the bottle vigorously (low to the ground, shaped and the tooth valleys to lengthen. in case the top pops off). If such wear has already occurred, a new 5. Hang the chain to air-dry. chain will not solve the problem, because it will 6. Reassemble it on the bike (see §iv-8 to not mesh with the deformed teeth and will skip §iv-12). off them whenever you pedal hard. The only cure 7. Lubricate it as described in §iv-1. is to replace the chain, the chainrings, and the Don’t soak the chain for extended periods in rear cogset, at considerable expense. So before all citrus-based solvents, since these have a water of that extra wear and tear hits your pocketbook, base and will cause the chain to oxidize (rust), get in the habit of checking the chain on a regular making it move with more friction and making it basis (§iv-6) and replacing it as needed. more prone to breakage. (Some people have two (Some believe that it’s superfluous to replace chains they rotate on and off the bike, leaving one any part of the drivetrain, choosing instead to soaking in solvent while the other one is on the let it all wear out together. Since the chain gets bike. While this would work with diesel fuel as longer and the teeth on the cogs and chainrings the solvent, it won’t with water-based solvents.) and jockey wheels all become hook-shaped, You gain nothing by soaking it anyway, so just everything will tend to still work together, after don’t do it. a fashion at least. This method, which I don’t

CHAPTER 4 THE CHAIN Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved 54 ascribe to, only works if you never interchange 4.5 Checking chain wear with a Rohloff gauge cogs, so racers, or anyone with multiple wheel- sets or cogsets, would be foolhardy to adopt it. Switch wheels or cogsets for a particular ride destination, or get a wheel change during a race, and your chain will be jumping and skipping like crazy while simultaneously ruining any cogs it lands on.) 4.6 Chain life varies depending on chain type, Using a ProGold chain gauge maintenance, riding conditions, and strength and weight of the rider. As a ballpark number, figure on replacing the chain every 1,000–1,500 miles if the bike is ridden in dirty conditions or with infre- quent lubrication (or with wax-based lubricants) by a heavy rider. Lighter cyclists riding mostly on clean, dry roads can extend the replacement time to 2,000–3,000 miles with poor maintenance and up to 5,000 miles with a daily high-quality the chain and I replace it right then, I get almost lubrication. infinite life out of my chainrings and cogs, even titanium ones. That’s worth it to me. iv-6 I’ve also used some Park and Wippermann CHECKING FOR CHAIN chain-elongation gauges, but either I find them ELONGATION less easy to use or they let the chain get longer than I think is a good idea before they suggest a. Chain-elongation gauges replacement. The most reliable way to see whether the chain The ProGold chain gauge (Fig. 4.6) offers a is worn out is to employ a chain-elongation quick, easy-to-use alternative to the Rohloff tool. gauge. Make sure you check a number of spots on Brace the hooked end against a chain roller and the chain; you’ll find variation. For over a decade, let the long tooth drop into the chain. If it drops I’ve shown only one such gauge in my main- in close to the 90% mark, that is equivalent to the tenance books—the Rohloff (Fig. 4.5)—because A side of the Rohloff dropping down flush with it’s superquick and easy to use. It’s a go/no-go the chain. gauge; brace the hook end against a chain roller, and if the opposing curved tooth falls completely b. Ruler method into the chain so the length of the tool’s body An accurate ruler offers another way to measure contacts it, the chain is shot. That’s it. There’s for elongation. Bicycle chains are on an inch nothing to squint at to determine whether or standard, and they measure a half-inch between not to replace the chain. You are to use the tooth adjacent rivets (and nominally have 3/32-inch- marked S for steel cogs and the tooth marked A wide rollers on derailleur chains and 1/8-inch- for aluminum and titanium cogs, but I just use wide rollers on single-cog bicycles). There should the A side. I find that if the A edge comes down to be exactly twelve links in one foot, where each

The following procedure applies to all derailleur chains when new and when you are shortening

LEVEL 1 them to length. It also applies complete link consists of an inner and outer pair to removing a chain from a bike, of plates (Fig. 4.7). except for those chains with a master link hand- 1. Set one end of the ruler on a rivet edge, and openable without a chain tool (Figs. 4.24–4.28). measure to the rivet edge at the other end of Wippermann, Taya, SRAM, and KMC chains snap the ruler. open by hand at the master link (see §iv-13), 2. The distance between these rivets should be 12 although they can also be opened at any other inches exactly. If it is 12 1/8 inches or greater, link with a chain tool, as described next. First- replace the chain; if it is 12 1/16 inches or more, generation Campagnolo 10-speed chains have a it is a good idea to replace it (and a necessity if master link that cannot be opened. you have any titanium or aluminum cogs or an 1. Place any link over the back teeth on a chain eleven-tooth small cog). The 12 1/16-inch mea- tool (Fig. 4.8). surement is equivalent to the Rohloff A edge indicating a no-go, and to the ProGold gauge indicating 90 percent. 4.8 Pushing out the pin (link rivet) If the chain is off the bike, you can hang it next to a new chain; if it is a third of a link longer or more for the same number of links, replace it. If you always replace the chain as soon as it becomes elongated beyond the spec I’ve indi- cated on these chain-elongation gauges, you will replace at least three chains before needing to change the cogs.

PRO TIP Cyclocross demands frequent chain replacement

f you are racing cyclocross, particularly in the wheels you stick on that bike. Chains are pricey, I the Midwest, Southeast, Northwest, or East yes, but not nearly as pricey as cogsets, particularly Coast (or in northern Europe), the chain is several of them! going to wear very quickly due to mud. Replacing the If you’re riding in the mud a lot, check the chain chain frequently under these conditions is critically for elongation weekly. Replace the chain as soon important, or it will jump oﬀ sideways. Cyclocross as the ProGold indicator goes beyond 75 percent also tends to mandate frequent wheel changes, (Fig. 4.6) or the Rohloﬀ A side drops fully into the and a worn chain will screw up the cogs on all of chain (Fig. 4.5).

CHAPTER 4 THE CHAIN Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved 56 2. For most road bikes, tighten the chain tool the correct length, compare the new with the old handle clockwise to push the pin most of chain and use the same number of links. the way out. Be careful to leave a millime- ter or so of pin protruding inward from the Method 2 chain plate to hook the chain back together With a standard double-chainring setup, route when reassembling. However, if you have the chain through the derailleurs and over the a chain with a master link or a Shimano large chainring and smallest cog. The jockey or Campagnolo chain and its new con- wheels in the rear derailleur should then align necting pin, go ahead and drive the pin all vertically (Fig. 4.9). the way out. (Campagnolo requires insert- ing its special chain-assembly pin through Method 3 “virgin” holes in new outer chain plates, so Wrap the chain around the big chainring and Campagnolo requires that you buy a sec- the biggest cog without going through either tion of new chain with virgin outer plates at derailleur. Bring the two ends together until the either end and two assembly pins. Then you ends overlap; one full link (Fig. 4.7) should be the remove that many links from the chain and amount of overlap (Fig. 4.10). This method works insert this new section of chain.) for triples and for standard doubles and is a must 3. Separate the chain by flexing it away from if you are using a double with a big mountain the pushed-out pin if you left the stub in. If bike cogset (like an 11–32 or 11–34) and a long- you pushed the pin all the way out, the two cage rear derailleur. ends will just pull apart. Method 4 iv-8 Campagnolo suggests a different method with DETERMINING CHAIN LENGTH a double crank, routing the chain over the inner AND ROUTING chainring and the smallest cog, as shown in Figure 4.11. Check for about 10–15mm of clear- a. Methods for determining ance between the chain wrapped around the correct chain length upper jockey wheel and the lower run of chain If you are putting on a new chain for double (see Fig. 4.11). This is not easy to measure; push cranks (including compact doubles), determine the bottom of the ruler up against the chain how many links you will need in one of the fol- wrapped around the upper jockey wheel. lowing four ways. Methods 2 and 4 are approxi- Remove the excess links (§iv-7, Fig. 4.8) and mately equivalent, and both work for standard save them in your spare tire bag so that you have double-chainring setups as well as for compact- spares in case of chain breakage on the road. drive (smaller) double chainrings. If you have a triple crankset (three chainrings up front) and a b. Route the chain properly long-cage rear derailleur on your bike, however, Shift the derailleurs so that the chain will rest you should use method 3. on the smallest cog in the rear and on the smallest chainring up front. Starting with the rear- Method 1 derailleur pulley that is farthest from the derail- Under the assumption that your old chain was leur body (this will be the bottom pulley once

4.10 Determining chain length using the big chainring and the biggest cog

CHAPTER 4 THE CHAIN Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved 58 4.11 Determining chain length using the Campagnolo method

10–15mm

the chain is taut), guide the chain up through gency on a ride) on a 9-, 10-, or 11-speed chain or on the rear derailleur, going around the two jockey any Shimano or Campagnolo chain. pulleys. Make sure the chain passes inside of Connecting a chain that has no special connecting the prongs on the rear-derailleur cage. Guide the pin or link is much easier if the link rivet (pin) that chain over the smallest rear cog and through was partially removed when the chain was taken the front-derailleur cage. Wrap the chain around apart is facing outward (toward you). Positioning the the smallest front chainring and bring the chain link rivet this way allows you to use the chain tool ends together so that they meet (Fig. 4.11). (Fig. 4.11) in a much more comfortable manner (driving the rivet toward the bike, instead of back at you). iv-9 Be sure that the chain length allows about 10–15mm CONNECTING A 5-, 6-, 7-, OR of clearance between the upper jockey wheel and the 8-SPEED CHAIN (WITHOUT A lower length of chain. MASTER LINK OR A SPECIAL 1. Push the ends together, snapping the end CONNECTING PIN) link over the little stub of pin you left stick- NOTE: If you have a Shimano chain, a 9-, 10-, or ing out to the inside between the opposite 11-speed chain, or a chain with a master link, go to end plates. You will need to flex the plates the appropriate section; don’t connect it as described open as you push the link in to get the pin in this section by using the original rivet. Not heeding to snap into the hole. this warning could result in injury if the chain breaks. 2. Push the pin through with the chain tool FURTHER NOTE: This section only applies to wider (Fig. 4.12) until the same amount protrudes chains, such as 5-, 6-, 7-, or perhaps even 8-speed on either end. If you have a 9-, 10-, or chains. Never use the same pin (except in an emer- 11-speed system, or any Shimano chain, you

ZINN & THE ART OF ROAD BIKE MAINTENANCE Excerpt from Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 3rd Ed. by Lennard Zinn 978-1-934030-42-4 Copyright VeloPress 2009 All rights reserved shouldn’t be using the original rivet in the 4.12 Pushing in the pin (link rivet) 59 first place. But if you are, and the chain tool prongs seem to be getting bent as you push the rivet, see the note in §iv-10, step 7. 3. If there is a stiff link (Fig. 4.13), free it either by flexing it laterally with your fingers (Fig. 4.14) or, better, by using the chain tool’s back teeth, as illustrated in Figure 4.15. Push the pin a fraction of a turn to spread the plates apart.

iv-10 CONNECTING A SHIMANO CHAIN (NON-10-SPEED) 4.13 A stiff link

1. Make sure you have the appropriate Shimano subpin connecting pin, which looks like a segmented rivet with one segment ending in a pointed tip. It has a breakage groove at the middle of its length. Two subpins come with a new Shimano chain. If you are reinstalling an old Shimano chain, use a new subpin, 4.15 Freeing a stiff link using a chain tool and make sure it is the right length for the chain (10-speed subpins are shorter than 9-speed subpins, which are shorter than 7- or 8-speed subpins; see §iv-11). If you don’t have a subpin and are going to connect a 7- or 8-speed chain anyway, follow the procedure in §iv-9, but be aware that the chain is

4.14 Freeing a stiff link with your fingers