This is my first build since my old bmx 25 years ago and have been slowly amassing parts since Christmas due to lack of funds.
I am waiting on a rear skewer that should be here tomorrow so I can fit the back wheel and inturn the chain.

I have searched t’internet and there are conflicting views on how to measure your new chain but I gather I have to let all the air out of the rp23 which will allow the bike to sit with the swing arm at full travel.
Then simply wrap the chain around the the largest chain wheel and cog, and this plus two links is the size the chain should be for fitting.

Is this correct,
Thanks.

i do as you’ve said in your post, but make sure the shock is completelt supressed as some times it might need a cable tie etc to hold it. then i also run the chain through the mech cage, pull it so the cage is as straight as needs be ie where the cage will be if you bottom the bike out then add a link.

never had a problems with doing it that way.

hope that makes sense

Hi,
I have just bolted the rear deraileur on yesterday but its not set up with no cables fitted. Getting this set up was going to be my next job after the chain.

And was hoping to not even consider setting up the rear mech untill then as I have been building the bike one job at a time and learning that one job as an when I was about to do that one job.

If you know what I mean, as I did not want to feel overwhelmed by the process.
And so far everything has proven quite straight forward.

What you suggest is the safe (and probably the recommended) method. Personally I go a bit shorter to avoid too much loose chain on the grounds that I’ll never be daft enough to use the big chainring big sprocket combination. But I dara say that one day I’ll be proved wrong 🙂

Right, I let all the air out of the shock and compressed the swing arm fully until the piston had practically all but disappeared into the shock body and cable tied it there.
Wrapped the chain around big big and added one external and one internal link, then broke the chain.

I don’t know how, whether the chain had slipped somehow when I was offering it up or I counted the excess links incorrectly. Either way the upshot being I was at home to Mr Cock up.

Because when I offered the chain up after breaking it only overlapped by just under (a gnats appendage) one link.
So thinking I would have to order another chain (shimano 10 speed) or at least another reinforced connecting pin I refilled the shock.

Out of interest with the shock filled and the bike upside down I offered up the chain again and was surprised to see it overlapped by a good three and a half links.
So if I did add another two links, one internal and one external to get over the min plus two links when the suspension is fully compressed it would mean I would be over five links slack uncompressed.

So now I don’t know what to do.
I would not put it past me to find myself in big big by mistake. But what I don’t know is will I if ever bottom out the rear suspension being a fast approaching middle aged mincer.
What kind of drops does it take to bottom out a five with rp23.

What kind of drops does it take to bottom out a five with rp23.

depends on how supple you run it. the o-ring is permanently pushed off the bottom of my rp23 on my five…

Try it with shock set up, bike upright, big front, small back. If jockey wheels vertically aligned or slacker it should be fine. If tighter than vertical you could have problems if you go big big.

What kind of drops does it take to bottom out a five with rp23

did a 4 -5 foot drop and it nearly bottomed out[ 5 mm ish??] so 6 foot + ???

that said it usually falls off at some point on every ride so safer to assume you will bottom it out IMHO

I fitted the chain, still no cables to either mech but I slackened off the front mech to allow me to put the chain around the big ring and adjusted the rear mech to line up with the small cog and the two jocky wheels are pretty much spot on vertical with each other.

I think I will have to wait till the gears are set up and working and run through them with the bike in the bike stand and the shock empty. If i have to buy a new chain, I will have to buy a new chain.

Chip, the way you describe it is exactly the same as I ran my 5 for over 4 yrs until selling it recently and I never had any problems. Is it a triple or double chain set ?

It’s an xt triple,
And a long cage xt shadow + rear mech.
If that makes any difference.

Chip, same as my setup although I didn’t have the clutch mech. It will be perfect. I bottomed mine quite regularly and occasionally ran big big, although never intentionally. Never had a problem.

When I built my five, I used this formula :

L = 2 (C) + (F/4 + R/4 + 1)

L = Chain length in inches. Round the final result to closest whole inch figure.
C = Chain stay length in inches, measure to closest 1/8”. Use chart below to find decimal measurement.
F= Number of teeth on largest front chainring.
R= Number of teeth on largest rear cog.

Saves much faffing around. I’ve bottomed out my five many times, and it hasn’t cause my derailleur any problems.

iainc,

Thanks very much for help, you have put my mind at rest.
Cheers.

Chip – no probs at all, happy riding 🙂