Mrs wsf has just bought a brand new bike (a cannondale road bike) and has noisy running gears, plus they don't index well or consistently across the block.
I thought that this would be just some simply adjustment, but found I just couldn't get them to run well. Further investigation, the chain is too long by about 8 links or so... that explains it! Adding some tension in and it all goes quiet and runs nicely as the rear mech sits where it "should" sit.
It's going back to the shop tomorrow for them get it set up properly, but I can't see how Cannondale would get something so simple wrong...
8 links??? Are you sure?
It's not unheard of for manufacturers to just fit the same chain length to all sizes of a model of bike but I'd be surprised if there was that much variation.
Possible it's been fitted by the shop as a result of some other issue?
Yep, it's quite a few links out - I was surprised how much.
It's easily sorted of course, but I was just wondering if this could be a sign of other goings on or issues, so wondering if this sort of thing is commonplace
Something strange there . Cannon dales come from the factory with the chains fitted . 8 years in a cannon dale dealer & I have never seen that happen . Dealer should sort that out if you take it back
have you checked it in the big-big combo....its probably about 8 links too short now.
I would have got the shop to sort it personally. Are you sure the rear mech isn't bent etc?
It's checking the big-big combo where I spotted the issue, instead of there being minimal slack, I could "fold up" a chain loop 4 links long, so 8 links total. I checked the shimano installation instructions incase the latest installations are different to the old, but it's still big-big plus 2 links.
I'm not sure that there isn't something else going on such as a bent mech, so am taking into the shop today for them to sort out.
In small/small that would be sitting on the chainstay
Only thing I could imagine would be that the chain was damaged out of the box and the dealer's fitted a new one without shortening it. If that's the case they're idiots though.
Are you counting a link as outer plates, plus inner rooler assembly, i.e 1" total? So the chain was 8" too long?