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Swapping cogs, new chain?

803 views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  mrrisotto 
#1 ·
Noobie alert.
I would like to experiment with different rear cogs on my monocog 29er. I still need to buy the needed tools but I have a question regarding the chain. If I swap out my 20t cog with a 16t or higher gear (read: street use) and then the chain ends up being too long. What do I do? Can I get a chain tool that removes links from the chain? If so does this compromise the strength of the chain? Or do I need to replace the stock chain all together? Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
Any bike shop should be able to sell you a chain tool for breaking and rejoining the chain. With some care, the new joint is as good as all the other ones. SRAM and some others also make links that allow joining the chain without tools.

Adding new links to an old chain is possible too, but mixing new and worn links might cause some issues.

A chain stretches in use. In general, you should not put a badly stretched chain on new cogs, as this creates more wear on the cogs. People often replace their chains before they stretch too badly. This increases the life of the cog and chainring.
 
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