Spent 20 minutes helping a customer pick a chain and got it completely wrong lol

Had a guy come in the shop last Tuesday wanting a new chain for his old 80s road bike. I asked him a few quick questions and sold him a 9-speed chain without even looking at his drivetrain. He came back 2 hours later super frustrated because the chain was too narrow and wouldn't shift right. Turns out his bike had a 6-speed freewheel and I just assumed he had a newer setup. I felt like a total idiot lol. Now I always pop the bike on the stand and count the cogs before recommending anything. Has anyone else made a simple mistake like this that cost you a customer or time?

2 comments

2 Comments

shanel1310d ago

Yeah I've done basically the same thing with a mountain bike customer last year. Sold him a 10 speed chain for what I thought was a newer drivetrain and it was actually an old 7 speed setup. He must have rode 5 miles before the chain started grinding and hopping off the cassette. He brought it back all pissed and I had to comp him a new chain plus a free tune up to make it right. These days I always check the actual cog count no matter what the customer tells me because people mix up their bike parts all the time lol.

matthewh2810d ago

Actually the issue with the 9 speed chain on a 6 speed setup isn't just the width. 9 speed chains are narrower but the real problem is the inner link plates rub against the wider freewheel cogs. They're designed for tighter spacing. I've seen guys try to force them on and it just makes the shifting feel crunchy and rough. The chain will sit too deep between the cogs too. You're right about counting cogs every time though. I always pull out the chain tool and measure the old one for length too because people lie about bike age all the time.