Talking About Chainline

Chainline. People like to talk about it, but many have little idea of what it technically means. Informally, chainline refers to the relative straightness of the chain in a given gear combination. Singlespeed or geared, the informal use of chaineline is the same—“good” is when the chain makes a straight shot from the rear cog to the front ring, “bad” is when there is a visible bend in the chain due to the cogs not being in plane with one another. Chainlines falling into the latter “bad” category can contribute to excessive drivetrain wear and potential for chain throw, along with efficiency losses.

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