Giant Lafree twist comfort 4 speed in need of new chain

[Danny]

Hi everyone,

The new second hand I recently bought is in need of a new chain as well as a new set of sprockets.
Does anyone know which chain to buy? I need one for a Giant Lafree Twist comfort with 4 speed gear. What are the measurements and how many shackles are required?
I have tried putting on the chain that came off a 3 speed Twist Lite but that one is just too short. I wanted to replace the sprockets from the 3 speed onto the 4 speed bike. But that isn't going to do the trick.
And, more importantly in my case, were to buy new sprockets for a bike that isn't being produced today. I need one that ships to Europe for as I am living in Holland.

Thanks for the advice

cheers,
Danny

 

[Danny]

The main reason for buying the bike was that I was thinking I could easily make the bike ride again with little effort and budget.
Maybe that was a bit of a mistake thinking about the discovered fact that the sprockets from my 3-speed twist all fit the 4-speed except the hub gear sprocket, and therefore I have to buy new sprockets and a new chain because I didn't realize the 3-speed chain would simply be to short due to the bigger hub gear sprocket on the 4-speed bike.

The 4-speed bike is just more luxurious then the 3-speed, especially for the amount of money they asked for it.
This was just an insight in why I bought the 4-speed.

Thanks,
Danny

 

[Danny]

Yesterday i had bought a 1/8" chain at Halfords here, but it was too short.
It even was approx. 8 cm shorter than the one coming from the 3-speed.
The brand was KMC?

 

[flecc]

A 1/8" chain is the one you want for the Lafree, but most standard ones are not long enough due to the e-bike's greater length. That can mean buying two or scrounging an offcut from the bike dealer you buy from.

Deraileur chains which are 3/32" or narrower are not suitable.

 

[Danny]

@flecc
Do you know how many shackles there are needed?

 

[flecc]

Sorry I don't remember how many links I added in my Lafree owning days. I think it was around three or four extra links. My usual tactic was to always buy the same brand of chain so that I only bought one extra chain to begin with, using that to take the extra from each time.

KMC are good chains so you could stick with them.

 

[Danny]

Are you saying that in fact all chains for the Lafree are too short?
You have to make the right size your self?
Then it is a mystery solved why they didn't have the right one.

In that case, Thank you Flecc

 

[flecc]

Yes, it's the battery and motor unit length between the bottom bracket and rear wheel that makes the chain length greater than on normal bikes. Standard bike chains are on the generous side, but not enough to cope with this difference. I think there's occasionally been sources of longer chains but I haven't come across one.

As you've already got the KMC, probably best to just buy another and stick with that well known brand in future, assuming you have a chain tool to do the lengthening.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can count the links in your old chain. Get yourself a chain pin remover tool and buy two chains, then you can join them to make them exactly the length you want. As Flecc suggests, the bike shops often have to cut down chains because they're too long, so they have odd bits lying around to add to the one you've already got.
Cyclo Chain Tool Delinker Pin Remover Universal Chain Rivet Extractor | eBay

 

[Danny]

Today I bought the 2 1/2 x 1/8" chains to make 1 out of them.
But sadly too late, I discovered a chain that's made especially for e-bikes.
It is also an KMC chain with 128 links. So there are chains available for the e-bike.
It was hard to find one The website is in Dutch, it is a shop near me.
I found it here;
KMC ketting Z1XRB - Soeteman Fietsonderdelen - Dordrecht

too bad it doesn't have an article number on the site.
It is cheaper to buy this chain than to construct my own out of 2 chains. It is exactly the same chain only longer. I counted my original 3 speed chain, it's 118 links.
So I wonder if the special made chain will do. It is only 10 links longer.

The 4-speed bike didn't have a chain on it when i bought it.
So that is why i posted my question here.

 

[flecc]

I'm sure that 10 link longer e-bike chain will be plenty for the Lafree. Good find, but I'm not surprised that you have them there since Dutch e-bikes on the road outnumber our UK ones by at least 10 times.