Chain to short

[Richbikemechani]

So recently I bought a second-hand Pinarello F10 with 11-speed Ultegra and Dura Ace DI2 from a seller in Cape Town. I was thrilled with the bike and how it was everything I come to expect from Pinarello. On my first ride, I noticed that the rear derailleur was pulling quite far forward even though I was in the small chain ring and the middle somewhere on the cassette. Being a former bike mechanic for 12 years and having done 3 Cape Epic's as a mechanic the chain length didn't look right to me. When I got home I took a closer look and realized the chain was way too short by almost 8 to 9 links!!. This is something that I never expected to happen, didn't even cross my mind. So when a seller says he is selling the bike with another wheelset, make sure of the chain length and cassette ratio.

So what happened here?

The wheels (cassette) that came with the bike weren't the wheels/cassette the seller was using. He changed the wheels which is fine but conveniently failed to tell me that the cassette ratio is different therefore the chain is going to be too short. I think he knew about it but didn't want to tell me as he knew I would query it and demand that he put the right length chain on and possibly new cassettes as well.

I ended up having to buy a new chain.

So the reason why I am bringing this up is to warn potential buyers of this possible risk. Make sure that when you buy a bike everything is in order.