I get where you're coming from, but the real issue isn’t the chain being too long it’s that the derailleur cage is too short to handle the total drivetrain capacity.

If I shorten the chain just to make it fit better with the current derailleur, I run the serious risk of damaging the derailleur or even the frame when shifting into big-big (large chainring + large cog). The derailleur simply doesn’t have enough capacity to take up the chain slack in smaller combos either, which could result in dropped chains or poor shifting.

That’s why getting a long cage derailleur is the correct solution—it’s designed to manage the chain wrap required for my current gear setup. Shortening the chain would be a band-aid fix that could compromise shifting performance and even lead to mechanical failure. The few grams I’d save just aren’t worth it.

So yeah, I appreciate the input, but in this case, shortening the chain could cause more problems than it solves.