Can you add extra links to a Shimano 12 speed chain.
- Thread starter Webbo2
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Punkawallah
Veteran
While it -can- be done, I’m not sure it -should- be done. Emergency use excepted, of course.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I wouldn't on modern chains due to the way the pins are made.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
Yes & Yes
i.e the best way to lengthen a (12 speed*) chain is to join two bits with two quick links
*speed is irrelevant, save for you could pop pins in and out on was is 10 or 9 speed and below, but never sure how reliable a fix that was.
Why? Genuine question, I was musing on this the other day.
Advice from many is to carry a spare quick link to fix a broken chain. Very sage advice. But if you had two quick links together on the chain, if the chain breaks you can just move one to bridge the gap. No chance of forgetting to carry a spare as it's on your chain already
They're both under the same load so no more likely to snap surely.
Punkawallah
Veteran
There is no ‘science’ behind my opinion. But ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’, and while the designer might have allowed for the quick link to replace one link in the chain, it may not have been designed to replace two.
YMMV, T&CA, DTTAH.
- Location
- Inside my skull
You cannot move a quick link from elsewhere on the chain to fix a broken chain. Think about it!
Ah, but if you have two quick links together, you can move one of them.
- Location
- Inside my skull
Try joining two quick links directly together. You will see the problem. Plus you are splitting and joining the chain four times instead of two if the chain goes mid ride. Plus 12 speed quick links are only meant to be joined once. Best just carry spare links in your toolkit, not fitted in the chain.
Elybazza61
Legendary Member
I wouldn't after seeing what happens when worn links fail and as others have said 11-12 speed chains are a lot narrower and have less material on them, just get the right length chain.
In an emergency I'd probably use a quick link to mend a broken chain on a ride but would probably ride it in as easy gear as possible.
In an emergency I'd probably use a quick link to mend a broken chain on a ride but would probably ride it in as easy gear as possible.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
You can't put two quick links together. You use a quick link by first pushing out the pins from the two ends being joined, and you can't push out the pin from a quick link.
I asked this question as I mistakenly shortened a new chain by one link too many. It should be 54 links long but I broke it at 53. The advice when I went to the local bike shop was lengthen it using two quick links. So one piece 49 links and one piece 3 links plus 2 quick links.
However I wasn’t hundred percent convinced hence my question.
However I wasn’t hundred percent convinced hence my question.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
What happens if you've forgot your quick link removal tool?
I haven't got upto 12 speed yet but on 11 speed they are awfully tricky to ping apart with just hands, 9/10 spd and below less of an issue. You also need a chain breaker with you as you need to remove the other half link to get to two female ends....
Your chain will also be a full link shorter, as you will have sacrificed the half link joining the two quick links as well as the broken halflink, although this is unlikely to be an issue, unless the chain was on its limit and you changed gear to big - big.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
it all depending on what "should" means, as there is a bit of slack each way with chain length / derailleur capacity
If 54 is optimum, have you actually tried it (very gently with you off the bike) on big big in its 53 links guise?
I'd like to bet a virtual sausage sandwich that your RD will still be fine on 53 links.
