Chain Keeps Breaking

[mickle]

It's the result of heavy handed pedalling through gear shifts and/or there's a bent tooth or a burr somewhere.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's the result of heavy handed pedalling through gear shifts and/or there's a bent tooth or a burr somewhere.

Heavy handed?

 

[Peter Salt]

Bit late to the party. What a fascinating mechanical!

If it happened to me once I'd blame the chain. If it kept happening - I'd look elsewhere - cassette, chainrings, derailleurs.

 

[T4tomo]

I have broken one like that (staring at the pin hole) twice in 5 mins (repaired with a quick link in between!!) having barely got off my drive. it was the first outing of the year with the summer bike (but not a new chain) no idea what had happened over the winter.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

that observation seems useful. I will check on that. Thanks. The post can be locked.

Mod lurking in the mechanics section Note:
@Bubas to Cycle Chat.
We don't lock threads here only because the OP (you) thinks he had obtained an answer to his query.
We like to discuss things at length here
Please do come back report on your findings.

 

[taximan]

I had an unusual chain break earlier this year. I was returning from a ride over the moors and was freewheeling the last 200 yards or so to my home. when I stopped I was amazed to see that the chain was missing. I went back to look for it but never saw it again. ( I am certain it was on at the start of the ride)

 

[Ajax Bay]

I've snapped one or two chains in all my years riding, but they have usually cracked on the link, then you get a tell tale tinkle noise, so I've stopped to check before it's gone, or it's been found during chain oiling. Check, ah broken. Remove link, carry on, bin chain when home. Cross chaining doesn't do chains good, neither does lots of poor shifting.

Always bin a chain after a break, you don't know what damage it's done to other links.

A routine for mitigating this risk is easily combined with @mickle ing one's chain. Use a doubled kitchen towel (cloth would be less sensitive) to wipe and if there's an incipient crack in one of the outer plates (mine all happened radially from the pin, never as per (stock) image shared in post #6) then the paper will(may) 'catch'. Do not ignore that 'catch': find the link and check.

Mod
We like to discuss things at length here
Please do come back report on your findings.

The very idea of 'closing a thread' in Mechanics and Repairs - never, never, never (even lubrication wars).

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've been reminiscing about that time in the 80s when I broke a chain. One thing I remember was that there was a "click" happening that preceded it. I remember finding that funny because it wasn't in time with my pedalling and it wasn't in time with the wheel rotation. It had its own, slower rhythm. What could it be? ... One per chain rev as I soon learned.

So if you ever get a repeated click at unusual intervals - check your chain.

 

[cougie uk]

I've been reminiscing about that time in the 80s when I broke a chain. One thing I remember was that there was a "click" happening that preceded it. I remember finding that funny because it wasn't in time with my pedalling and it wasn't in time with the wheel rotation. It had its own, slower rhythm. What could it be? ... One per chain rev as I soon learned.

So if you ever get a repeated click at unusual intervals - check your chain.

Yes - been there - had that - ignored it - imagine my surprise when the chain fell off.

 

[ColinJ]

The very idea of 'closing a thread' in Mechanics and Repairs - never, never, never (even lubrication wars).

I was on a software forum once and searched for a thread discussing a particular technical issue. I found one and was about to post there when I saw that a mod had declared the issue handled, and the thread closed. Then I saw that the thread had not been locked so I posted anyway, explaining that I had new, relevant information to add.

I got an immediate warning from a mod for daring to post in a closed thread. My explanation that keeping posts on one subject to one thread made more sense than multiple threads earned me a 'final warning'!

I gave up and flounced from that forum...

The only time that threads should be locked is if they are completely irrelevant, on banned topics, or have descended into unpleasant arguments.

So if you ever get a repeated click at unusual intervals - check your chain.

I did, and did... I found that the plate on one side of a link had broken and the opposite one was about to! Good job I stopped when I did - I was on my singlespeed bike and standing to sprint up a short 8% ramp. That could have ended in tears!

 

[Dogtrousers]

The only time that threads should be locked is if they are completely irrelevant, on banned topics, or have descended into unpleasant arguments.

Imagine locking a thread about threadlock.