Chain tool?

[slowmotion]

Some of the places I ride have no mobile signal, are miles from a call box, taxi, train or bike shop, and are very exposed to nasty weather. I don't intend to get stuck somewhere like that due to leaving my multi-tool at home!

If you don't go to such places, fair enough.

Colin, I avoid such places like The Plague.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

I've owned a Park Tools CT5 for a few years but I've never taken it with me. It's possibly reckless but I don't want to carry a whole bunch of stuff that I probably won't need.

I can understand that tbh. The majority of my riding is commute and working shifts, I couldn't think of anything worse at 9 at night than having to push a bike 12 miles home.....

 

[slowmotion]

I can understand that tbh. The majority of my riding is commute and working shifts, I couldn't think of anything worse at 9 at night than having to push a bike 12 miles home.....

I too don't want to push a bike twelve miles. I carry a pump, levers, and a spare tube for the things that are likely to happen. A broken chain isn't one of them. I don't carry a bottom bracket tool or a pair of cable cutters either. They weigh more than a credit card for a taxi. I've never needed the card either.

 

[Cubist]

Three times in the last year. Mate's bike at Philips Park, mine at Penmachno, at the furthest point from the car park, and last week, Cubester's chain at Dalbeattie, again, at the furthest point from the car park. The prospect of having to wheel a bike for ten miles in mountain trail country with no phone signal means I will always carry one.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Twice I can think of this year. It doesn't weigh enough to worry about, so I carry it.

 

[slowmotion]

Some people take precautions before a crisis and some people after. If you have not yet had that crisis, you might wish to take that risk and not worry about it. It's that simple. I'm not knocking those who take precautions.

 

[Gravity Aided]

This is true. I am a man who carries a spoke wrench on his key chain.

 

[slowmotion]

This is true. I am a man who carries a spoke wrench on his key chain.

I have not had a bad "off" yet but I still wear a helmet for unknown reasons. It's irrational but "whatever floats your boat".

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I have quick links in my kit and a chain tool on my multitool. I've had a chain go once, but I was within a mile of home and knackered so rather than faff by the road side just pushed the bike home. I really must try actually using the chain tool on something as for all I know it's a useless one.

 

[boydj]

I too don't want to push a bike twelve miles. I carry a pump, levers, and a spare tube for the things that are likely to happen. A broken chain isn't one of them. I don't carry a bottom bracket tool or a pair of cable cutters either. They weigh more than a credit card for a taxi. I've never needed the card either.

Ride enough, particularly commuting in all weathers, and you are highly likely to have a broken chain at some point, even if you are meticulous about changing chains regularly. There is also the possibility of other issues which might necessitate some surgery on the chain. In 8 years of commuting I had two chains snap on the commute, one of them only a couple of weeks old. I've also had a chain go on a longer run and a rear mech collapse which required some chain shortening to get home, as well as helping out others a couple of times. Carrying a chain tool and a couple of joining links is a very small price to pay to turn a potential disaster into a relatively simple fix.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Now I ride a recumbent my chain is about 2.5 times as long as on an upwrong - so I guess that increases the risk of chain failure?
Prior to going over to a bent, I only ever used my chain tool twice for myself, once when the chain snapped, despite being virtually brand new (It was a Shimanono!) and once when my dérailleur snapped at the pivot and I ended up with a broken chain and buckled wheel. On that occasion, I trued the wheel with my spoke key removed the knackered derailleur and shortened the chain to run single speed (but still had to call to be recovered as the chain was too damaged for it to stay on the rear sprocket)
I have also stopped to help over cyclists with broken chains on a few occasions. In my kit I carry spare links to cover any chain from 5 speed to 10 - but if anyone has an 11 speed and their chain breaks, it serves them right for being a poser!

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Some people take precautions before a crisis and some people after. If you have not yet had that crisis, you might wish to take that risk and not worry about it. It's that simple. I'm not knocking those who take precautions.

I have four children so I guess I didn't take precautions before a crisis!

 

[slowmotion]

Ride enough, particularly commuting in all weathers, and you are highly likely to have a broken chain at some point, even if you are meticulous about changing chains regularly.

I have ridden about 4500 miles each year for the last five years. About 60% of those miles were year-round commuting. I've never needed a chain tool out on the road. That's why I don't carry one. Your experience has been different so it suits you to have one with you. It's that simple.

 

[boydj]

And how long do you go without a puncture before you decide you don't need to carry a spare tube? I probably went about four years or more before my first chain break, but I did have a chain tool and spare link in my bag, so I was on my way again in 10 minutes. The risk is low, but the impact is high, so the mitigation is worth the very small cost involved - as any project manager will tell you.