Pack a chain tool!

[Nomadski]

Im with Jim on this. Look after your chain and it will look after you.

In over 50 years of riding on all terrain, I have never broken a chain.

I take my chain off twice a year. Once in the middle of Winter and once in the middle of summer. I put it in a small, clean bucket with some petrol and swill it round. I take a small screwdriver inbetween the links to clear all the crud and swill it again and brush it all with a toothbrush. I keep swilling until the petrol is clean. I then liberally Oil it and manipulate every single link. I wipe chain and most importantly, put the chain on the same way you took it off.

It takes about 20 minutes and I dont have chain problems.

Inferior or damages chains could lead to breakages and so if øyou manage to throw your chain and jam it, make sure you have a good look at it when you get home. Dont just forget about it.

What do you do with the bucket of petrol?

 

[steveindenmark]

What do you do with the bucket of petrol?

Its not a bucket, Per se. It is about an inch. I put it in a bottle and drop it off at the local mechanic who disposes of it with the garage waste. I pass the workshop every day. It is only 400 m away.

 

[KneesUp]

I've seen a muscleman explode a chain.

I've seen two riders' rear derailleurs go into the spokes and damage their chains.

I saw one rider's gear hanger shear off and his chain get trashed.

I saw another guy's bike with a broken chain after a crash.

I helped another rider with a broken chain and I think that one might actually have been due to incorrect assembly.

As far as I can remember, I've never actually broken one of my own chains but I'm going to continue to carry my multi-tool which includes a chain' splitter.

Makes mental note to bring a spare chain in the event of cycling with or near @ColinJ

 

[jonny jeez]

Bike parts fail for two reasons.

1/ they are defective, in which case return it with the receipt to th eplac eit was bought.

2/ the owner has assembled it or installed it incorrectly.


I have never seen a chain 'break' due to being defective. A 1/2" rollerchain can pick up the front of a motorcar, and human legs cannot generate that much tension.

Now, that makes perfect sense. But I have had three chains fail in the last 10 years. Each was well maintained, cleaned, lubed, cleaned again after most rides, or at the end of each week. Sometimes I even take them off and soak them in oil whilst I clean the bike.

Yet after a year each if the failed. They don't snap, as such, rather the link allows the pin to pop out.

Easy enough to replace with a power link but they do seem to "wear out"

 

[PeteXXX]

Here's an old thread of mine regarding a chain that was a very short way away from snapping... https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/check-your-chain.147123/ and KMC's response.

I've had one other chain snap due to a dumb gear change, I think. I had my multi-tool with me and managed to bodge a repair in lashing freezing rain without my 'seeing' glasses that got me home the last few miles without the ignominy of pushing it.

 

[Hacienda71]

I suspect that chains tend to fail in the majority where a plate comes loose, although there are exceptions as per PeteXXX's photo demonstrates. With 10 and 11 speed drivetrains now common place with thinner chains and wider ranging cassettes it doesn't surprise me that people are seeing failures more often. I don't remember chains giving up like this back in the seventies and eighties.

 

[PeteXXX]

My old pub bike, that I single speeded, and shortened the chain appropriately, still has he original chain. Nearly 25yrs use. Can't see any point in changing it now.

 

[Jody]

Inferior or damages chains could lead to breakages and so if øyou manage to throw your chain and jam it, make sure you have a good look at it when you get home. Dont just forget about it.

I'll second this bit of info after a chain failure last week which sent the rear mech into my wheel. Putting my bike together in the dark, got the chain in between the cassette and the dropouts. Applied pressure to the quick release before noticing. Everything seemed fine with the ride until one of the plates popped off it's pin, snagged the mech cage and sent it into the wheel.

Cost me £60 so lesson learned.

 

[ianrauk]

Another one here who has never broken a chain.. and I do a fair lot of miles in all weathers.
Though.. my multi tool does have a chain splitter on it and I carry a couple of spare links.

 

[ACS]

I always carry a chain tool and have only had to use it one occasion. Had a rear derailler hanger snap, on a hill, many miles for home. Allowed me shorten the chain and bodge a single speed fix. Also carry spare links for 8, 9, 10 speed chains just in case.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Always one of these Park CT5 and quick links. Only ever had one chain failure - new KMC 10 speed and less than 200 miles - one of the side plates becoming detached at one end, caught before the chain completely separated.