Somethings gotta go wrong...and it did.

[merlin321]

In the words of Canadian rockers Nickelback, "Somethings gotta go wrong, cos I`m feeling way too damn good".
Today was just about summed up by those lyrics.

Left home for the 9.6 mile commute into work at 5.20 this morning. Had an outstanding ride in. Next to no traffic, red lights being co-operative and great fresh weather. Upshot - best journey time ever 30.15s.
Left work 4pm got to the bike and rear tyre completely flat. Fitted spare tube in the rain and off we went. 4 miles into return commute and the chain broke.
Upshot - 5 1/2 mile walk home with the bike. Nearly 2 hours.
Put this one down as an experience then.

Strange with the chain. First one did nearly 3,000 miles until it broke at the end of December. This one probably hasn`t done more than 400.

 

[fossyant]

How do you break a chain............? Haven't ever....really gets me this.

What chain is it ?

 

[BentMikey]

Where's your chain tool? I wonder what the chances are of you buying one soon and keeping it in your tool roll.

 

[Radius]

You broke a chain!? Ouch. But how?

 

[tdr1nka]

This is precisely why one shouldn't listen to Knickleback.........
Jolly bad luck by the way and I recommend a 'Park' chain tool.

 

[merlin321]

First and original chain, like I said, broke at 3,000 miles. Riding up a fairly steep incline, felt it slip once or twice and as I was just about to hit the peak, it went.
Second one was a Shimano replacement. I was doing about 5 miles an hour, went to pull onto a mini-roundabout, accelerated and heard a snap. There it was , dragging on the floor.
Sorry.

 

[Bollo]

Chains usually break by a link coming away or breaking at the pin, which then pulls or snaps the other link. I've only ever had one old 10sp chain ever snap in sense that both links appeared to have failed in the middle and not at the pin holes.

 

[BentMikey]

First and original chain, like I said, broke at 3,000 miles. Riding up a fairly steep incline, felt it slip once or twice and as I was just about to hit the peak, it went.
Second one was a Shimano replacement. I was doing about 5 miles an hour, went to pull onto a mini-roundabout, accelerated and heard a snap. There it was , dragging on the floor.
Sorry.

Did you join the chains? That's the most common cause of broken chains.

 

[fossyant]

Sorry but what chain - i.e. el cheapo, or a decent one ?....Only buy the good ones....

Make doesn't help......

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I've done a 5 mile walk home with a broken chain before. As BM suggests I bought a chain tool pretty sharpish!

 

[maurice]

I've snapped lots of chains mtb'ing but never on the road.. always carry a powerlink and a chain tool though, wouldn't fancy a 25 mile walk home!

 

[Ivan Ardon]

great fresh weather. Upshot - best journey time ever 30.15s.

Pah! I was heading the other way (Down the Exe Valley). Slowest journey ever

 

[HLaB]

I had a raleigh mtb as a kid, I snapped its chain fairly sharpish, I'd guess sub 500. I made the mistake of going to hellfrauds, they sold me a new link connector. Only later I discovered it wasn't compatble wit deraileur systems. For some reason after reading up on this I went back to hellfrauds and bought a chain tool. Used it once and whilst it connected the chain ok it snapped when I unscrewed it. To my knowledge the bike has still got the same chain.

 

[boydj]

.. always carry a powerlink and a chain tool though, wouldn't fancy a 25 mile walk home!

+1

Snapped a chain pulling away from lights in front of a bus. Driver had a good laugh as I was all over the place trying to stay upright. Gives you a fair old fright when you're trying to put a lot of power down - in too high a gear. Only a couple of minutes to sort it out though, with the right spares and tools.

 

[Bollo]

I've snapped lots of chains mtb'ing but never on the road.. always carry a powerlink and a chain tool though, wouldn't fancy a 25 mile walk home!

+2. As vital as an inner tube.

Are you the ex-astronaut Maurice from Northern Exposure?