Somethings gotta go wrong...and it did.

[hackbike 666]

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

What chain is it ?

I had about 6 chain breaks last year including one spill due to chain break.

My earliest chain break was in 1986 when I was cycling from Aberdeen to Braemer...I wasn't far from Braemer when the chain broke and I managed to fix it as I had a chain tool with me.Lucky I did otherwise I'd have had to get back to Aberdeen for a chain tool.Moral of the story for me is always carry a chain tool.Don't like the ten speed chains though as you can't split and rejoin them as they will break.
Then agian I had thrown everything in and the kitchen sink on this tour.

 

[alp1950]

Someone want to tell us or post a link on how to use a chain tool?

 

[hackbike 666]

Don't know if this is helpful but they are very easy to use.

Im going to ditch my ten speed crap though on next overhaul.

 

[hackbike 666]

Basically tighten it up and the rivet will come out.

 

[DJ]

My sister lives in Exmouth it's a very nice little town.

 

[merlin321]

Chain fitted was a Shimano HG53, so it says on the box. It`s on a 2008 SCR2.
Already had a chain tool as part of the multitool set, what we didn`t have was anything to replace the old, broken one with.
Does it have to be a specific Simano powerlink ( assuming they make one) or could I use a SRAM one?

 

[Auntie Helen]

Had a chain break the other Sunday 7.5 miles from home... and no chain tool. Fortunately this was in the centre of Colchester so we locked up the trikes and went to the bike shop... which was shut! I thought Sunday Trading meant everything was open! So I borrowed Uncle James's trike to cycle home, picked up the car and returned to collect my trike and him (didn't have a chain tool). Three new chains on my recumbent was best part of £60 so I hope that doesn't happen TOO often. The chain had broken at about 3000 miles, not at a link but the metal had come away in the middle.

 

[biking_fox]

"Already had a chain tool as part of the multitool set, what we didn`t have was anything to replace the old, broken one with.
"

You can just take the broken links out of yoru chain so that it's a bit shorter. This will get you home without walking where you can assess whether it is now too short, or will survive for a bit longer.


I broke 3 chains within 6 months, but hadn't had any for years before, or since. Dodgy batch at the bike shop I reckonned. Were all Shimano 9spd.

 

[BentMikey]

Chain fitted was a Shimano HG53, so it says on the box. It`s on a 2008 SCR2.
Already had a chain tool as part of the multitool set, what we didn`t have was anything to replace the old, broken one with.
Does it have to be a specific Simano powerlink ( assuming they make one) or could I use a SRAM one?

You can use a SRAM link on a shimano chain as far as I know. I didn't think Shimano made powerlinks. Best check with someone like Mickle though to be sure of either of these two things.

You could have just shortened the chain by one link if you didn't have any replacement chain links with you. That might mean that you can't use some combinations of gears such as big-big, but you should still be able to get home fine with that.

 

[Arch]

Basically tighten it up and the rivet will come out.

Um, I always hesitate to over mechanical advice for fear of being wrong but...

If you are needing to rejoin a chain, the last thing you want to do is push the rivet right out. I've not done it hundreds of times, but, when I do (and this is from memory without a chain in my hand, so correct me if I'm wrong):

Look at where the chain has snapped, and go back to the next spot the same (IE, look for whether the two plates are inside or outside the ones in front). When you find the matching spot (basically not the very next link, but the one after), apply the chain tool and tighten to push the rivet through. But only part way through. Push it all the way out and it'll never go back, will it? Anyway, once the rivet is through so that it is just holding the inside of the link together, you can wiggle the little broken bit out, and match the new end up to the break. Then you reverse the tool, and push the rivet back. All my chains have been joined this way, and I've never had one break (of course, I'm probably not putting huge amounts of power through them on a regular basis, but they got me up some stiff hills and some heavy loads).

Best thing is to get a decent book that covers it all, with pictures. You can always practice joining bits of left over chain at home, to get into the fell of it.

Edit: of course a chain joined like this is now a touch too short, but with a derailleur you'll get away with it at least until you get home. It occurs to me, I haven't a clue what you do about a hub gear which may not be able to adjust for the length. Probably a Ballantine-esque quick fix with a paperclip to get you home.

 

[Origamist]

Arch, you def do not want to push a rivet all the way out - it's a real bugger to get it back in. I made this mistake on the side of the road and am now careful with my fat fingers and chain tool...

 

[caesar]

I've broken two chains. First was on an old Raleigh ten-speed I bought on ebay and was down to the chain being old and rusty and not being able to take me standing up to accelerate away from the lights in too high a gear.

The second was an Ultegra 10 speed chain with about 1000 miles on it and it went when I was sitting down and pedalling fairly gently in an easy gear. I couldn't believe it when I saw that it had broken. I have replaced it with a Wippermann Connex chain which has the best magic link design. The KMC design is OK too but not as easy as the Connex. Both are far better than the SRAM jobbies which I can never get to release. I've also bought a spare connex link for all of my bikes except the fixie which has a KMC.

 

[hackbike 666]

Arch, you def do not want to push a rivet all the way out - it's a real bugger to get it back in. I made this mistake on the side of the road and am now careful with my fat fingers and chain tool...

Aye agree,I sure I have done this as well.

 

[Arch]

BTW, removed links, if shiney, or at least cleanable to be so, can be made into attractive earrings for the lady in your life (or you, if you like dangly earrings), with some hooks and linking rings.

 

[boydj]

It took a while, but I recently found the knack of getting the SRAM link to re-open. Use pliers applied diagonally across the link. Previously, when taking a chain off for cleaning, I would just take a link out and add an extra SRAM link again, but now I can open the magic link - though I have read that they should not be re-used.