cycling mishap & more questions

Unlucky.

There's not a lot you can do about freak occurrances like that - you
almost certainly didn't do anything "wrong".

A roadside repair would be easy if you had a chain splitter, but if you
took enough tools for every eventuality and spares for everything,
you'd end up taking a complete bike and workshop. You just have to
accept that even on a well maintained bike, very rarely something will
go completely, and you have to walk.

I once snapped a rear cog in half. Unfortunately it was a single speed
bike.

in message <[email hidden]>, krys

(') said:

hey folks,

Well, in training for the bigger day, I headed out for a longer ride
yesterday. Out via Cheddar, to Wedmore, out to Wooky, nearly to
Wells, and
then turn and head back..... I'd been doing really well, enjoying it,
and had been out about 1 1/2 hours, with about an hour or so to go (I
reckon).....when going up a hill, I changed gears........and the chain
snapped! Not just fell off, oh no, that would be too simple.......but
snapped!

Now, luckily me hubby was at home for a change, and I walked in his
direction, he drove out in mine, and 20 minutes later we stuffed the
bike in the back and headed off to the local cycle shop, where they
fitted a new chain, and I cycled the little bit left to get home.

My question is this - is such a thing avoidable? Did I do something
wrong?
What do you do when this happens - is walking home your only choice?

No, take a chain tool with you. Most good cycling multitools include a
chain tool, or get a separate one. They're not expensive. Cheap chain
tools won't cope with nine or ten speed chain, but as I understand
you're not riding that sort of bike, this should not worry you.

If you replace the chain, get a SRAM one with the magic joining link -
they're much better than anything else, and not expensive.

Quoted message said:

Oh, and I've just got a pair of De Marchi Aero shorts as recommended
in S,
which was supposed to be 8-10, but actually says 8 inside. Well, they
fit ok, but the elasticated round thigh bit is a bit tight - is that
always the
way, or should I return them and try for a size larger (10-12)? Or
will it stretch a little with use?

I would go for the slightly larger size. Comfort is all.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; So, before proceeding with definitive screwing, choose the
;; position most congenital.
-- instructions for fitting bicycle handlebars

Simon Brooke May 26, 5:42 am
"No, take a chain tool with you. Most good cycling multitools include a

chain tool, or get a separate one. They're not expensive. Cheap chain
tools won't cope with nine or ten speed chain, but as I understand
you're not riding that sort of bike, this should not worry you.
If you replace the chain, get a SRAM one with the magic joining link -
they're much better than anything else, and not expensive. "

You can also get a few spare magic links to go in your tool kit. Then
fixing such a problem is really easy. All you need to do is to remove
the broken link (you might not even need a chain tool for that with
strong enough fingers) and pop in the magic link.

How were you riding at the time? standing on the pedals or 'spinning'
in an easier gear? Spinning is definitely the way to go to avoid
getting too tired too quickly on hills.
And which gear were you in? if the chainline was not very straight (ie
you had the chain going from one side at the front to the other side
at the back (ie big-big or small-small) then this will put more strain
on it.

I am however surprised that a sylph-like size eight could break a
chain.. must have had a defect, and the new chain should last a long
time.

...d

David Martin said:

I am however surprised that a sylph-like size eight could break a
chain.. must have had a defect, and the new chain should last a long
time.

My daughter who is more like a size 6/8 recently broke a chain when
sprinting to catch me up [1}.
I reckon it was probably the result of a previous mechanical when the
chain was caught between chainrings and it may have weakened the chain.

[1] <smug face> coz I don't leave her behind very often .

John B

krys said:

hey folks,

Well, in training for the bigger day, I headed out for a longer ride
yesterday. Out via Cheddar, to Wedmore, out to Wooky, nearly to Wells, and
then turn and head back..... I'd been doing really well, enjoying it, and
had been out about 1 1/2 hours, with about an hour or so to go (I
reckon).....when going up a hill, I changed gears........and the chain
snapped! Not just fell off, oh no, that would be too simple.......but
snapped!

Now, luckily me hubby was at home for a change, and I walked in his
direction, he drove out in mine, and 20 minutes later we stuffed the bike in
the back and headed off to the local cycle shop, where they fitted a new
chain, and I cycled the little bit left to get home.

My question is this - is such a thing avoidable? Did I do something wrong?

Yes to both. Don't change gears when pedalling hard.

You still might break a chain occasionally (and so the rest of the
advice re tools is useful), but it should be very very rare.

James

David Martin said:

I am however surprised that a sylph-like size eight could break a
chain.. must have had a defect, and the new chain should last a long
time.

Krys's bike is a Sterling House "bargain". My guess is that the chain
broke because it was not correctly fitted in the first place. I think
it's most unlikely that the new one fitted by the LBS will give any
trouble. However, a chain link tool and the knowledge to use it is a
good thing to have in your emergency tool kit. Krys, with the correct
tool it's possible to shorten and reconnect a broken chain at the
roadside. This is a temporary fix as you need to be careful not to
engage the largest sprocket and the largest chainwheel at the same time
as this could cause further damage. Some people also carry a couple of
spare links so they can repair the chain to the correct length.

--
Dave...

James Annan said:

Yes to both. Don't change gears when pedalling hard.

You still might break a chain occasionally (and so the rest of the
advice re tools is useful), but it should be very very rare.

Look at it this way - Lance can't break one powering up a mountain, and
Super Mario can't break one in a 45mph sprint finish. Correctly
connected and without some pre-existing damage they are amazingly
strong.

--
Dave...

dkahn400 said:

James Annan said:

Yes to both. Don't change gears when pedalling hard.

You still might break a chain occasionally (and so the rest of the
advice re tools is useful), but it should be very very rare.

Look at it this way - Lance can't break one powering up a mountain, and
Super Mario can't break one in a 45mph sprint finish. Correctly
connected and without some pre-existing damage they are amazingly
strong.

Of course they tend to use high gears and their cyling strength
(actually power) is more related to speed than force. But I agree with
the general point.

We broke two chains on our road tandem in quite close succession, which
I am fairly confident was due to a bad batch. We have shattered a
cassette and broken two hubs on the MTB tandem but not yet broken a
chain - with 21 stone and a 24T chainring.

James

Dave Kahn wrote:
"Krys, with the correct
tool it's possible to shorten and reconnect a broken chain at the
roadside. This is a temporary fix as you need to be careful not to
engage the largest sprocket and the largest chainwheel at the same time

as this could cause further damage."

But typically you will break the larget part of a link, ie the one to
which the rivets attatch. This can easily be substituted permanently
with a quick-link or magic link, which also make removal/refitting
easier and keep the same chain length.

...d

krys came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

Well, in training for the bigger day, I headed out for a longer ride
yesterday. Out via Cheddar, to Wedmore, out to Wooky, nearly to Wells,
and then turn and head back..... I'd been doing really well, enjoying
it, and had been out about 1 1/2 hours, with about an hour or so to go (I
reckon).....when going up a hill, I changed gears........and the chain
snapped! Not just fell off, oh no, that would be too simple.......but
snapped!

LOL, stuff happens ... 😉 No big deal, normally, but can be a tad hard for
men when they connect with the cross-bar on these occasions. I gues it's
not so nice for the ladies either, though. 🙂

Quoted message said:

So, tips and advice? Thanks in advance 🙂

Carry a chain splitter or a split link. Almost guaranteed if you carry one
it's unlikely to break again, but you might be a lifesaver to someone else.

It's rare for chains to break unless it's fitted poorly, broken or
neglected. As yours is new I'd guess at poor fitting or broken/damaged
during fitting. It's not a great idea to change gear with full weight on
the pedals, as when grinding uphill, so if you need to do it, just ease the
pressure off the pedals slightly during the gearchange sequence.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

David Martin said:

But typically you will break the larget part of a link, ie the
one to which the rivets attatch. This can easily be substituted
permanently with a quick-link or magic link, which also make
removal/refitting easier and keep the same chain length.

Yes, good point.

--
Dave...

krys said:

My question is this - is such a thing avoidable? Did I do something
wrong?

It's avoidable by using a good quality chain (such as SRAM PC48 or
better), joining it properly and carefully (preferably with a Powerlink),
and not having any bad luck. You probably didn't do anything out of the
ordinary.

Quoted message said:

What do you do when this happens - is walking home your only
choice?

No, it can be fixed with a small portable tool. If derailleur gears, any
damaged links can be removed if necessary, then you carry on with a
shorter chain, being extra careful to avoid using the largest chainring
with the largest rear cog in case chain isn't long enough for it.

Quoted message said:

As roadside repairs go - that's way out of my league.

It wouldn't be after a bit of practise on an old chain. See
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQchnRe.shtml

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

No, it can be fixed with a small portable tool. If derailleur gears, any
damaged links can be removed if necessary, then you carry on with a
shorter chain, being extra careful to avoid using the largest chainring
with the largest rear cog in case chain isn't long enough for it.

The chain needn't be shortened if you have a powerlink or similar. What
is also a top tip is to put a handful of disposable gloves (latex or
vinyl) in the tool bag for such an event. Keeps the hands clean.

...d

in message <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 (') said:

James Annan said:

Yes to both. Don't change gears when pedalling hard.

You still might break a chain occasionally (and so the rest of the
advice re tools is useful), but it should be very very rare.

Look at it this way - Lance can't break one powering up a mountain,
and Super Mario can't break one in a 45mph sprint finish. Correctly
connected and without some pre-existing damage they are amazingly
strong.

Some chains are, some chains aren't, some chains need a lot of lubing
and some chains don't.

I doubt a Sterling House special comes with a good chain fitted.
Replacing it with a SRAM PC58 or similar can't be a bad move.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; "If I were a Microsoft Public Relations person, I would probably
;; be sobbing on a desk right now" -- Rob Miller, editor, /.

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>,
dkahn400 ([email hidden]'😉 wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Look at it this way - Lance can't break one powering up a
mountain, and Super Mario can't break one in a 45mph sprint
finish. Correctly connected and without some pre-existing
damage they are amazingly strong.

Some chains are, some chains aren't, some chains need a lot of
lubing and some chains don't.

I doubt a Sterling House special comes with a good chain fitted.
Replacing it with a SRAM PC58 or similar can't be a bad move.

Some are stronger than others certainly, but do you know of any
commercially available bicycle chain that's weak enough to break under
normal cycling conditions if properly fitted and undamaged? The problem
I would anticipate with a Sterling House bike is that the chain may not
have been fitted and/or checked by a competent cycle mechanic. I don't
know how many miles Krys had put on it up to the time it broke. Krys?

--
Dave...

David Martin said:

The chain needn't be shortened if you have a powerlink or similar.

It still will be necessary to shorten the chain sometimes.

~PB

On Thu, 26 May 2005 08:41:03 +0100, "krys" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

, I changed gears........and the chain
snapped! Not just fell off, oh no, that would be too simple.......but
snapped!

My question is this - is such a thing avoidable? Did I do something wrong?

It's possible you could have been a bit clumsy changing gear - we all
are from time to time.

The chain twists a bit when you change gear, and if you're still
pedalling hard it can make a bit of a crunch and very occasionally
break the chain.

Ease right off to change - just keep the chain moving - and you should
be OK.

Right, so I need a chain tool, or cycling multi-tool. With magic links.
And latex gloves. It's all sounding very surgical! *grin*

The cycle man put a new chain on - not sure what it was though........but
I'm guessing it's probably better than what was there before.....but next
time I'll bear the SRAM PC58 (she says, pretending that means something to
her) in mind. I'm going to pop over there and get it adjusted a little, and
checked all over pre-event anyway

I've sent the shorts back and agreed an exchange for the slightly larger
ones - comfort being key I agree. Not the time to be fussing about what the
figures on the label say 😉

As for how I broke it - sounds like I was peddling too hard, with full
weight on the peddles, changing gear going up hill. The chain came off last
week in similar circumstances - could this maybe have damaged it, or
weakened it? I'll know better for next time - the advice will definitely
come in useful. Ease off.....must remember that.

Sterling House it is - and the bike had probably done only a couple of
hundred miles by yesterday - which I'm guessing is a short life for a
chain.......

Thanks guys! I'll be trying it out again on Sunday - fingers crossed.......

Krys

krys said:

I've sent the shorts back and agreed an exchange for the slightly
larger ones - comfort being key I agree. Not the time to be fussing
about what the figures on the label say 😉

Comfort is very important on a long ride. Anything that is merely
niggling or annoying on a medium length ride can build up to become a
real problem. Even though the new shorts should be a comfortable fit
they can still chafe you, and you can still get sore, after several
hours in the saddle. It's a good idea to smear your more sensitive
areas liberally with nappy cream (I find Sudocrem very good) and the
upper insides of your thighs with Vaseline.

Quoted message said:

Sterling House it is - and the bike had probably done only a couple
of hundred miles by yesterday - which I'm guessing is a short life
for a chain.......

Bingo. Somewhere between 100 and 200 miles is where I'd expect a badly
connected chain to start coming undone. The clumsy gear changes will
not have helped of course. Don't worry, it's all part of the learning
process.

Quoted message said:

Thanks guys! I'll be trying it out again on Sunday - fingers crossed.......

Have a good ride.

--
Dave...