broken chain

Francesco Devittori said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links with me
but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking (except some
downhills :-))

From now on, I will take the chaintool with me, at least when on the
fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it.
This woke my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

You can carry a quick link, but that doesn't solve the problem of
removing the (typical) damaged link. Since joining is trickier than
splitting (especially in the field), I think it's good to carry a quick
link or 2, I usually throw some worn ones in my bag.

Fortunately, broken chains have become so rare that I don't bother
carrying a tool for road riding, although I still do off-road. I would
consider a fixed gear to be a less likely candidate for chain breaking.
DO you have any idea why it broke?

Peter Cole said:

Francesco Devittori said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links with
me but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking (except some
downhills :-))

From now on, I will take the chaintool with me, at least when on the
fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it.
This woke my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick
and dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

You can carry a quick link, but that doesn't solve the problem of
removing the (typical) damaged link. Since joining is trickier than
splitting (especially in the field), I think it's good to carry a quick
link or 2, I usually throw some worn ones in my bag.

Fortunately, broken chains have become so rare that I don't bother
carrying a tool for road riding, although I still do off-road. I would
consider a fixed gear to be a less likely candidate for chain breaking.
DO you have any idea why it broke?

I guess it broke because a) it was in bad condition, after a few months
of salt/water/snow/... and very few maintenance, b) the chain derailed
and got stuck.

I admit it's the first time I have a broken chain, and that bike is the
winter bike, which I don't care to clean much.

On the field I was not able to remove the damaged link, if I were able,
then I could have used the spare quick link I always have with me.
Lesson learned.

Francesco

Francesco Devittori said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links with me
but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking (except some
downhills :-))

From now on, I will take the chaintool with me, at least when on the
fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it.
This woke my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

Francesco

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=1198&sku=2659&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

This chain tool is always in my saddlebag. And the saddlebag always
goes along on every ride. I've used the chain tool twice in the past 8
years.

There are lots of fairly complete folding tool kits which are about the size
of a Swiss Army knife, and which include a chain tool. I'm not comfortable
without one of these, a pump and a patch kit.

Francesco Devittori said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links
with me but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking
(except some downhills.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From now on, I will take the chain tool with me, at least when on
the fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it. This woke
my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You can carry a quick link, but that doesn't solve the problem of
removing the (typical) damaged link. Since joining is trickier
than splitting (especially in the field), I think it's good to
carry a quick link or 2, I usually throw some worn ones in my bag.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Fortunately, broken chains have become so rare that I don't bother
carrying a tool for road riding, although I still do off-road. I
would consider a fixed gear to be a less likely candidate for chain
breaking. DO you have any idea why it broke?

Quoted message said:

I guess it broke because a) it was in bad condition, after a few
months of salt/water/snow/... and very few maintenance, b) the
chain derailed and got stuck.

If you have the chain it should be obvious what occurred. Water and
snow won't cause chain failure and a patina of rust on the surface
won't either. I suspect all parts that were there before the chain
separated are still there after. Have a look at it and see. What
most likely failed was that the pin at the place where the chain was
joined on installation was not pressed in correctly, allowing to to
back out on the side where it did not fully engage the side plate.

Quoted message said:

I admit it's the first time I have a broken chain, and that bike is
the winter bike, which I don't care to clean much.

Quoted message said:

On the field I was not able to remove the damaged link, if I were
able, then I could have used the spare quick link I always have with
me. Lesson learned.

So what was damages and how did it look? I think besides carrying a
chain tool, knowing how to press in a pin is at least as important.
The reason for a chain tool is that, especially on a derailleur
bicycle, a "derailleur stick" can rip off the mechanism, requiring
chain shortening to ride as a fixed length chain. Derailleur sticks
lie in wait on many roads, especially on windy days. They are about 8
to 10 inches long with a slight curve and as thick as a pencil or so.

When it happens, most riders are in disbelief how easily their
expensive derailleur was ripped from its moorings. I assume you carry
the same spare tube, patch kit, and small tools wen riding regardless
of which bicycle you use. Forget about spare links, they have no
purpose because your chain won't have link failures if you install the
chain properly. Just carry the chain tool for the derailleur bicycle.

Jobst Brandt

Quoted message said:

[...]
If you have the chain it should be obvious what occurred. Water and
snow won't cause chain failure and a patina of rust on the surface
won't either. I suspect all parts that were there before the chain
separated are still there after. Have a look at it and see. What
most likely failed was that the pin at the place where the chain was
joined on installation was not pressed in correctly, allowing to to
back out on the side where it did not fully engage the side plate.
[...]

I don't have a camera here, but I will take a photo when I get one.
The broken link is bent. I guess this is what happened: the chain
derailled from the cog, but only partially, so that the chain got stuck
in the cog, half engaged and half outside (sorry for the bad english).

It is also possible that I pressed in the pin incorrectly (even if I
connected many chains before without any problem), however it's a bit
surprising that it failed after more than 2000 km. Wouldn't have it
failed before if this was the problem?

Francesco

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> From now on, I will take the chain tool with me, at least when on
> the fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it. This woke
> my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
> dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

Can't testify to the veracity of these claims, but I've heard of
improvised chain-pins (for FG chains) fashioned from large paperclips.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You can carry a quick link, but that doesn't solve the problem of
removing the (typical) damaged link. Since joining is trickier
than splitting (especially in the field), I think it's good to
carry a quick link or 2, I usually throw some worn ones in my bag.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Fortunately, broken chains have become so rare that I don't bother
carrying a tool for road riding, although I still do off-road. I
would consider a fixed gear to be a less likely candidate for chain
breaking. DO you have any idea why it broke?

Quoted message said:

I guess it broke because a) it was in bad condition, after a few
months of salt/water/snow/... and very few maintenance, b) the
chain derailed and got stuck.

Do you mean it broke immediately following a derailment and/or jam up?
Or was this event of the chain's past?

I've ridden bone dry, salted and squeaking chains on my FG and never
had one break. My multispeed's chain did suffer a link separation once
- my fault, I did not press the pin in properly. It's good policy to
always carry a multi-tool (with an integrated chain tool) and, of
course, know how to use it.

Luke

Francesco Devittori said:

Quoted message said:

[...]
If you have the chain it should be obvious what occurred. Water
and snow won't cause chain failure and a patina of rust on the
surface won't either. I suspect all parts that were there before
the chain separated are still there after. Have a look at it and
see. What most likely failed was that the pin at the place where
the chain was joined on installation was not pressed in correctly,
allowing to to back out on the side where it did not fully engage
the side plate.
[...]

Quoted message said:

I don't have a camera here, but I will take a photo when I get one.
The broken link is bent. I guess this is what happened: the chain
derailed from the cog, but only partially, so that the chain got
stuck in the cog, half engaged and half outside (sorry for the bad
english).

That's about as bad as not pushing pins in properly... to ride with a
fixed length chain run that is too slack and CAN derail. That's
usually enough to break any chain. So it wasn't rust or weather as
you first suggested.

Quoted message said:

It is also possible that I pressed in the pin incorrectly (even if I
connected many chains before without any problem), however it's a
bit surprising that it failed after more than 2000 km. Wouldn't have
it failed before if this was the problem?

That's not far for a chain but not knowing the circumstances it could
be a pin not properly home. A slack chain will allow the chain to
attempt a derailment which would break the chain at a side plate that
was seriously deformed or a pin that was marginally inserted.

Jobst Brandt

Jobst Brandt said:

...
So what was damages and how did it look? I think besides carrying a
chain tool, knowing how to press in a pin is at least as important....

Maybe I am a clumsy oaf, but a riding companion had the 9-speed Shimano
chain break during a ride. Not having a spare Power Link or special
Shimano replacement pin of the right size (the rest of us were riding
bikes with 8-speed chain), I tried for about 20 minutes to get the
chain back together (as a temporary repair) after removing the broken
link. Finally we gave up, and waited for the SAG so we could buy a
replacement chain (SRAM with Power Link).

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit?)

Francesco Devittori said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links with me
but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking (except some
downhills :-))

From now on, I will take the chaintool with me, at least when on the
fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it.
This woke my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

Most modern chains, even 1/8" chains such as SRAM PC-1, have peened-over
pins and should only be broken, not joined, with a chain tool. To join
them you have to use a snap link; SRAM sometimes supply a nasty
non-reusable 2 part link and sometimes a conventional 3-part link with
spring clip.

Did you by any chance rejoin the chain with a chain tool at some point?

Zog The Undeniable said:

Francesco Devittori said:

Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links with
me but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking (except some
downhills :-))

From now on, I will take the chaintool with me, at least when on the
fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it.
This woke my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick
and dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?

Most modern chains, even 1/8" chains such as SRAM PC-1, have peened-over
pins and should only be broken, not joined, with a chain tool. To join
them you have to use a snap link; SRAM sometimes supply a nasty
non-reusable 2 part link and sometimes a conventional 3-part link with
spring clip.

Did you by any chance rejoin the chain with a chain tool at some point?

The chain was joined at the beginning, then not touched. However I think
it broke because it got stuck half engaged on the cog/half outside.
It was a shimano 8s narrow chain, now I use a SRAM PC-1 which works much
better on my fixie.

Thanks for all the answers,

Francesco

I once had a chain break on me and no chain tool.

I borrowed a hammer and nail and used these to shorten the chain and do
a temporary fix. Not recommended. I now take a chain tool everywhere
(+ puncture kit, tube and multitool).

I have only had a few chains snap (notably tandem front chain), but
single figures over 30+ years of riding. Nevertheless, as you have
found, it can be good insurance. Most failures due to pins working
loose, but two failures of 9s chains due to cracked side plates.

Andrew Webster