Craig Superlinks

Peder said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks
for reading.
http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.htmlhttp://www.theramp.net/craig/s-
lmain.html
--
Peder (Please reply to group only, email invalid)

I used them with good results on Shimano HG chains for 7, 8, and even 9
speed. I purchased the yellow packaged ones from Licktons

--

They are no longer make by Craigmetal craft. Here is a link to Licktons
Bike shop in Ill that carries them. In fact the owner of this shop invented
this link and sold off the rights to them. I've been using them for years
and love them.
lickbike.comproductpage.aspOpen ↗
"Peder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.

http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

--
Peder (Please reply to group only, email invalid)

Peder said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.

http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

They're great -- so good that SRAM has licensed the design, and they come with
every SRAM chain.

Matt O.

Peder said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good,

Yes, they are good.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
_`\(,_ | little statesmen and philosophers and divines. --Ralph Waldo
(_)/ (_) | Emerson

The link that comes with the SRAM chains is different then the Superlink.
Both were designed by the same person and then the rights were sold.
Another good link that I've found is the Wipperman Connex link for Campy
10sp chains ans also the link for the IRD chains.
"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peder said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.

http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

They're great -- so good that SRAM has licensed the design, and they come

with

Quoted message said:

every SRAM chain.

Matt O.

Jeff & Jane said:

The link that comes with the SRAM chains is different then the
Superlink. Both were designed by the same person and then the rights
were sold. Another good link that I've found is the Wipperman Connex
link for Campy 10sp chains ans also the link for the IRD chains.

I've used both the Craig and the later SRAM. While they may differ in some
hair-splitting technical way, they're basically the same design, and function
identically.

Matt O.

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 02:21:28 -0400, "Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Jeff & Jane said:

The link that comes with the SRAM chains is different then the
Superlink. Both were designed by the same person and then the rights
were sold. Another good link that I've found is the Wipperman Connex
link for Campy 10sp chains ans also the link for the IRD chains.

I've used both the Craig and the later SRAM. While they may differ in some
hair-splitting technical way, they're basically the same design, and function
identically.

If you want to get technical (after all, this is rec.bicycles.tech)
they actually don't function identically. On the SRAM link the pin
sits in a recess and removal requires the two halves of the link to be
squeezed together before they can be slid to the removal position. On
the Forster (used to be Craig) Super Link there is no recess and
squeezing together is not required.

It's the squeezing together that sometimes makes the SRAM link hard to
remove. When a layer of grit gets between the link sideplate and the
sideplates of the inner links being joined it's sometimes very
difficult to squeeze the links together enough to pop the pins out of
their recesses. Here's where a little WD-40 actually comes in handy.

To get back to the OP's question, I've been using Super Links (correct
spelling) since they were actually made by Craig Metalcraft. They've
been manufactured by Forster Tool & Manufacturing of Bensenville,
Illinois for a few years now. I've found them to be absolutely
reliable. I've compared the Forster product side-by-side with an old
Craig link using a magnifying glass, and can perceive no difference.

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

John Everett said:

On the SRAM link the pin
sits in a recess and removal requires the two halves of the link to be
squeezed together before they can be slid to the removal position. On
the Forster (used to be Craig) Super Link there is no recess and
squeezing together is not required.

It's the squeezing together that sometimes makes the SRAM link hard to
remove. When a layer of grit gets between the link sideplate and the
sideplates of the inner links being joined it's sometimes very
difficult to squeeze the links together enough to pop the pins out of
their recesses. Here's where a little WD-40 actually comes in handy.

Or pliers. I've never been able to get either brand apart by hand, dirty or
clean, recess or no recess.

Matt O.

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Jeff & Jane said:

The link that comes with the SRAM chains is different then the
Superlink. Both were designed by the same person and then the rights
were sold. Another good link that I've found is the Wipperman Connex
link for Campy 10sp chains ans also the link for the IRD chains.

I've used both the Craig and the later SRAM. While they may differ in some
hair-splitting technical way, they're basically the same design, and function
identically.

Not even close. The Craig is far superior. Design differences are
small, but very significant. Even small amounts of debris can make it
difficult to extremely difficult to open the SRAM link; look through
the archives of this group for the past couple of years and see how
often the advice to clean with WD-40 and/or use two pair of pliers are
given to those needing to open these links. I find that I often have
to use one or both of these to open the SRAM links. I have never, not
one single time, ever had to use either technique with the Craig link
- it opens rather easily, by hand, regardless of how much crud is
wedged in the works. The Wippermann Connex link is even easier to
open. On my 4 bikes I have 1 SRAM, 1 Craigs, and 2 Connex links at
the moment. I will be phasing out the SRAM, as soon as I can build a
stock of the others; no reason to abuse one's self trying to open a
chain when it can be so much easier.

- rick

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:26:14 GMT, "Jeff & Jane" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've found is the Wipperman Connex link for Campy
10sp chains ans also the link for the IRD chains.

The IRD link, which I use, skips on an 11t cog.

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 12:08:44 -0400, "Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Or pliers. I've never been able to get either brand apart by hand, dirty or
clean, recess or no recess.

They come apart more easilly when using Shimano 9sp chain.

Quoted message said:

The IRD link, which I use, skips on an 11t cog.

don't know what it looks like, but did you check the orientation? I'm using
the Connex links, and they go one way only-I lucked out the first time, not
paying attention. when I took it off to clean the chain I put it on backwards
and it does skip on 11T that way. It stopped skipping after correct
installation.
I also used the Craig/Forster links (10spd) and found they were just different
enuf to cause a clicking feel as they transition over the cogs.which I find
annoying.

Peder may have said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.

http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

Before getting too carried away, note the item at the bottom of the
page:

Last update: 7/28/97

The claims made are unsupportable in directly provable fact; this is
clearly not the only reusable quick-disconnect toolless link on the
market.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Peder may have said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.

http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

The page is obsolete.

Wippermann makes a competing design, and the Craig design (as noted by
others) is sold under other names now.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Are these Craig Superlinks any good, or just a gimmick? Thanks for
reading.
http://www.theramp.net/craig/slmain.html

I have used them and had good results. Many chains now come with a similar
device. It makes it easy to remove your chain to clean it.
----------------
Alex

(Neacalban1) said:

Quoted message said:

The IRD link, which I use, skips on an 11t cog.

don't know what it looks like, but did you check the orientation? I'm using
the Connex links, and they go one way only-I lucked out the first time, not
paying attention. when I took it off to clean the chain I put it on backwards
and it does skip on 11T that way. It stopped skipping after correct
installation.
I also used the Craig/Forster links (10spd) and found they were just different
enuf to cause a clicking feel as they transition over the cogs.which I find
annoying.

Yes, the orientation doesn't seem to matter with the IRD link.

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 12:08:44 -0400, "Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

John Everett said:

On the SRAM link the pin
sits in a recess and removal requires the two halves of the link to be
squeezed together before they can be slid to the removal position. On
the Forster (used to be Craig) Super Link there is no recess and
squeezing together is not required.

It's the squeezing together that sometimes makes the SRAM link hard to
remove. When a layer of grit gets between the link sideplate and the
sideplates of the inner links being joined it's sometimes very
difficult to squeeze the links together enough to pop the pins out of
their recesses. Here's where a little WD-40 actually comes in handy.

Or pliers. I've never been able to get either brand apart by hand, dirty or
clean, recess or no recess.

You must be doing something really wrong. By contrast to your
experience I've NEVER had the slightest difficulty removing a Super
Link just using my fingers. I've had them on most of my bikes for
years and regularly remove the chains to clean and re-wax.

I've also managed to remove SRAM PowerLinks by hand on a few
occasions, although I've also had to resort to some WD-40 and/or
pliers a time or two.

I'm not sure if this would help, but many years ago I fashioned a tool
from coat hanger wire to take up the tension in the chain before link
removal. It's just a three inch length of wire with hooks bent on each
end. I use it to span the section that contains the master link,
allowing that section to droop below the little wire tool. This makes
it quite easy to slide the sideplates into the removal position,
assuming (in the case of PowerLinks) that the sideplates can be
squeezed together.

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

"John Everett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm not sure if this would help, but many years ago I fashioned a tool
from coat hanger wire to take up the tension in the chain before link
removal. It's just a three inch length of wire with hooks bent on each
end. I use it to span the section that contains the master link,
allowing that section to droop below the little wire tool. This makes
it quite easy to slide the sideplates into the removal position,
assuming (in the case of PowerLinks) that the sideplates can be
squeezed together.

I've never seen one, but I can't believe that Park or someone doesn't sell a
plated alloy version of this in a blister pack with an instruction manual for
something in the region of $20.

They could give it an obscure part number and call it "chain link removal
assistant" or whatever.
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen, Tool Skeptic

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"John Everett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm not sure if this would help, but many years ago I fashioned a tool
from coat hanger wire to take up the tension in the chain before link
removal. It's just a three inch length of wire with hooks bent on each
end. I use it to span the section that contains the master link,
allowing that section to droop below the little wire tool. This makes
it quite easy to slide the sideplates into the removal position,
assuming (in the case of PowerLinks) that the sideplates can be
squeezed together.

I've never seen one, but I can't believe that Park or someone doesn't sell a
plated alloy version of this in a blister pack with an instruction manual for
something in the region of $20.

They could give it an obscure part number and call it "chain link removal
assistant" or whatever.

In fact, the Topeak Hummer multi-tool includes one.

Peter Storey