How to open a power link

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

Quoted message said:

pog.org.ukchain.jpgOpen ↗ should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear
away the flange that keeps it together. If you
disconnect/reconnect it enough times, you will eventually
cause it to come off as you're riding over rough
terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3 times on an urban
ride... I found it each time, once in a gravel parking lot,
once in a pile of dry leaves, and once on regular pavement.
It was... fun... to say the least.

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be
relegated to its use on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the
lateral direction while on the bike) before applying
longitudinal forces. Having the chain be exceptionally clean
at the interface helps significantly, because then dirt and
grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's easier
to attach and detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

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

Quoted message said:

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

Quoted message said:

pog.org.ukchain.jpgOpen ↗ should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear
away the flange that keeps it together. If you
disconnect/reconnect it enough times, you will eventually
cause it to come off as you're riding over rough
terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3 times on an
urban ride... I found it each time, once in a gravel
parking lot, once in a pile of dry leaves, and once on
regular pavement. It was... fun... to say the least.

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be
relegated to its

use

Quoted message said:

on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the
lateral direction while on the bike) before applying
longitudinal forces. Having the chain

be

Quoted message said:

exceptionally clean at the interface helps significantly,
because then

dirt

Quoted message said:

and grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's
easier to attach

and

Quoted message said:

detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I've taken mine off more times than I can remember. we're
not talking hundreds but I often take it off for a good
soaking/cleansing. I've never lost mine while actually
riding. I carry a spare one in my pack just in case I ever
need it though.

Michael

"Michael Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

Quoted message said:

pog.org.ukchain.jpgOpen ↗ should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear
away the

flange

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that keeps it together. If you disconnect/reconnect it
enough times,

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

will eventually cause it to come off as you're riding
over rough terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3
times on an urban ride... I found it each time, once in
a gravel parking lot, once in a pile of dry leaves, and
once on regular pavement. It was... fun... to say the

least.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be
relegated to its

use

Quoted message said:

on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the
lateral

direction

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

while on the bike) before applying longitudinal forces.
Having the

chain

Quoted message said:

be

Quoted message said:

exceptionally clean at the interface helps
significantly, because then

dirt

Quoted message said:

and grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's
easier to attach

and

Quoted message said:

detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I've taken mine off more times than I can remember. we're
not talking hundreds but I often take it off for a good
soaking/cleansing. I've never lost mine while actually
riding. I carry a spare one in my pack just in case I ever
need it though.

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack and
bounce the hell around seemed to be the prime conditions for
my PL to hop off. Maybe mine was a serious fluke.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

In "]news:[email hidden],
ZeeExSixAre <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack
and bounce the hell around seemed to be the prime
conditions for my PL to hop off. Maybe mine was a
serious fluke.

You may want to pick up a new PL Phil. I run them on my DH
bikes with no problems.

Mike

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've taken mine off more times than I can remember. we're
not talking hundreds but I often take it off for a good
soaking/cleansing. I've never lost mine while actually
riding. I carry a spare one in my pack just in case I ever
need it though.

Michael

I think many people use the same powerlink even across
several shimano chains, so even with 4 times as many miles
ont he link as the current chain it's holding together they
still seem to work fine. I have never seen the flange "wear
out". If you don't close it properly and you stand on the
pedals it will wreck the flange though.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-ramsays-Open ↗
online.com

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

pog.org.ukchain.jpgOpen ↗ should do it.

No tools are needed.

TJ www.gvii.net/hundtoft

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

Quoted message said:

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack
and bounce the

hell

Quoted message said:

around seemed to be the prime conditions for my PL to hop
off. Maybe mine was a serious fluke.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

As Miles, Sorni, et. al. can attest, I don't think San
Diego has ever been accused of having extremely buff and
smooth trails! sounds like maybe your powerlink is worn or
otherwise not holding as well as it should. Or, the notch
in the pins that actually accepts the plate and holds the
whole thing together may simply be full of [censored] preventing
a solid junction.

I'm not discounting that repeated removal of the link can
cause wear but as often as I take mine off it seems to work
just fine. then again, maybe mine is the fluke and it worked
out in my favor! ;-)

Michael

"Chris Phillipo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I think many people use the same powerlink even across
several shimano chains, so even with 4 times as many miles
ont he link as the current chain it's holding together
they still seem to work fine.

That has not been my experience. I have had problems
with gold powerlinks lately, including brand new ones on
new chains failing in about 10-15 rides. Previous to
that, I had problems trying to extend the useful life by
using old ones on a new PC99 chain. They usually were
fine for a while but failed probably half way through
the chain's life. Recent failures have occurred when the
end of one side of the link just snapped right off. I'm
only 155-160 pounds and probably not super-strong
either, though I'm above average for my weight, I guess.
I'm not sure if SRAM had some bad links or not, but my
previous high opinion of them has been slightly tested
of late. I hope things smooth out from now on. I now use
the new link with a new chain, and keep the old ones (if
still intact) for spares just to get me out of the woods
if needed. I also carry a new powerlink at all times,
mainly because I don't trust the old ones any longer.

Quoted message said:

I have never seen the flange "wear out". If you don't
close it properly

and you

Quoted message said:

stand on the pedals it will wreck the flange though.

I don't think this has been my problem, but I can't say
with certainty. Failure HAS been when standing on the
pedals, though. OUCH. :-(
--
D N I E T S Off to R the M __, D H

Reply to group. (Detestible spammers!)

"D H" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Chris Phillipo" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think many people use the same powerlink even across
several shimano chains, so even with 4 times as many
miles ont he link as the current chain it's holding
together they still seem to work fine.

That has not been my experience. I have had problems
with gold powerlinks lately, including brand new ones
on new chains failing in about 10-15 rides. Previous
to that, I had problems trying to extend the useful
life by using old ones on a new PC99 chain. They
usually were fine for a while but failed probably half
way through the chain's life. Recent

failures

Quoted message said:

have occurred when the end of one side of the link just
snapped right off. I'm only 155-160 pounds and probably
not super-strong either, though I'm above average for my
weight, I guess. I'm not sure if SRAM had some bad links
or not, but my previous high opinion of them has been
slightly

tested

Quoted message said:

of late. I hope things smooth out from now on. I now use
the new link with a new chain, and keep the old ones (if

still

Quoted message said:

intact) for spares just to get me out of the woods if
needed. I also carry

a

Quoted message said:

new powerlink at all times, mainly because I don't trust
the old ones any longer.

See? I told you all so!

Maybe all you pansies need to exert some real force on
your pedals 😉

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get powelinks
apart but never easily. Last night I was turning the
chameleon into a SS and the image of that diagram popped in
my head, worked like a charm.

taywood said:

pog.org.ukchain.jpgOpen ↗ should do it.

kantspel said:

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get
powelinks apart but never easily. Last night I was turning
the chameleon into a SS and the image of that diagram
popped in my head, worked like a charm.

The other trick is definitely make sure there is no grime,
grit, grease, whatever, inside the links. Anything that is
sticky or interferes with the two parts sliding easily will
make it a big chore to get the link apart. I spray liberally
with WD-40 and wipe away any [censored].

Last night I was installing a brand new chain on my SS. I
was trying 2 links shorter than the old chain, and found
that too short. So I had remove the chain in order to
lengthen it, and wouldn't you know I couldn't get the link
apart. A brand new chain and link? They coat the link with
the same stuff they coat the new chain - whatever that is -
and it is not slippery. It took a bunch of WD-40 before I
could get the link parts to slide. --dt

Doug Taylor said:

kantspel said:

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get
powelinks apart but never easily. Last night I was turning
the chameleon into a SS and the image of that diagram
popped in my head, worked like a charm.

The other trick is definitely make sure there is no grime,
grit, grease, whatever, inside the links. Anything that is
sticky or interferes with the two parts sliding easily
will make it a big chore to get the link apart. I spray
liberally with WD-40 and wipe away any [censored].

Last night I was installing a brand new chain on my SS. I
was trying 2 links shorter than the old chain, and found
that too short. So I had remove the chain in order to
lengthen it, and wouldn't you know I couldn't get the link
apart. A brand new chain and link? They coat the link with
the same stuff they coat the new chain - whatever that is
- and it is not slippery. It took a bunch of WD-40 before
I could get the link parts to slide. --dt

I must've been lucky, this chain was rather dirty, I never
wash my chain (or bike for that matter, about a half pound
of dirt fell off during the conversion process), but came
apart without a hitch. I did press the links together a bit
before hitting the corners.