Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

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bikes4two
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by bikes4two »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
mattsccm wrote:I am not convinced that SRAM links are meant to be quick links. Even with tools they are sods to fit whilst KMC's are dead easy. A well used one never fails yet they can almost be done one handed.

Is'nt that telling you something :?:
As the unit price is very small I tend to think that they can be used once and thrown away :?:


Er, which one do you think is to be thrown away - the SRAM link or the KMC link?
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I am not a believer in quick links though I carry several in my tool kit.
If the link can be undone with one hand then is it that reliable :?:
Edit, users of quick links do actually carry spare q-links too :?:
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mjr
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by mjr »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Edit, users of quick links do actually carry spare q-links too :?:

Well yes, in case a different part of the chain fails!

Not all quick links are the same because I have had one quick link that wouldn't go through the jockey wheels quietly - a Clarks. I've happily got KMC and Taya quick links on other bikes but I fear at least two bikes have Shimano chains on at the moment :-(
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LollyKat
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by LollyKat »

I've used 9-speed SRAM quicklinks on 9-speed Shimano chains without any problem - I certainly can't undo them one-handed or even two-handed, and they work fine even after opening them several times for chain cleaning.

My 7-speed chains are all SRAM so no experience of Shimano/SRAM /KMC mix there.
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by niggle »

I have mixed and matched a few combinations, mostly it is down to getting the right 'speed' of quick link, although 5,6,7 & 8 spd all work with '8 speed' links, the brand of quick link is less important IME (I believe that Campag 10 & 11 spd are substantially different to Shimano, but have no experience).

On my bikes I currently have a Campag Record 9spd chain joined quite happily using a KMC 9 spd quick link and two KMC 8 spd chains with the quick link that came with the chain, plus a traditional split link on a 1/8" single speed chain (remember those?!).

Previously I have used Wipperman 8 spd quick link on the chain it came with and SRAM quick links on Shimano 8 & 9 spd chains. Also KMC and SRAM 8 spd quick links on KMC or various other brand 7 or 8 spd chains on bikes belonging to other family members.

My favourite is the Wipperman design which is very easy to use, KMC also good, SRAM a tad tight in some applications but usable. I have not tried the Clarkes offering on the basis that KMC are at least as cheap and I know they are good.
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by mjr »

Remember single speed split links? I'm still using one :lol:

I used the Clark's mainly because it was partnof a bundle that was in stock and discounted when I needed parts. Not doing that again!
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LittleGreyCat
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by LittleGreyCat »

Brucey wrote:most Taya chains come with a quicklink ('sigma connector') like this;

Image

if you have used this to fit the chain (and can find it...) it will come undone. They say you should use it just the once but in reality it won't break immediately if you use it two or three times; it will certainly last long enough for you to find and fit something better, for sure.

If you can read the model number on your chain I might have a few spare links here and I can perhaps try a quicklink or two on them and see what is going to work OK.

cheers


Well, bit of a delay in replying (and replying across two threads) but I now have the new dérailleur on the bike with the bigger jockey wheels and the chain isn't long enough to go big front to big back.

So I am looking for the link to split the chain.

I can see from your picture plus the Taya information that the locking link should have some extra space on the face to allow the pins to pop out and in - so it should be easily identifiable.
However all I can find is a couple of pins with a P on instead of the normal dished rivet heads.

Hmmm.....have I put the link on back to front?

Yep - special link facing inwards.
Now have it off, although it was a bar steward to shift.
Looking into my bike tool kit I found the extra links from the chain and another Taya special link, still in the original packet.

So I have now put all the spare links back in and it will go [big <-> big].
However on [little <-> little] the dérailleur is very close to the gear cluster.
So I need to take at least one link out - I know that the advice is to set the length so you can just get [big <-> big] plus one full link but it is a major pain getting the chain lined up to measure, so what is the downside of setting it so it will do [big <-> big] and [little <-> little] with no slack when on the little rings and no fouling the gear cluster?

Just now realising how many years (decades?) it is since I did any serious bike fettling.
Impressed with what is in my tool kit, though.

Cheers

LGC
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Where's me chain :o
Well out today and a rather annoying tick on the chain drive, I put it down to the very worn BB so I carried on and at the furthest from home (20 M) Ping... :(
No drive no chain......found it just behind me, so I fitted the chain back on and used a magic link which went on and snapped in easily.
Finished the journey with out further mishap, even picked up some dumbells at the recycling centre adding 11 k to my 23 kg bike :)
I even managed to route the chain incorrectly through the rear derallieur so the chain was outside the cage between the jockey wheels :? Noticed when I got home. This is a one off too duh.......... never ridden a bike like that even though I have assembled the chain by mistake on the stand.
The chain was not like this before it snapped. Only one pin was still in chain the rest had gone.

It appears that the chain snapped at the place I had rejoined the chain after splitting it to remove from another skip bike.
So it rings true that if you split a chain and rejoin with the original pin it weakens the chain at that ponit as the press fit has been compromised.
I always knew that but I had faith that it would not affect the chains integrity, as long as I inspected it regulary.
I had inspected the join last night but could not predict the outcome today.
The chain was a KMC 4B ? seven speed chain, I gauged it before using it and was good, looked like new too, it has done 310 miles on my bike.
This is the first chain that has snapped on any of my bikes ever.
kmc narrow z 634 miles above 1% worn.
kmc hp nc 513 miles worn.
Current chain kmc 4b 310 miles pin gave way.
All the chains are seconds taken off old reclaimed bikes and were guaged as better than 5 % ( thats the best I can measure with a cheap chain gauge) and change chain at 1% worn.
Bike is used on off, road 25 % off road.
As its the first snapped chain I will persevere but this chain will keep the magic link for its life. Ho Hum......
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freeflow
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by freeflow »

Some quick links are fit once others are reusable. Some of the reusable ones are asymmetrical so have to be fitted with the correct orientation. Check the packaging.
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Erudin
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by Erudin »

freeflow wrote:Some quick links are fit once others are reusable. Some of the reusable ones are asymmetrical so have to be fitted with the correct orientation. Check the packaging.


Wippermans are like that:
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Sorry it appears that on closer inspection of my chain this morning, that the link where I split and joined the chain when I put it on the bike IS still there :)
So my method at least for me remains sound.
As I lost the offending link when the chain snapped there is no way of knowing what actualy happened.
As I said all the chains I use are seconds that I take off skip bikes so it is possible that the chain had already been split by previous owner.
These bikes that I retrieve chains from are mostly bottom end bikes so the chains are the cheapest KMC.

I have never bought a KMC chain as I use to use either Sedis or Shimano.
The late shimano chains that I have puchased which are HG50 (hg40 are poor in comparison to the 50, very noisy,dont buy the 40 ) IG51 /70.
The shimano chains I have bought come with a Solid Plain pin already partially inserted which I always use.
You can see evidence on these plain headed pins on some of the chains which come with bikes, and when I rescue a chain I try to identify the pin if there is one :?: (when there is not how do they assemble on bike :?: ) and mark it with white paint along with the link that I split so I can inspect the link regularly.

Probably better quality more expensive chains will last longer :?:
On motorcycles only "O" ring chains would last longer longer that any heavy duty that was advertised.
All my bikes see some off road use so I need probably to shield the chain from road grit better :?:
Bike of offending chain has Compact gearing.
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timdownieuk
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by timdownieuk »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Where's me chain :o
Well out today and a rather annoying tick on the chain drive, I put it down to the very worn BB so I carried on and at the furthest from home (20 M) Ping... :(


Whist worn bottom brackets may click, they'll generally click with each crank revolution. An impending chain break will click regularly but at much longer intervals.

Tim
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
timdownieuk wrote:
NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Where's me chain :o
Well out today and a rather annoying tick on the chain drive, I put it down to the very worn BB so I carried on and at the furthest from home (20 M) Ping... :(


Whist worn bottom brackets may click, they'll generally click with each crank revolution. An impending chain break will click regularly but at much longer intervals.

Tim

Yes, but it was intermitant, I did have a quick look at it part through ride and could not see anything, but I did not look hard enough maybe.
The cahin is covered in oil so spotting which link is hard.
Next time if there is a next time I will pay more attention.
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iandriver
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Re: Shimano chain - add SRAM quicklink?

Post by iandriver »

I remove the SRAM ones no problem by pinching the middle till it clicks, works every time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnlOS5Bgn0
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