How can you lose a chain?

[Brucey]

On the rare occasions that I wasn't doing it weekly, I would pay for it in cogs and chains.

I found the same thing back in the day and I don't think modern kit is more durable or anything; quite the reverse in fact.

My response to this mechanical carnage (I would go through a chain and freewheel once every two or three months at one time) or incessant maintenance was to say 'stuff it' and use an IGH with 1/8" chain for the bulk of my road mileage.

Best decision I ever made, that was!

cheers

[BigFoz]

I snapped my chain 2 weeks ago as well (not at the KMC joining link, but half way round - again, 5th time a KMC has gone the same way, but I'm out of them now!). What amazed me was how far you can coast and how efficient a bicycle without a chain can be. I reckoned it'd take me 30-45 minutes to walk / push / coast home. I was lucky in that there were a number of downhills / flats, but there were some ups as well. 17mins later I was parking the bike at home. Had I not been in road shoes, and could have scooted some of the uphills, I could have taken 5 minutes off that time.

Made me think. A bike is a form of transport that is very difficult to really break down on - you can't exactly push a car home when it breaks...

[mjr]

Made me think. A bike is a form of transport that is very difficult to really break down on - you can't exactly push a car home when it breaks...

You can sometimes, but it's usually a lot more difficult and the abuse is horrendous even in a short distance. DAMHIK I have thought this when carrying a bike home after a wheel axle collapsed - now that's one you couldn't push a car home from...

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I snapped my chain 2 weeks ago as well (not at the KMC joining link, but half way round - again, 5th time a KMC has gone the same way, but I'm out of them now!).

Well I am glad I am not the only one to break a chain in just 330 miles .....That's bottom end KMC and I doubt that marketing ever though the bikes fitted with these chains would ever do more than twice round the block...........then I find it to canablise for parts

[BigFoz]

Sadly mine weren't bottom end ones, but the TiNi coated ones.
Bought on a recommendation, first one was good, bought a bunch more on sale, then the original snapped, and so have all the others bar one - that one went in the bin in it's box unnused. I'd been regularly checking the links too after the first few failures, and the last one hadn't done many miles. Each one had a burst "normal" link, and perfectly preserved joining link

I have 1 left, a Gold TiNi one on my "bikini bike" (dry sunny weather only), I can't afford any more replacements till payday, so it's still in place,. But then, March in West of Scotland means it's unlikely to get run!

[birkhead]

I am a bit surprised at the surprise of the op to this eventuality.
After all it is the op who ran a previous thread about the weakness of the missing link in terms of its stretchability.
That weakness might have suggested a more frequent replacement of the ML than of the chain itself.
I have noticed the ease with which the ML can be refitted on the second /third use, which suggests that it is on the way out.

[Mick F]

Yep, your memory is good!

I was surprised, very surprised. I nearly called this thread "Zero Gear Inches" because I had no idea at all that I'd shed my chain. I'd done nearly half a mile without one and it wasn't until I started pedalling, that my legs began to spin rather vigorously! Infinite cadence for zero movement.

The KMC ML had only been on a few thousand miles. Chain A has done over 6,000miles and it still has it's original ML.

Yes, they wear on the rivets, but in my experience the locking mechanism doesn't wear because is doesn't move.

The main problem with them, is that the rivets are too thin. Can't remember the figures now, but I emailed KMC months ago asking WHY the rivet diameters are so thin compared to the Campag chain rivets. I received a nice reply, but no answer in explanation. I gave up and never took it further.

Because the rivets are too thin, it creates a small amount of play and that play makes the holes in the chain wear. This then appears as a gentle "clunk" as the link goes round the cassette because the pitch between the chain links are too long there. Fitting a new ML doesn't do anything, because it's the chain holes that have worn.

Chain D that came off onto the road wasn't worn in that way, though Chain E is, even though they've done similar milage of circa 2,900miles.

Chain E clunks, as does A, B and C, but chain D is quiet.

[Mick F]

PS:
@ birkhead
Are you using Campag chains or another make?

I've not tried a KMC ML on anything other than Campag. 9sp originally, but 10sp for many years now.

[LollyKat]

If you look at KMC's own page of missing links you can see that many of the links are described as "non-reusable". At a casual glance they all look the same, so maybe it is easy to get them mixed up??

[Mick F]

Note the word top left.
"RE-USABLE"

[MartinC]

Note the word top left.
"RE-USABLE"

Their definition of re-usable may not be the same as yours!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Following the link (web site) posted above, IIRC campag are reuseable and some of the others are also, some are Not reuseable.

[MikeF]

Not just for Campag but others as well. "We offer Non Re-Usable MissingLinks as well as Re-Usable MissingLinks." says the website. Anyone know the difference in construction or the reason for two types? I must check what I have

[birkhead]

I too looked at the KMC site linked above:
the 10ExtremePro version, which seems to apply to Shimano and Campag and SRAM chains, but is non-reusable and strong advice to change it after each use.
OTOH the 10C link is reusable and does not require a chain link tool
I infer that the ExtremePro version is less likely to come apart on the road, but cannot be easily managed out, and is a once only use;
whilst the 10C may be more likely to come apart on the road, is reusable, and can be managed without tool on the road.
Certainly my 10C s seem to hook on very easily, so I think I will check chain tension regularly, change more frequently and ensure that spare link in the road toolkit is a 10C.

Incidentally I scrapped my Campy Veloce chainJ at 0.75 extension after a mere 2118km , only half my usual mileage, albeit winter miles with 2 cleans and very regular lubrication with CleanRide and no big hills, cos they are usually snowed up in winter [and the cafes closed]

[Brucey]

depending on how the latch works in the non-reusable MLs, it may be possible to modify them using a dremel tool so that they come apart more easily/repeatedly (hopefully not when you don't want them to... )

cheers