Shimano chain CN-7701: pin identification

Gunny said:

I bought a used bike with all Shimano Dura-Ace components.

Installing a new Shimano chain CN-7701, the instructions clearly note
that if you have to adjust the length of the chain (which I do),
that... "The chain will be damaged if it is cut at a place where it
has been joined with a reinforced connecting pin or an end pin."

The diagram that came with the chain shows three very different
looking pins, identifying one as a reinforced connecting pin, one as
an end pin, and a third as a link pin.

I carefully examined every pin on both sides of the chain under a good
light and with a magnifying glass and every pin looks exactly like
every other pin.

How do I identify which pin is the link pin. Does it actually
matter??? Really frustrating!!

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.

Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.

*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins on new
one; QL too worn to use again...

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:17:12 -0700, "Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Gunny said:

I bought a used bike with all Shimano Dura-Ace components.

Quoted message said:

I carefully examined every pin on both sides of the chain under a good
light and with a magnifying glass and every pin looks exactly like
every other pin.

How do I identify which pin is the link pin. Does it actually
matter??? Really frustrating!!

Gunny:

It matters because you really don't want to push a "joining" pin out
again. The side plates are distorted by the oversize portion of the
"special" pin and it is only good for one shot in any given spot.

ie: You can (and should) break the chain anywhere else but where a
joining pin is used...

You can find this pin by looking carefully at the inside of the chain.
The "special" pin has a tapered extension on the end which aids you in
hooking up the chain. After it is pressed fully into position, the
tapered extension has to be broken off with a plier or such. You
should be able to see the "broken" appearance of the end of the
"special" pin where this tapered extension was snapped off.. Also,
the material is usually darker in color that the regular pins.

Unless, of course, someone put the the chain together using a regular
pin and then you probably should chuck the whole thing because you
have no way of knowing where it is going to come apart on you. <G>.

Let us know if you find it.. !

Bob F.

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.

Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.

*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins on new
one; QL too worn to use again...

Hi Bill,

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

Thanks,
Gunny

Bob Flumere said:

It matters because you really don't want to push a "joining" pin out
again. The side plates are distorted by the oversize portion of the
"special" pin and it is only good for one shot in any given spot.

ie: You can (and should) break the chain anywhere else but where a
joining pin is used...

Hi Bob,

Thanks for responding.

I was replacing the chain, so no problem with dealing with a "joining"
pin.

I compared the length of the new chain with the old one, that had been
installed by a competent mechanic, and realized I needed to remove
about four links in order to cut it down to the right size.

Taking your advice, I just pushed out the pin that would drop a
sufficient number of links to give me the right size chain, put it on
the bike and slipped in the joining pin that came with the new chain.
All went very smoothly and I took great pains to insure that the same
amount of the joining pin protruded from each size of the chain.

While "researching" the chain issue, I came across some very strong
opinions re taking the chain off the bike or not taking it off the
bike to lubricate it. The biking FAQ at...

<http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/index.html>

....says "Primitive rule #1: Never oil a chain on the bike." Other
sites, like the Park Tool website and Zinn say it's not necessary to
remove the chain.

What's your take on that score?

Gunny

Gunny said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.

Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.

*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
on new one; QL too worn to use again...

Hi Bill,

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just have no
experience with those special pins yet.

Using a "quick link" from Sram or another manufacturer works great, so may
just stick with that...

B

Bill Sornson said:

Gunny said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.

Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.

*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
on new one; QL too worn to use again...

Hi Bill,

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just have no
experience with those special pins yet.

Using a "quick link" from Sram or another manufacturer works great, so may
just stick with that...

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!

Tom Sherman said:

Bill Sornson said:

Gunny said:

> I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.
>
> Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.
>
> *way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
> on new one; QL too worn to use again...
Hi Bill,

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just
have no experience with those special pins yet.

Using a "quick link" from Sram or another manufacturer works great,
so may just stick with that...

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

What is this, Michael Press' night off? :-P

Bill "just glad you can see my posts again (be still my heart)" S.

Quoted message said:

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!

Hi Tom -

I probably get in about 2,000 miles a year and I take very good care
of the chain, lubricating it once each week and wiping it down
carefully after every ride. It's a road bike, it has all DA
components, and my riding is not "aggressive"; i.e., I am in my 60's
but very fit for my age and hope to stay that way.

My bike is my cardio-vascular machine. I ride only on a nearby bike
trail which is all asphalt, I don't ride in the rain, and I do the
occasional century when local bike clubs in VA and MD offer them.

Anyway, I figure the chain is good for about one year and next year I
think I will look at the SRAM equivalent of the Shimano CN-7701 nine-
speed chain. I checked the SRAM site and found five 9-speed chains
offered.

Know offhand which would be closest to my current Shimano.

Being new to really good biking components, I went with the Shimano
because that's what was on the bike when I bought it and I figured it
would work well with the DA cassette, etc.

Thanks,
Gunny

Bill Sornson said:

Gunny wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.

Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.

*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
on new one; QL too worn to use again...

Hi Bill,

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just have no
experience with those special pins yet.

I've found the 9 speed KMC to be just as terrific, for about $16 "street
price," including a reusable link. I think I actually paid $13 for my
last one. The best deal are the tandem chains when Nashbar has them sale.
Two chains for the price of one!

This move toward $50-plus chains is ridiculous. Do us all a favor and
quit handing over your money so easily.

Forget those stupid Shimano pins too. Get a Shimano-compatible link from
SRAM, Craig, KMC, etc.

If you can't tell which pin is the "broken" one, you still have less than
1:100 chance of not hitting it if you break your chain just anywhere.
Just do it, and get a good reusable link to re-join it.

Matt O.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.
Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.
*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins on new
one; QL too worn to use again...

Gunny said:

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/shcnwarr.html
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bill Sornson said:

Tom Sherman said:

Bill Sornson said:

Gunny wrote:
>> I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.
>>
>> Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.
>>
>> *way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
>> on new one; QL too worn to use again...
> Hi Bill,
>
> Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
> please clue me in on what to look for.

No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just
have no experience with those special pins yet.

Using a "quick link" from Sram or another manufacturer works great,
so may just stick with that...

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

What is this, Michael Press' night off? :-P

Bill "just glad you can see my posts again (be still my heart)" S.

That is "Michael Press's".

--
Michael Press

Bill Sornson said:

Tom Sherman said:

Bill Sornson said:

Gunny wrote:
>> I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.
>>
>> Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.
>>
>> *way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins
>> on new one; QL too worn to use again...
> Hi Bill,
>
> Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
> please clue me in on what to look for.
No, Gunny, DA chains are terrific. (9-speed ones, anyway.) I just
have no experience with those special pins yet.

Using a "quick link" from Sram or another manufacturer works great,
so may just stick with that...

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

What is this, Michael Press' night off? :-P

Bill "just glad you can see my posts again (be still my heart)" S.

I would have expected a German news-server to be better at collecting
posting from all sources. (I was also not seeing the posts of "DougC",
"Jambo" and several others that are now showing up.)

And hey, no double signature separators, unless I gratuitously add them. 😉

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!
--
Gratuitous second signature separator. 😉

Gunny said:

Quoted message said:

I would agree with Sorni, except that it is "SRAM", not "Sram".

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!

Hi Tom -

I probably get in about 2,000 miles a year and I take very good care
of the chain, lubricating it once each week and wiping it down
carefully after every ride. It's a road bike, it has all DA
components, and my riding is not "aggressive"; i.e., I am in my 60's
but very fit for my age and hope to stay that way.

I get about three (3) times the chain life, but then my chains are three
(3) times as long as cost three (3) times as much.

Quoted message said:

My bike is my cardio-vascular machine. I ride only on a nearby bike
trail which is all asphalt, I don't ride in the rain, and I do the
occasional century when local bike clubs in VA and MD offer them.

Anyway, I figure the chain is good for about one year and next year I
think I will look at the SRAM equivalent of the Shimano CN-7701 nine-
speed chain. I checked the SRAM site and found five 9-speed chains
offered.

Know offhand which would be closest to my current Shimano.

Being new to really good biking components, I went with the Shimano
because that's what was on the bike when I bought it and I figured it
would work well with the DA cassette, etc.

There is not much difference in SRAM and Shimano chains in my
experience, except SRAM (née Sachs née Sedisport) uses convenient master
links (PowerLink [TM]) and Shimano uses stupid &%*@#$ disposable pins to
reconnect the chains. However, the SRAM PowerLinks work well on
7/8-speed Shimano chains in my experience.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!

A Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know how you guys ride around with those things.
Bill "DA chain*...with Sram QL" S.
*way overdue to be retired, but reluctant to try those damned pins on
new
one; QL too worn to use again...

Gunny said:

Is there a problem with this particular Shimano chain and, if so,
please clue me in on what to look for.

like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/shcnwarr.html

That's why I never trust a 10 speed chain that is put together by
someone else.

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu (http://www.nb.nu)

If I've got a 9 or 10sp Shimano chain that has used their link, may I
press out their special link from the opposite side and use a
Powerlink (only 9 removable), Connex, or KMC link?