Francesco Devittori writes:
>>> Today I broke the chain on my fixed gear. I had some spare links
>>> with me but no chain tool, which resulted in 10km of walking
>>> (except some downhills.
>>> From now on, I will take the chain tool with me, at least when on
>>> the fixed gear, however most people I know don't do it. This woke
>>> my curiosity: is there any tip on this respect? Some quick and
>>> dirty hack to put the chain temporarily together?
>> You can carry a quick link, but that doesn't solve the problem of
>> removing the (typical) damaged link. Since joining is trickier
>> than splitting (especially in the field), I think it's good to
>> carry a quick link or 2, I usually throw some worn ones in my bag.
>> Fortunately, broken chains have become so rare that I don't bother
>> carrying a tool for road riding, although I still do off-road. I
>> would consider a fixed gear to be a less likely candidate for chain
>> breaking. DO you have any idea why it broke?
> I guess it broke because a) it was in bad condition, after a few
> months of salt/water/snow/... and very few maintenance, b) the
> chain derailed and got stuck.
If you have the chain it should be obvious what occurred. Water and
snow won't cause chain failure and a patina of rust on the surface
won't either. I suspect all parts that were there before the chain
separated are still there after. Have a look at it and see. What
most likely failed was that the pin at the place where the chain was
joined on installation was not pressed in correctly, allowing to to
back out on the side where it did not fully engage the side plate.
> I admit it's the first time I have a broken chain, and that bike is
> the winter bike, which I don't care to clean much.
> On the field I was not able to remove the damaged link, if I were
> able, then I could have used the spare quick link I always have with
> me. Lesson learned.
So what was damages and how did it look? I think besides carrying a
chain tool, knowing how to press in a pin is at least as important.
The reason for a chain tool is that, especially on a derailleur
bicycle, a "derailleur stick" can rip off the mechanism, requiring
chain shortening to ride as a fixed length chain. Derailleur sticks
lie in wait on many roads, especially on windy days. They are about 8
to 10 inches long with a slight curve and as thick as a pencil or so.
When it happens, most riders are in disbelief how easily their
expensive derailleur was ripped from its moorings. I assume you carry
the same spare tube, patch kit, and small tools wen riding regardless
of which bicycle you use. Forget about spare links, they have no
purpose because your chain won't have link failures if you install the
chain properly. Just carry the chain tool for the derailleur bicycle.
Jobst Brandt
)
