Do 10 speed chains break more often?

RS said:

I was watching the Giro and David Millar, at the final part of the stage,
was about to pounce and the chain broke and in disgust he threw the
bike into a ditch. Don't really blame him. I've never had an 8 or 9 speed
chain break, though I also don't let them got too old.

What's the general take of those that have ridden a long time? Do 10
speed chains tend to break more than 9 or 8 speed? thanks.

there's not much inherently weaker on 10s chain, but they're a lot more
precise and thus, a lot less tolerant of not being assembled exactly
right. wear glasses or use a magnifier to observe and ensure precision.

some people use master-links, but i found that they can come apart.
manufacturers like campy and shimano use pins, so i have confidence they
are reliable when deployed right. indeed, i've never broken a pinned chain.

RS said:

I was watching the Giro and David Millar, at the final part of the stage,
was about to pounce and the chain broke and in disgust he threw the
bike into a ditch.  Don't really blame him.  I've never had an 8 or 9 speed
chain break, though I also don't let them got too old.

What's the general take of those that have ridden a long time?  Do 10
speed chains tend to break more than 9 or 8 speed?   thanks.

No. All require that they be installed correctly tho and if a side
plate is damaged somehow(what I think was the deal with Millar), it
can break. Why hearing what is going on in your drivetrain and bike in
general is important. If it starts making a new, funny sound,
investigate. In the heat of the battle, Millar may have heard
something 'wrong' but perhaps couldn't take the time to swap a bike.

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

RS said:

I was watching the Giro and David Millar, at the final part of the stage,
was about to pounce and the chain broke and in disgust he threw the
bike into a ditch. Don't really blame him. I've never had an 8 or 9 speed
chain break, though I also don't let them got too old.

Quoted message said:

What's the general take of those that have ridden a long time? Do 10
speed chains tend to break more than 9 or 8 speed? thanks.

No. All require that they be installed correctly tho and if a side
plate is damaged somehow(what I think was the deal with Millar), it
can break. Why hearing what is going on in your drivetrain and bike in
general is important. If it starts making a new, funny sound,
investigate. In the heat of the battle, Millar may have heard
something 'wrong' but perhaps couldn't take the time to swap a bike.

He gives a fairly detailed account of the stage, including when the
chain started to skip, here:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2008/05/17/my-stage-5-breakaway-broken-chain-and-all

or http://tinyurl.com/473eza if preferred.

Colin

In article <7982ba96-dd61-472f-9a04-
[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

RS said:

I was watching the Giro and David Millar, at the final part of the stage,
was about to pounce and the chain broke and in disgust he threw the
bike into a ditch. Don't really blame him. I've never had an 8 or 9 speed
chain break, though I also don't let them got too old.

Quoted message said:

What's the general take of those that have ridden a long time? Do 10
speed chains tend to break more than 9 or 8 speed? thanks.

No. All require that they be installed correctly tho and if a side
plate is damaged somehow(what I think was the deal with Millar), it
can break. Why hearing what is going on in your drivetrain and bike in
general is important. If it starts making a new, funny sound,
investigate. In the heat of the battle, Millar may have heard
something 'wrong' but perhaps couldn't take the time to swap a bike.

He gives a fairly detailed account of the stage, including when the
chain started to skip, here:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2008/05/17/my-stage-5-breakaway-

broken-chain-and-all

Quoted message said:

or http://tinyurl.com/473eza if preferred.

Colin

Thanks, Millar's blog is a fun read. Sounds like something happened to the
chain but in his position stopping for a bike change would've probably meant
the race anyway.

RS said:

In article <7982ba96-dd61-472f-9a04-
[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

or http://tinyurl.com/473eza if preferred.

Colin

Thanks, Millar's blog is a fun read. Sounds like something happened to the
chain but in his position stopping for a bike change would've probably meant
the race anyway.

Surely the other riders in his group would have sportingly sat up and
waited for him to rejoin?