Chain broke

[Jacket]

I was out riding this past weekend and broke my chain. It's the first time I've had a chain break on the trail, and didn't have anything on hand to fix it. I dropped by the bike shop and we put a KMC Missing Link on it to get my back on the road.

Do you guys carry a spare link (or Missing Link) and a tool to press out the bin in your trail backpack? I'm looking for recommendations for what you guys have used and suggest for the next time this happens in 20 years....

 

[rover67]

I carry a bike tool that has a chain tool built in as well as a few missing links and a small section of chain (single speed). For Allison (geared) we just carry a missing link and she also has a chain tool.

With a geared bike you can usually shorten the chain a bit and use one link and keep going as long as you don't shift it into the gears where it will overstretch the newly shortened chain. If you have to go a long way you can keep that from happening on accident by adjusting derailleur limit screws.

I also carry cleat screws and a spare cleat.

and I also carry a bunch of other stuff but you probably don't need it. I kinda leave my pack set up for the longer rides so it's usually overkill.

 

[aprosise]

Yes, run Sram chains so you can just always have a quick link. I had one electrical taped to my bike for probably two years until I gave it to someone on the trail...

And remember, you cant repair a shimano chain on the trail reliably with a chain tool by pressing pins in and out, You need to press in a new pin (Except for brand new Shimano 11spd. stuff)

 

[rover67]

Yes, run Sram chains so you can just always have a quick link. I had one electrical taped to my bike for probably two years until I gave it to someone on the trail...

And remember, you cant repair a shimano chain on the trail reliably with a chain tool by pressing pins in and out, You need to press in a new pin (Except for brand new Shimano 11spd. stuff)

Yeah we use the KMC quick links for Allisons shimano chain and I use sram chains to they have tool free links that i collect from old chains..

 

[DaveInDenver]

I run SRAM chains and carry Powerlinks. I carry one for a 9 speed (for handing out) and a couple for 10 speed chains. BTW, they are not the same, silver is 8 (or now 11 speed), gold ones are 9 speed, black one are 10 speed. In a pinch the 9 will work on 10 speed chains but it's not ideal (it hangs & skips a little). I've used a SRAM link on a Shimano chain to get a person back to a trailhead, it was a better decision than trying to get the pin back in.

But lately I've been running this...

It's one and done, so you have to carry a whole belt. That is definitely not ideal. I do like the smoothness and never needing to lube, but I'm not sold that it's worth it.

 

[aprosise]

Dave, Have you skipped a belt? Not trying to jump to conclusions, but when I raced cross, one of the Raleigh/Gates guys let me jump on their bike and I skipped the belt 20+ times in one lap. I know once you skip them, they are done... But I would be worried about skipping a brand new belt.

My buddy Marc Seeman (Toyota guy) works at Gates in the belt drive division. He has been trying to get me a XL demo bike to let me beat the piss out of it for a couple months. Unfortunately, most of their shop guys are under 6'

 

[DaveInDenver]

You must be a stud! I've been able to shear a freehub (admittedly a Stan's 3.30 aluminum, not exactly high quality) but never skipped a belt. I run at the upper end, about 50 lbs tension, and the REEB is pretty stiff at the BB, particularly so for a steel frame. You do have to retension it after about 20 hours, it was a little looser than brand new. But apparently once you stretch to it's set point that's the last time you need to do that.

But caveat, if I didn't get a deal on it with the REEB I would not recommend spending the coin for it. I think the main application is commuters and especially those in wet places. For that it would totally rock. But for MTBs I think it's not worth it, other than the complete lack of lube. Your drivetrain does stay a whole ton cleaner. I have a spare belt and will run it for a while more but I might be gearing up the bike for a tour later this summer and even if I don't put on a shifter for a week-plus long tour I think a chain is just a lot more practical.

 

[rover67]

i had one of the belt drive setups and it skipped. i tried a lot of tension but it made my hubs wear funny(king) also would squeak... finally went back to basics with the dt swiss 240 hubs and chains. i like that i can pop open a DT swiss 240 hub with no tools and replace the drive ring things. I carry a set of those too. That came in handy on the colorado trail the last time we did it.

 

[DaveInDenver]

i had one of the belt drive setups and it skipped. i tried a lot of tension but it made my hubs wear funny(king) also would squeak... finally went back to basics with the dt swiss 240 hubs and chains. i like that i can pop open a DT swiss 240 hub with no tools and replace the drive ring things. I carry a set of those too. That came in handy on the colorado trail the last time we did it.

Was yours the CDX or original CDC? I understood the CDX (the one with the ridge down the middle) is more robust about skipping and alignment. I know I had my chain line off about 2mm but it never walked off although it did squeak pretty bad. Once I dialed in the alignment it's been dead quiet.

As an aside, the Endless Bike Fibonacci spacers that give you 1mm resolution are awesome, have used them on all my singlespeed conversions of freehub wheels. I would call something like this essential to belt drive for sure.

 

[rover67]

I had both versions, maybe I did indeed have an alignment issue....

edit:

Whoa that place makes cool stuff!! Up to 25t cogs too!!!!

 

[DaveInDenver]

I had both versions, maybe I did indeed have an alignment issue....

edit:

Whoa that place makes cool stuff!! Up to 25t cogs too!!!!

Endless Bike? Yeah. Shanna is pretty cool, too. They got a good scene over there in North Carolina.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/east-bound-and-down-shannas-endless-stoke-2015.html

 

[aprosise]

You must be a stud! I've been able to shear a freehub (admittedly a Stan's 3.30 aluminum, not exactly high quality) but never skipped a belt. I run at the upper end, about 50 lbs tension, and the REEB is pretty stiff at the BB, particularly so for a steel frame. You do have to retension it after about 20 hours, it was a little looser than brand new. But apparently once you stretch to it's set point that's the last time you need to do that.

But caveat, if I didn't get a deal on it with the REEB I would not recommend spending the coin for it. I think the main application is commuters and especially those in wet places. For that it would totally rock. But for MTBs I think it's not worth it, other than the complete lack of lube. Your drivetrain does stay a whole ton cleaner. I have a spare belt and will run it for a while more but I might be gearing up the bike for a tour later this summer and even if I don't put on a shifter for a week-plus long tour I think a chain is just a lot more practical.

I have stripped a thread on freewheel once...

The one I rode was the CDX variety... I think it was frame flex that ultimately caused the skipped belt, but it still made me worry. I think it would be awesome on a commuter, but my commuter is a xtracycle, so it wouldn't work out for me.

I like chains.

On my current hard tail I'm running Profile Racing cranks with the gun drilled Ti spindle, Standard Byke BMX sprocket, $7 KMC chain and a endless bikes/surly cog depending on what gear I run. Same setup for 4 years!

 

[Jacket]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll add a little chain tool to my backpack along with a Missing Link for now. And it makes sense about running a shorter chain as a stop gap if necessary to get off the trail. Lucky for me, I had done most of the climbing already, and was able to coast back down and off the trail.

 

[rover67]

What tools do people use, I like this one. The chain tool works well:

https://www.crankbrothers.com/tools_M19

 

[DaveInDenver]

What tools do people use, I like this one. The chain tool works well:

https://www.crankbrothers.com/tools_M19

I carry the Pedro's. http://pedros.com/products/toolsfor-the-ride/rxm-multi-tool/

At home it's a Park CT-3. Naturally.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Belt drive hanging in there through all the spring mud and the first race so far. It's only got about 40 hours (call it 350ish miles) on it, though about 5 hours (about 34 miles, 2 laps with an extended fuel stop between) of those were with rain and moon dust goo being ground in to it this weekend down in Cortez. Maintenance so far is nil. It was pretty squeaky for about one lap, right after the hail and hard rain. Which was odd because everything I've heard is that they get noisy when they dry out and the fix is to squirt water on it. Shrug. I didn't do anything and eventually just realized it was quiet again.

Also seem to be getting most of the travel out of my forks, which are also still brand new and breaking in.

 

[aprosise]

Nice!