First snapped chain. Question.

[Paul_L]

Steep hill, felt chain jumping as if it wasn't finding the gear and then, snap, pedals spinning and the chain dangling behind me. Just managed to avert the accompanying clipless moment too!

Fortunately the several practive sessions on an old chain with my chain tool proved dividends and i was on my way in 10 mins with a chain 2 links shorter.

Should i replace the missing links or will the chain be ok in it's new shorter version?

 

[monnet]

If it's snapped it's probably time for a new one.

 

[Tigerbiten]

As long as you can shift it onto the big chainring and the big sprocket at the same time then the chain length is fine.
If you cannot shift it to that combo because the chain is to short then the risk is that you change it to that by accident and snap something.

BUT ............
I would get a new chain.
If one link has snapped then you may well have a bad chain with other weak links.
I would take it off the bike, clean it well and check every single link for damage, look for cracks in the side plates where the rivets are.
The one time a chain snapped on me, I found a couple of other links that where going when I checked it.

 

[fossyant]

New chain time !!!!

 

[Paul_L]

is it really worthy of a new chain? The bike is 3yo and this chain is just a year old. Looking at my records, it's done about 1450miles.

I'm not saying you're wrong as i don't have the knowledge. Just surprised as I'd have hoped for longer than a year for a chain.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I've had to replace a chain on my trek 1.2a with barely 800 miles on it.
Whilst cleaning the chain one day i noticed a cracked link (bit of a lucky find) so fitted a new chain.

I think changing gear "under power" does far more damage than thousands of miles on the same sprockets,
especially those "accidental" crunch-clank changes that we all do accidently while going up hills.

 

[HLaB]

Steep hill, felt chain jumping as if it wasn't finding the gear and then, snap, pedals spinning and the chain dangling behind me. Just managed to avert the accompanying clipless moment too!

Fortunately the several practive sessions on an old chain with my chain tool proved dividends and i was on my way in 10 mins with a chain 2 links shorter.

Should i replace the missing links or will the chain be ok in it's new shorter version?

It'll quite quickly snap in other locations so you'll need to replace it and probably your cassette too. Furthermore unless the chain was too long before it wont easily go into the lowest gears and if you go into them by mistake you could snag up and ripped your derailleur off!

 

[Blue]

is it really worthy of a new chain? The bike is 3yo and this chain is just a year old. Looking at my records, it's done about 1450miles.

I'm not saying you're wrong as i don't have the knowledge. Just surprised as I'd have hoped for longer than a year for a chain.

How long a chain will last is heavily dependent upon how well you maintain it and whether its a 9/10/11 speed (higher number or cogs means a thinner chain).

 

[Silver Fox]

I had a chain snap on me in the summer. I replaced it with a new one and all seemed fine until a few rides later I started to get chain suck on climbs. Due to different levels of wear the inner front chain ring wasn't releasing the chain under load and was 'sucking' it back on itself causing an instant loss of drive. I fitted a new inner ring and all was sweet from then.

 

[Arjimlad]

New chain would be my choice. I had this whilst grinding away uphill in a low gear, one side of a link snapped, jammed & ripped out the derailleur, chain jammed in the cassette and the derailleur bent some spokes. A long walk to work that day and some helpful colleagues driving me to the bike shop in lunch break !

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

New chain, no question about it!

When you think about how vital a sound chain is compared to the cost of a new one (and the damage a knackered one could do) then the benefit of risking an old chain is negligible.

One year/1500 miles is not unreasonable, it depends on how clean you keep it.

While you're shopping, get yourself something like this, it'll take the guesswork out of future decisions.

 

[Paul_L]

[QUOTE 1675363, member: 9609"]I am curious, in what way did it snap, any pictures of the failed link - did the side plates buckle outwards or was there a definitive shearing of metal.[/quote]

Don't have any photos but the outer link on the failed one had splayed outwards

 

[Cubist]

[QUOTE 1675385, member: 9609"]Would you have any idea if that was the link where the chain was originally joined ?

I wonder why it failed, may be the pin was not entirely central or had not made it entirely through the outer plate - I guess we will never know but there is always a reason why something fails.

I have been meaning to carry a chain repair tool for a long time, I never get round to it, may be your experience will get me to put one in my saddle bag![/quote]
I was going to make the same hypothesis. I hate shimano pins, I tend to junk the pin and fit a powerlink.

Onlyu thing is, do SRAM powerlinks fit Shimano chains?

 

[Paul_L]

[QUOTE 1675385, member: 9609"]Would you have any idea if that was the link where the chain was originally joined ?

[/quote]

No way of knowing sadly.

I've ordered a new chain anyway now.

Yes, definately worth having a chain tool. I'd have been well and truely buggered without one on sunday, 20 miles from home.

 

[jugglingphil]

I've had one snap on me, horrible feeling, luckily I didn't have to push it too far home.
I rode the temporarily shorten chain for a short time before replacing the chain and cassette (on inspection they were pretty worn).