KMC pliers - worth it or not?

[User]

 

[ianrauk]

I have a pair and they do undo the link in a second. Saves all the faffing about.

 

[potsy]

Faffing about?
Takes 5 seconds to get the links apart with your fingers

 

[theclaud]

[QUOTE 2946299, member: 259"]I'm going to replace two Shimano chains with KMC ones[/quote]

Would it be impertinent to ask why?

 

[simon.r]

Faffing about?
Takes 5 seconds to get the links apart with your fingers

Sometimes it takes me 5 minutes!

I don't have pliers, but only because I didn't know they existed. I will be buying them

 

[themosquitoking]

I've broken a KMC chain and un-broken it several times without them, sometimes it was easy other times more tricky. I'll probably get some this year.

 

[theclaud]

[QUOTE 2946328, member: 259"]No, not at all, my commuting bike's chain is in tatters and the the steel framed road bike one will need replacing soon. I can get a two-for-one deal for KMC ones and as far as I can tell "they" recommend switching. I'm into the KMC quicklink thing, but I've never actually needed to do it. What do you think?[/quote]

I think that SRAM chains are reliable and cheap and have the powerlink, and I've never needed to buy special pliers for them. I've only dabbled briefly in KMC chains but the special pliers do not imply confidence in the easy link system...

 

[ianrauk]

Faffing about?
Takes 5 seconds to get the links apart with your fingers

That's 4 more seconds which in my book is faffing about

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Mort I saw bike mechanic using that tool the other day, never knew they existed.
Tbh I would not buy it now, as I've acquired the knack of undoing the links.
The tool would have been useful the first couple of times "unlinking", then would have just sat in a drawer.

 

[ianrauk]

Chain link pliers are a cheap and easy addition to a Cyclists tool kit.

 

[potsy]

That's 4 more seconds which in my book is faffing about

By the time you've found your pliers I could have had it apart and a new one on

 

[ianrauk]

By the time you've found your pliers I could have had it apart and a new one on

Doubt it Pots...

 

[rb58]

I never really was consistently proficient undoing quick links by hand. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it took a few minutes of faffing. These make it so easy. Every time.

 

[PatrickPending]

i have a pair - not essential - can be done by hand - i needed to do thus on the road recently - but they will make things easier....

 

[accountantpete]

Not wanting to cart some pliers on every journey I use a bent-over spoke with two U bends on either side.

Helps if you can't get the thing open by hand.