so 9 and 10 speed KMC links are reuseable, but 11 speed are 'single use'!
has anyone tried reusing an 11sp KMC link? Will it fail to work properly after the first time of joining and splitting?
Non-reusable master links differ from reusable ones in that a little notch on the sideplate, where the pin lodges, is slightly flattened when undoing the link. On reusable links this notch is also present but the pin's groove can jump the notch when the plates are squeezed together, as they should.
The absence of this notch or, the presence of a damaged notch, does not make the link weaker. It just makes it more likely to come undone. Even this is very hard to do since the chain has to receive both a compressive force on that link and a sideways force. This is very, very unlikely but can happen if your freewheel is slightly sticky and tends to throw the chain forward and, you change gears at the same time. It is almost as unlikely as winning the lotto.
What most people don't know is that using one of those quick link plier tools destroys all quick links, including reusable ones. The only way to safely use a link pliers is to squeeze the two side plates together before apply force to the pliers. This always takes a bit of skin off your fingers and means you did it right.
Hands up how many of you use your tool correctly? I don't do double entendres so don't read anything into this.
