Removing chain for cleaning?

[EasyPeez]

Pull a full 50% of the chain through the cage plate and then grasping both ends lift it up to clear the chainring teeth.
Shift the front derailleur into the smallest chainring position and then lay the chain upon it. Allowing the right side (frontward) tail to hang off the front of the chain ring under its own weight...
... thread the left (rearward) tail over the smallest sprocket, through the top of the rear mech and threaded onto to the jockey wheels.

Ace. I was trying to feed the chain up through the jockey wheels instead of down! Figured I'd need the chain ends to meet above the chainstays/coming out of the top of the sprocket in order to be able to join the ends effectively, but I guess there's no reason why I can't join the chain as it runs under rather than over.
Things like this come easy to some people, not to me!
Thanks for your help

 

[EasyPeez]

And no reason not to do this regularly? I wouldn't want to do it often if having to use a chain-breaker, but with a split link I guess any wear and tear could only affect the split link itself rather than any of the other links or rollers?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Get yourself one of these.

Brilliant bit of kit, saves a lot of faffing about.

 

[Tim Hall]

And no reason not to do this regularly? I wouldn't want to do it often if having to use a chain-breaker, but with a split link I guess any wear and tear could only affect the split link itself rather than any of the other links or rollers?

Split link definitely if you're doing it regularly IMO. 9 and 10 speed chains have peened rivets, according to @Yellow Saddle, so damage the side plates when a chain splitter is used, leaving the chain susceptible to breaking when loaded sideways (when you cock up a gear change for example).

 

[Racing roadkill]

Split link definitely if you're doing it regularly IMO. 9 and 10 speed chains have peened rivets, according to @Yellow Saddle, so damage the side plates when a chain splitter is used, leaving the chain susceptible to breaking when loaded sideways (when you cock up a gear change for example).

Hence the reason I always carry a spare couple of hotlinks on a ride.

 

[Profpointy]

Split link definitely if you're doing it regularly IMO. 9 and 10 speed chains have peened rivets, according to @Yellow Saddle, so damage the side plates when a chain splitter is used, leaving the chain susceptible to breaking when loaded sideways (when you cock up a gear change for example).

I can vouch for that. Only time I've ever broken a chain was just after removing it for cleaning. I'd also ignored the advice to use a new link admittedly

 

[Milkfloat]

Allegedly the 10 and 11 speed quick links should not be reused - but plenty of people do without the sky falling in.

 

[Pale Rider]

Some split links are marked 'one use' only.

I've reused them a couple of times, but as @Profpointy says, best advice is to use a new one each time.

Which might be another reason not to bother removing the chain to clean it.

 

[Profpointy]

Some split links are marked 'one use' only.

I've reused them a couple of times, but as @Profpointy says, best advice is to use a new one each time.

Which might be another reason not to bother removing the chain to clean it.

i should confess I didn't use a split link at all - just re-fitted the ordinary link link using the chain tool just like I used to do in the olden days. Maybe I should have believed the warnings in the manual

 

[raleighnut]

That's an idea. Maybe someone could write up a step by step procedure.

They could then even have the procedure named in their honour.

 

[Profpointy]

They could then even have the procedure named in their honour.

and then profess embarassment by such a name, just like Prof Higgs in another field

 

[Racing roadkill]

Allegedly the 10 and 11 speed quick links should not be reused - but plenty of people do without the sky falling in.

The last 10 speed hotlink that failed on a ride was one I'd reused about 3 or 4 times. It did start to creak before it failed, so it wasn't a great unexpected shock, when it finally let go. It was a 5 second roadside job to pop a replacement in, so no great shakes.

 

[EasyPeez]

Some split links are marked 'one use' only.

I've reused them a couple of times, but as @Profpointy says, best advice is to use a new one each time.

Which might be another reason not to bother removing the chain to clean it.

Fair enough. Oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but although a bit daft I'm certainly not daft enough tp use a new split link every time I clean the chain. I must admit to still being tempted to try taking one on and off with each clean, just as an experiment on one bike and see how it holds up.

 

[Darren Gregory]

Mickel method for me since buying my "proper bike" last year and it now needs replacing due to stretch.