SRAM Chain

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I come from the old school of chains, when you strip the bike down to clean the bike, the chain is always wrapped around the frame and the the rear mech and generally is a pain as it gets in the way etc. Anyway the last major service the chain was replaced, and it now had some gold link on it, which I never really took any notice of, just assumed that because it was not Shimano, there was some sort of cheap link that holds it together.

Well new chain needed and went to LBS, as I try to support them, plus I do love to wander around and look at all the stuff, so got a new chain which the guy recommended, a SRAM 9 Speed, good for around 2-3,000 miles, which for me is about 3 - 4 months of commuting.

Got it home, had a look, and it too had this gold link, and after reading the manual its a link that allows you to put the chain on and take it off by some clever design by pinching it together, rather than my old method of chain link tool and taking out the middle thing etc.

So after watching a you tube video, I was able to remove my old chain using this squeeze method in about 20 seconds, plus I replaced the new one in less than that after feeding through the mechanisms.

I was totally impressed at how simple it was yet so brilliant that removing the chain is so easy in the future to make service and maintenance easier. Plus the new chain runs so much smoother, a worn chain is such a gradual thing, but it was beginning to slip.

A great day and another skill learned on bike maintenance.

 

[ianrauk]

gotta love power links....

 

[Cheule]

Congratulations - I too recently got an SRAM chain and the PowerLink II has been a godsend.

Do you really commute about 200 miles a week?

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Congratulations - I too recently got an SRAM chain and the PowerLink II has been a godsend.

Do you really commute about 200 miles a week?

Nope I do 34 a day, 170 per week, so usually at least 20 commutes a month, unless I have holiday, so around 680 miles per month.

 

[Cheule]

Crikey I do about 32 a week. That's a lot of miles.

 

[Rob3rt]

I bought a SRAM (track) chain recently too, I threw the power link in the bin and put the chain on the normal way, with a chain tool.

 

[totallyfixed]

I bought a SRAM (track) chain recently too, I threw the power link in the bin and put the chain on the normal way, with a chain tool.

Why?

 

[Cheule]

I bought a SRAM (track) chain recently too, I threw the power link in the bin and put the chain on the normal way, with a chain tool.

Counter intuitive?

 

[Rob3rt]

It was not required at all, how often do you need to take the chain of your bike? Only when putting a new one on in my case. I didnt buy that chain for the split link, I just wanted a decent chain, it came with power link. I didnt need it so didnt use it. The chain is nice though.

It takes seconds to split a chain with a chain tool.

 

[mcshroom]

Nice thing to keip as a spare for on the road though, even if you don't use it for fitting the chain.

 

[Rob3rt]

I cant really envisage a situation that would require the removal of my chain on the road though (geared bikes may need to in some situations I gues) but the SRAM 10 spd power link, is it not a single use mechanism anyway unlike the KMC ones (this comment is based on something I spotted on another forum) so you would need to buy and carry extra's or a chain tool anyway?

 

[totallyfixed]

Nice thing to keip as a spare for on the road though, even if you don't use it for fitting the chain.

Absolutely, I have a collection of them and on 2 occasions it has saved someone a lot of hassle, so simple and effective to use, had them for years.

 

[mcshroom]

I was thinking of that rare occasion where the chain snaps and a link decides to ping off into the undergrowth. Power links are reusable, you can push them inwards and they will come apart again.

 

[Rob3rt]

Fair enough, might save a few seconds but I'm happy enough having a teensy chain tool and a couple of links of chain in my saddlebag.

 

[oliglynn]

Just switched to a powerlink on my chain after knackering one of the links with my chain tool... always found it a b*gger to get the chain back on, but with powerlink, no more! I take the chain off every week at the mo to give it a thorough clean and powerlink makes it so much quicker and easier to re-fit!