KMC Chain link

[Matt2matt2002]

Hello folks.
A question about chain links today.
On a previous Dawes bike I had a 'power-link' that allowed me to squeeze the link together and release the 2 parts of the chain.
Nice n easy. I liked it a lot.

On my Raven I have an old KMC chain. Nothing wrong with it apart from being very slack.
I know they should be run on the slack side of things but I have adjusted the EBB to the limit and the chain looks as if it could jump off.
(In fact when I went by bus from Aberdeen to Inverness a few weeks ago, when I removed the bike from laying on it's side in the baggage section, the chain had come off. Easy to put back on with no EBB adjustment required.)

With an up-coming tour planed I thought I would splash out on a new chain. Decided to go for the KMC X1.
I also like to know how old all the bits on my bike are - so when a new piece goes on, I log it and keep the data.

I looked at SJS and ebay.
I found an ebay seller with 6,000 plus positive reviews and went with him, saving £5+

Here's the situation.
No problems with the chain itself or service - quick delivery.
However the link does not click together like the link I had on my old bike.
I have not put the new chain on yet since I want to be confident of the link working.

On the side of the link is stamped: KMC 28 or 23 and CL 573 or CL 673





The second picture shows the pin as far across into it's slot as it will go.
No ammount of pushing and pulling will get it into its intended final resting place.

Do I need a tool? I think I have seen one but don't really want to carry one around with me.

I broke a chain once on tour and was lucky to find someone near-by who could re-join it.

Am I being a bit paranoid about wanting a 'quick link'?

I guess I don't make a habit of removing chains.

If this link is going to be semi permanent, what link do I need to buy for a quick link solution?

The chain spec. said 3/32"

[rualexander]

Fit the chain to your bike, once you put in a couple of pedal strokes the link should bed itself fully into position.

[John Saxby]

Matt, I've used SRAM Power-links, similar in design & appearance to the KMC item you show.

When I bought my KMC 8-99 chain from starbike in Germany, they sold me the SRAM link & that's on my Raven now.  I've used the SRAM item on shimano chains as well, for my derailleur bike.

I should think SRAM links are widely available in UK, but I don't know that. 

Rual's advice on a couple of pedal strokes to snap it together also seems sound.  Usually (but obviously not always) one can make the snap connection by hand pressure.  I do remember opening one SRAM link, to find that one side did not match the other--can't recall exactly what the problem was, but I seem to remember that one side did not have the required pear-shaped cutout, so wouldn't mate with t'other side.  Luckily, I'd bought two links because they were cheap, and the 2nd one was OK.

Good luck in any case,

John

[Andre Jute]

Fit the chain to your bike, once you put in a couple of pedal strokes the link should bed itself fully into position.

This usually does it if a good steady pull doesn't. But then the worry becomes getting it off again. The tool is hefty.

[Matt2matt2002]

Thanks folks.
I tracked down the KMC info on the link and they recommend their tool.
I guess they would!
I know its rare but I want to be able to tackle any chain issue away from home.
Like you say, I could get it on but without the tool I won't be able to get it off.
I think I'll  look for a removable link.
I can feel a call to SJS coming on for Monday.
Matt

[rualexander]

If field maintenance is important, why not just get a normal simple chain that you can use a chain rivet tool on?
That's an advantage of a Rohloff, you can use simple chains rather than the narrow special chains of 9, 10, 11 speed derailleur systems.

[il padrone]

The Wipperman link is a much easier thing to remove - just rotate the link to 90* and it will slide across.

[David Simpson]

I have the KMC X1 chain on my Nomad.  There are two tools: one for closing the link, and one for opening the link.  You don't the tool to close the link.  As others have mentioned, just ride a bit, and it will close by itself.  However, I find that the opening tool is very useful.  It makes it very easy to open the link.

Here are the links to the tools at SJS:
Closing tool: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/kmc-missing-link-connector-pliers-prod24766/
Opening tool: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/kmc-missing-link-remover-pliers-prod24767/

- Dave

[Andre Jute]

Bloody awful to have to carry a hefty tool to remove a link that supposedly was designed to obviate the need for a (usually) lighter tool.

Matt, I have one of those tools because my hands are soft, but I don't carry it. In 7000km with a Rohloff and Schwalbe tyres, I've never once had a need to remove a chain except for a planned replacement in the comfort of my workshop. As has been mentioned, some quick links are better than others, though I haven't found the Wippermans or the SRAMS any less obstructive than those from KMC; quite the contrary in fact; I use the KMC links.

There is another reason for using these quick links. It is that removing the pin with a chainbreaker and then "rivetting" it over again weakens the link. There is less metal on modern chains, so the weakening effect is magnified. The least messing around with the chain that you can get away with is the best messing around with the chain.

[David Simpson]

Bloody awful to have to carry a hefty tool to remove a link that supposedly was designed to obviate the need for a (usually) lighter tool.

Andre, are we talking about the same tool?  I wouldn't call it hefty. It's about the same size and weight (and shape, for that matter) as a small wire stripper.  About the same size as, but lighter than, small pliers.

If I was going on a tour, I'm not sure that I would bring them, since removing a chain is something that you rarely need to do.  However, I've never done a long tour, so I can't say what kinds of maintenance problems arise on such a trip.

- Dave

[Matt2matt2002]

I have the KMC X1 chain on my Nomad.  There are two tools: one for closing the link, and one for opening the link.  You don't the tool to close the link.  As others have mentioned, just ride a bit, and it will close by itself.  However, I find that the opening tool is very useful.  It makes it very easy to open the link.

Here are the links to the tools at SJS:
Closing tool: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/kmc-missing-link-connector-pliers-prod24766/
Opening tool: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/kmc-missing-link-remover-pliers-prod24767/

- Dave

Thanks Dave.


I thought there would be a tool for the job and hoped it would be 1 tool.
You have linked 2 tools.
On the first one - red handles £8.99 part 24766 - the main description is Connector - but lower down the description reads
Pliers for the removal of joining links.

The black handled ones - part 24767 £9.99 say Remover and removal.

Any thoughts? Is it a typo error at SJS - or is it me?

Thanks
Matt

Ps - I guess this question has come about because I broke a chain, fully loaded on tour (standing on the pedals!!) and was lucky to find a work-shop near-by to I could carry on.
As has been pointed out - they rarely need attention.

[Donerol]

Ps - I guess this question has come about because I broke a chain, fully loaded on tour (standing on the pedals!!) and was lucky to find a work-shop near-by to I could carry on.
As has been pointed out - they rarely need attention.

Surely if you break a chain like that, you need a traditional tool to remove the broken link anyway? Then use a quick link to rejoin, with pedal pressure closing the link if necessary. Are you actually going to have to remove a chain on tour? 

I learnt this trick from the CTC:

‘Have the chain on your largest chainwheel, with the quick-link to the front of it. Hold the crank and pull the lower length of chain forward one tooth on the chainwheel. Move the one tooth’s- worth of slack up and around the teeth, so that the quick-link and one other link form a sticking-out V. Tap the point of the V sharply with a something hard and heavy (a hammer is ideal but a rock will do) and the quick-link will slide open ...’
http://www.ctc.org.uk/file/member/201107050_0.pdf

With a Rohloff you would have to drop the back wheel out first to get enough slack but that is straightforward.

[David Simpson]

On the first one - red handles £8.99 part 24766 - the main description is Connector - but lower down the description reads
Pliers for the removal of joining links.

The black handled ones - part 24767 £9.99 say Remover and removal.

Any thoughts? Is it a typo error at SJS - or is it me?

It looks like a typo error.  You can tell the purpose of the tool by looking at the shape of the "business end" of the tool: the curved part pushes against the chain rollers. The removing tool has the curved parts on the inside, for pushing the links together. The connecting tool as the curved parts on the outside, for pushing the links apart.

The removing tool works like pliers or scissors. When you squeeze the handle, the "business end" squeezes together. The connection tool works in the opposite manner. When you squeeze, the "business end" separates.

After thinking about it for a while (and reading the other advice on this thread), I agree that the connecting tool is not required, the removal tool is a workshop (not touring) tool, and a regular chain breaking tool is probably required for a tour anyway.

- Dave

[Matt2matt2002]

Thanks Dave.
Good points. I see what you are saying.
I always carry a wee chain breaker.
Let's hope I never have to use it!

Thanks to everyone else for there input.

Matt

[martinf]

I gave up on quick links after having them come apart while riding, twice, on different bikes. The links may have been from the same (faulty?) batch, so perhaps not typical experience.

Even before these incidents, I wasn't really convinced by quick links. When I used them (in general to remove and clean a very dirty chain on a derailleur bike), this was often difficult with all the gritty muck on the chain, and required the use of pliers, which I don't usually carry in my touring tool kit. And when cutting a new chain to length, a chain breaker/joiner is required anyway.

So for touring, I carry a small chain breaker/joiner. And for use at home, I invested in a Rohloff chain tool that is supposed to give a stronger joint when joining chains. According to my local bikeshop, it is OK to join most chains with a good chain tool, problems are most likely with the very narrow chains used for 10/11 speed. The narrowest chain I use is 8-speed.

Incidentally, I now use Chaingliders on 3 of my bikes, this reduces the need to remove/refit chains as they stay cleaner and last longer.