Originally Posted by
rower2cyclist
I have been doing these unsupported long solo rides (road) in the Northeast all the time and never needed to carry a chain breaker and quick link with me. I ride on the road all the time. Why should I? I mean I have never had any issue with my chain ever. I'm sincerely curious.
Chain breaker: Back in the Pre-Cell Phone Days, I had a rear derailleur cable break on a ride, 8 miles from home. All of a sudden, my only choice was 53x12 or 39x12. As it happens, there's no way to get from there to my house without at least a half mile long climb of about 6%, so that wouldn't work. So I broke the chain, shortened it, and rewrapped it as a single speed, 39x16 or so, and rode home.
Quick link: I had one break on me at the bottom of a hill - my fault, because I cheaped out and reused an old one when I replaced a chain, because some sneaky b****** had stolen the one from the package the new chain came in. I was only 2 miles from home, and I DID have a cell phone, so I made the Call Of Shame. If I'd had a spare quick link, I could have installed it and saved the call.
Note - I don't carry all that stuff anymore. Just two tubes and a pump. But my wife is willing to come pick me up if I have a problem, and I'm more fastidious about maintenance these days. And the OP is obviously concerned about having his bases covered.