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Busted! Chain Blowout

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Old 04-23-19, 01:32 AM
  #1  
allout1
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Busted! Chain Blowout



Right while I was in action. I was pushing the envelope, hard railing the curbs, navigating the cars and corners...then boom! Nothing. I looked down at the bike ike wtw, and \"chain's gone." I started laughing. People looking. I thought I completely blew the metro moment, but I blew a chain. So walking bike back two miles after that. Lol
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Old 04-23-19, 03:09 AM
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DustyBF
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I hate when the chain breaks... It's a common problem I think
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Old 04-23-19, 04:36 AM
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Did you manual and then leave skid marks?
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Old 04-23-19, 04:45 AM
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I thought it was a belt drive for a second, those are some long shadows. I have never broken a chain before, but not for lack of trying.

Were you shifting when the chain broke, or just powering along? City riding is great, probably the closest thing to combat any of us will ever experience. When done with just the right level of animal aggression, you don't even need to think, just react.

Curious though, did you just leave the chain in the street? That would have been the macho thing to do.
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Old 04-23-19, 04:59 AM
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Did it break at the break away pin?

I've never broken a chain. Not even on our tandems.
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Old 04-23-19, 05:01 AM
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GrainBrain
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
I thought it was a belt drive for a second, those are some long shadows. I have never broken a chain before, but not for lack of trying.
Yeah I had to stare for a second as well. Loooong shadows!
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Old 04-23-19, 05:02 AM
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My wife can and I were riding our tandem,with 4 panniers,up hill when our chain broke! That was exciting!!
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Old 04-23-19, 05:26 AM
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Have to respect the level of commitment, regardless of the goal.
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Old 04-23-19, 05:37 AM
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If you carried a chain tool, you'd just remove the remains of the broken link, reattach the chain and ride home (slowly, maybe). Easy-peasy!
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Old 04-23-19, 05:41 AM
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I rode across the country fully loaded with a dozen other people. That represented more than 44,000 bike miles. Not one chain problem.
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Old 04-23-19, 06:02 AM
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Time for a spare chain in the bike bag?

I can't tell from the photo, is the break where the master link mounted?
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Old 04-23-19, 06:35 AM
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Looks like the chain is too short for that bike by about a third. Not surprising there were issues. Of course that particular chain and bike may have been for "illustrative purposes only."
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Old 04-23-19, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by GrainBrain
Yeah I had to stare for a second as well. Loooong shadows!

Yes, what an optical illusion!
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Old 04-23-19, 06:40 AM
  #14  
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I have broken a chain or two in 30 years. It's a greatly over-rated experience. One time I was climbing one of Colorado Springs' steep hills. That bike did not have high top tube; but if it did...
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Old 04-23-19, 06:46 AM
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Originally Posted by sweeks
If you carried a chain tool, you'd just remove the remains of the broken link, reattach the chain and ride home (slowly, maybe). Easy-peasy!
I used to carry a short piece of bailing wire in my seat bag, for emergency chain repairs, but never needed it.
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Old 04-23-19, 06:59 AM
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eja_ bottecchia
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
I thought it was a belt drive for a second, those are some long shadows. I have never broken a chain before, but not for lack of trying.

Were you shifting when the chain broke, or just powering along? City riding is great, probably the closest thing to combat any of us will ever experience. When done with just the right level of animal aggression, you don't even need to think, just react.

Curious though, did you just leave the chain in the street? That would have been the macho thing to do.
Yeah, that’s a really interesting shot of the chain, I too also initially thought it was a belt drive.
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Old 04-23-19, 07:09 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by FiftySix
Time for a spare chain in the bike bag?
Or just a chain tool and a spare master link.
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Old 04-23-19, 07:34 AM
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Had you just installed that chain by any chance? Master link, or did you re-drive a pin?
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Old 04-23-19, 07:47 AM
  #19  
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I don’t think that we have had any threads about the wonders of shaft drive bicycles in a long time. No chain to break! In either meaning of the word.
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Old 04-23-19, 08:17 AM
  #20  
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Chain looks like old 5 speed. And rusty. Bike looks new. I smell troll
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Old 04-23-19, 08:29 AM
  #21  
FiftySix
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
Or just a chain tool and a spare master link.
Of course.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:38 AM
  #22  
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When .. you shift matters ... forcing the chain to move sideways under climbing tension force
is not beneficial..


particularly now that, in order to pack in more cogs in a limited space,
the chains had to be thinner and the pins flush..





....
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Old 04-23-19, 09:44 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by sweeks
If you carried a chain tool, you'd just remove the remains of the broken link, reattach the chain and ride home (slowly, maybe). Easy-peasy!
haha yup. I broke a chain (old & rusted) showing off in front of my kids. then I told them, "no worries I have a tool to fix that". embarrassed a 2nd time, that it wasn't in my bag
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Old 04-23-19, 09:46 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
When .. you shift matters ... forcing the chain to move sideways under climbing tension force
is not beneficial......
yup, under load, easier to drop the front derailer to the smaller chain ring than shift that rear derailer up to the taller gears
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Old 04-23-19, 11:13 AM
  #25  
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You can get a surge of momentum ahead , and that momentum can give you the momentary reduction of force

on the chain and that will help not blow out your chain pins ..

another option , on bike tours , is the double U turn.. cross the road , head down hill

get in the granny gear chainring , the U turn again and give the hill another go..


Reading the terrain ahead and getting prepared for the climb by getting in the rear ratio range before you need it

take advantage of the gear ratio overlaps by knowing where they are double shift

go to granny + a smaller cog , shift down further on the rear ..


Racing , you shift higher as you want to get to the top first and are willing to suffer
to gain that distance over your rivals..
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