royphotog

I was riding today and when I shifted to the smaller chainring, the master link came off, as I did a little checking, I think I bought the wrong size chain last fall when I replaced the old one that broke on my 1979 Centenan that has been in the garage for more than 20 years. When I look back at the chain a got, the info says the chain was for a ten-speed, well, I had a ten-speed, so that's what I got. Now I believe that meant ten sprockets on the rear cog? So I think I will get me a new chain designed for a five-speed. Does that make since? That chain would be wider then the one I had designed for a 10 speed cassette?
I was having an issue with that chain getting caught in between the large and small chainring and it would make sense because a chain for a ten-speed cog would be thinner than one made for a five-speed, correct?

Koyote

The chain is matched to the number of cogs on the back...So, if you have five cogs, you need a five speed chain.

79pmooney

Yeah, a 1979 Centurion with 5 cogs in back needs a 3/32" 5/6-speed chain. I know KMC makes them. Others too but I am not up 5,6-speeds. It's been a few decades for me.

Memories. I assembled those Centurians two years earlier in Boston. Back when all "10-speeds" had chains that were simple, durable, required tools to both break and assemble and very rarely failed. (Higher math was needed to denote the number of speeds; you couldn't just count the cogs on your fingers.)

Ben

royphotog

Having ridden motorcycles for the last twenty years, and changed my own chains on them, I am used to having to rivet the chain in place with a chain tool. I thought bikles would have them also.

royphotog

Thanks for the info, a quick search for 3/32 5/6 speed chains on Amazon brings up some. Having ridden motorcycles for the last twenty years, and changed my own chains on them, I use a chain tool to rivit the side plate in place. I thought bikes would have them also.

dedhed

6-7-8 speed chain will be fine. Get one with a master link, still need a chain tool to shorten it as new chains are normally too long to fit numerous bike geometries.

Look into chain sizing like "big-big + links"

royphotog

ordered a KMC chain from Amazon, should be here Friday. 116 links, that's what the old one was and seamed to work well as far as the length goes.

dedhed

My guess is when the last one was installed they didn't have a chain tool and installed as received rather than optimizing the length.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair...-length-sizing

royphotog

actually the "they" was me. I counted the links on the old chain, which I believe was the original one that came with the bike. (I bought it new in 1979)

79pmooney

Bicycle chains were, for many years, just like motorcycle chains, just smaller. But then the "need" for more and more cogs mean that chains got thinner and thinner. The old chains had a real amount of excess pin beyond the plate making the riveting simple. But when the cogs got to 9, the chain makers went to pins that were flush with the outside of the plate. The pins were peened to secure them. That means a pin driven out enlarges the hole, A re-rivet is no longer secure. Hence the need for quick links.

The chain you are getting will be the old-school. I'm betting it comes with a quick link simply because the world now expects them but your chain can be re-riveted just as you are used to. (The quick links work very well. If you use it, a great help is the Park tool for pushing the surrounding links together. I forget what they are called but it is easy to find. And I say "quick link". It is a tradename. There are several different links. They all work. The Park tool isn't required for any of them but it makes all of them easy to deal with.)

Ben

royphotog

Interesting, and yes, the one I ordered comes with a master link, it sounds like its like the quick link. I saw the Park Tool video and using the tool that looks a lot like a pair of snap ring pliers that I do have.

tgot 

It's worth actually reading the directions. I've been using 8-speed chains with quick links where the plates are squeezed towards each other, as the ends are moved in, to release the plates.

I needed to take off the chain after using it a year, and fought those #$&@*"&#$**! for a half hour or more, including with needle nose pliers, before going online and reading the directions.

Pop N Wood

I use KMC chains on all my 8 speed and under bikes. KMC Z51 is the one I like best. KMC chains come with a master link that is reliable and solid.

It doesn't really hurt anything to use a 10 speed chain on a 5 speed rear cog bike. I mix and match drivetrain parts all the time. don't try and go the other way or you can have shifting issues.

You probably just got a bum chain or didn't seat it well. some times the master links wear out as well

oldnslo

Quoting from kmchain faq site:HOW MANY TIMES CAN THE MISSING LINK BE USED?
The Missing Link on chain models X11SL and X11L can not be reused. All other Missing Links can be reused between 2-3 times per life cycle of the chain. If you purchase a replacement chain, the used Missing Link should not be reused and is not interchangeable. Missing Links offer riders ease of maintenance and quick chain replacement when there is an emergency on the road or trail.

JanMM

Can't even remember how long since I last used a chain tool to connect ends of a chain on any of my bikes. 15 years? Have only used quick links for a long time. I did start carrying a Park mini chain tool a few years ago "just in case" and have used it once to help a women on a club ride whose chain had been dumped/jammed beyond use. Was able to remove bent links and reconnect what was left so she could continue the ride. Shifting cautiously.
Still living in 9-speed world so not too concerned about reusing quick links - at least until a chain is replaced with a new one.

dedhed

royphotog

I received the chain today from amazon, a day early, (that has been happening lately) A KMC X8.99 1/2 X 3/32 definitely wider than the chain that was on it (the 10-speed chain that would get caught between the chainrings if I didn't shift all the way-compressing shifting on that bike ) 116 Links, tested it based on that Park Tool video and all seems to be good. I'll take it out tomorrow and see. Thanks for all the help.

royphotog

brilliant,