Re: Broke A Chain!

02-08-2007, 04:44 AM

On Feb 5, 2:47 pm, Stephen Harding <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Riding in to work this morning I seemed to be getting a
> break from the weather. Although quite cold (around 0F
> I think, with a brisk wind allegedly putting wind chills
> down into the -teensF), the wind was from astern and I
> had virtually no wind chill effect.
>
> With the sun out, I was starting to sweat a bit as I
> headed up the hill towards Amherst center. Nearing the
> top, I down shifted and immediately had no gears at all!
>
> Looked down thinking the chain had come off the rings
> and noticed no chain at all! Walked back 15 feet and
> picked it up, hoping the masterlink was in place.
>
> It was (sort of).
>
> It's a SRAM PC48 chain of perhaps four years vintage.
> One half of the master link was still in the chain but
> the other half had only half of itself still in the chain.
> It had broken!
>
> I think this is the first time I've ever had a chain
> break on me.
>
> Walked into downtown Amherst to the local bike shop there
> only to find them closed. Must be shut down on Mondays
> during the winter, darn!
>
> Coasted down the other side of the hill and then walked
> the final half mile to my office.
>
> Bike stays in my nice warm office tonight instead of its
> normal frigid barn. Already ordered a new SRAM PC48 for
> it and will get a ride home via a coworker tonight.
>
> Will bring the bike back home via my "Global Warmer" later
> this week. Fortunately, I've got a reserve ice bike (with
> a PC48 chain that I guess I'd better look over closely!)
> to pedal until the new chain comes in from Performance.
>
> Wondered if a broken chain was anything the group found to
> be a common or rare event? Can you buy just replacement
> masterlinks from SRAM? Didn't see any on the Performance
> or Nashbar web pages.
>
> SMH

Decent bike shops have Sram links..gotta ask why you just didn't go to
the bike shop on Tuesday and buy a chain?

How many miles on that 4 yr old chain, BTW-'maybe' time for a new one
anyway.

02-08-2007, 05:42 AM

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> Decent bike shops have Sram links..gotta ask why you just didn't go to
> the bike shop on Tuesday and buy a chain?

Appears to be closed during the winters until noon.

More of an inconvenience to go back anyways. The
chain will be on my porch inside of a week and I've
got another bike in the meantime.

> How many miles on that 4 yr old chain, BTW-'maybe' time for a new one
> anyway.

Not lots. I use that particular bike only for my
occasional MTB forays and to have a bike if I travel
somewhere (it goes in the back of my truck) or when
I take a long weekend boating (it goes inside the boat
for runs to Martha's Vineyard or Block Island, etc.).

Otherwise, it's a "bad weather" winter bike: for snowy
icy days since it has studded knobby tires. So in short,
last year about 600 miles.

I believe I bought a new chain/cogset when I revived
this bike 4 years ago from its former dumpster queen
existence, so it's likely the cogset will have to be
replaced along with the chain. Will wait and see how
the chain sets in the cogs before deciding.

SMH