What is the difference between the shimano replacement chain pins with 3 grooves (on the break away part) vs 2 grooves (also on the break away part)? Previously, when I had 9 speed stuff, I thought the 2 groove was for 9 speed. But today, I bought an ultegra 10 speed chain and it came with a 2 groove pin. The kicker is, the outside of the box showed either 2 or 3 groove, but the directions showed only 3? Also, did you know that you can put the chain on backwards (no shittin you)? I’ve been putting on chains for years and never read the directions - E
I was an idiot and didn’t know you needed the pins. When I cleaned out my chain, I tried to replace it with the same pin and it totally messed up the link. I ended up just getting a Crank Bros. quick link. Now I don’t have to drop the dough and those silly links again.
Use SRAM chains for 9 speed. There is no wrong way to put them on and they are easy to take on and off for cleaning.
Mavic makes (actually Connex makes it…) a great 10 speed chain that only retails for about $40. Same quality, just a lot cheaper.
Shimano chains have a nasty habit of breaking if installed incorrectly. The idea of a push through replacement pin is archaic and easy to do wrong, even for a seasoned mechanic. The fact that the chain can be put on “backwards” is yet another reason to look to other chain manufacturers. I have wondered about the grooves myself, but as they are on the breakaway piece I can’t see that they have any real purpose… Perhaps something to do with manufacturing??
We were interested to see lately that many bikes coming from Trek with Shimano OEM chains now have a KMC chain quicklink installed! Guess Trek didin’t want to mess around with the pins either!
Yes you can put shimano 10 spd chains on backwards. There are two types of shimaono 10spd pins… 2 groove and three groove. the two groove should be used with two groove chains (earlier production, i believe) and three groove with three groove (later production).
Of course, you could bypass all this crap and buy a $5 reusable SRAM 10spd powerlink.
I thought the 10sp SRAM connector was NOT reusable, unlike their 9sp stuff.
I wonder why the 9 speed sram chains are half the price of the 10 speed? The 9 speed powerlink is technically removable, but it’s a pain if you don’t have some special pliers or something else. I personally bring a 6 inch length of safety wire in my mountain bike camelbak. To remove the powerlink, find a smallish twig and wrap the safety wire around both of the rollers on the powerlink. Start twisting the safety wire with the twig which puts a compressive force between the rollers which pops the powerlink off. It works like a charm and there was no problem snapping it back into position. I definitely carry three extra links of chain and an extra powerlink for peace of mind. I’ve saved myself and others from serious back country trekking.
Back to 10 speed stuff. Does SRAM even sell the 10 sp powerlink seperately? - E
yeah, the sram ‘powerlock’ link is attachable by hand, but it is a one-time use.
you can put that chain on the bike, but that’s it.
That’s what I thought, thus my question. I haven’t used one personally though…
see my post above! the powerlink is multi use if you have the right tools. I just reused one with success while converting a bike from standard to compact cranks where I needed to remove 2 links (It was on 10sp) - E
I’ve been quite dissapointed with all wipperman/connex chain links. I do not have much experience with their chains or other products, but their “10spd” power links are too wide for campy, SRAM, or SHimano dirvetrains AND tehy have play in them. If there is no real engagement or click between halves, I would personally prefer otherwise. Throw the SRAM one in there. My single speed chain is mostly 9spd powerlinks and is holding up just fine.
According to SRAM, they are not… I suppose I shouldn’t give bad advice online like that, but I still safe and warm at night even knowing that I’ve reassembled mine a few times. I am currently running 4 10spd sram powerlinks on two bikes and each one has been reassemled at least once and all are woking perfectly.
Which SRAM 9 speed chain do you like?
jaretj
You should be able to get sram powerlinks apart by hand except for 10spd. Squeeze the two halves together (as the chain sits on a bike, from the left and right, relative to the bike) then slide the two halves along their grooves. Dirt makes this more difficult, but dinking around with it for a little bit will get the dirt out and you’ll eventually be able to slide them apart.
SRAM is now just recently selling the 10spd powerlinks seperately. They have to… how else are you going to reassemble your chain after a cleaning? (without breaking that pesky “one time use” powerlink rule)
The Connex 10sp links work great on Shimano drivetrains for me…you just have to have the Shimano version and also make sure you don’t put the link backwards.
This thread is starting to worry me. With a chain that does not have a “power link” of some kind, I have been pushing a pin partially through in order to take the chain off and then I put the chain back on and push the pin back in. Give it a twist and good to go.
And I always reuse my “power links”.
As for putting a chain on backwards, WTF?! Does anyone know which way is up?
I’d get a new chain, and soon. Chains are cheap, relative to the accident that could result from a broken chain. If you have never broken a chain, this is what happens. It usually happens when you are near peak power output (sprinting, climbing, leaving a stop light). Now you you pushing down hard while pulling on the bars to counteract the downward push, and all of the sudden there is no resistance to your legs. All that downward pull of your body has to go somewhere, and it goes into throwing you over your handlebars. If you are lucky, you will catch yourself and not fall. The one time it happened to me I did not fall but wish I did instead of what happened. I was on a mountain bike, and my knee hit the cantilever brake. This severly bruised my patella tendon. I could not ride a bike or run for about 3 weeks, and it still occaissionally flares up with tendonitis.
So replace the chain, just to be safe…
Paul