Got a chain reaction nightmare at the Seattle group ride last weekend

I was doing a quick chain swap for a dude at the Sunday morning shop ride near Gasworks Park and the master link snapped halfway through. The whole thing wrapped around his cassette and took out a derailleur pulley in like 2 seconds lol. Now I always double-check those quick links with a chain tool before I send anyone out. Has anyone else had a brand new link fail on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason7981mo ago

Yeah man that exact thing happened to me last spring on a group gravel ride. I started bringing a spare quick link and a small chain tool in my jersey pocket after that. I also started giving every quick link a firm tug with my hands before I even roll the bike out of the stand. Seems like some brands just have bad batches where the plate doesn't seat all the way.

ivanl761mo ago

That's solid advice about checking the link before you ride. I got burned once on a century ride and now I do the same thing, but I also carry a pair of those tiny pliers that fold up. They make seating the link way easier if your hands are sweaty or cold. What brand of quick links have you had the best luck with? I've swapped to KMC ones and haven't had a failure since.