London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

You can use a chain tool to loosen tight links- I can't think of a way to explain it, but you can. Someone who knows what they're doing can show you, this means pretty much anyone who has used a the tool before. I would but I'm not in London.

Perhaps it suffered an impact at some point. Could be manufacturing fault but they're not typical.

Carefully. The Parktools website probably has a reliable tutorial.

I've never had a chain snap except at the link where I've badly installed it so maybe you're just unlucky and bought a chain with a fault? There may be no more explanation that that.

At a glance, this looks okay:
I found using a chain tool to be a bitch at first, mainly because I was impatient and pushed plenty of pins right out of the rear plates. So don't be impatient.

i was looking at that the other day. it goes on for ages and ages, incorporating numerous diagrams and photos, and words i have never heard of, like 'peening'...

if you look at the article on chain sizing it has stupidly long equations. anyway you basically need to be a genius to install a chain...

Any decent chain store...

^It's Jimmy cunting Tarbuck.

That's right, pick on the scouser.

Seriously, do...

Despite having the most 531 psychedelic experience ever on 5 hot-from-the-lab Californian-dose tabs of acid in Toxteth, I don't miss the place.

Still got deh accent doh...

eh? just get some chains ffs and practice....does no one fucking do that anymore????

No, they practise (v).

when did platini change identity?

I've been subbing Platini's shit since '07.

Fixed.

o.k cool, more pointless but really ace cutting sarcasm then please, keep the edge on things.thanks. no really.thanks I mean it so much.

Tbh, you're setting tonight's sarcasm bar a little high there...

only thing making me laugh, apart from godzilla legs here snapping chains like cotton or some shit

You have no idea how hard this made me laugh.
Just to help you out though; very hard.

Chaids

(Chain AIDs)

Never rule it out.

nice ball pasting there, probably the reason why he threw it away :p. OUCH!

Could just be a shit chain, are you riding brakeless?

When I was riding brakeless on my old bike, I put a SRAM PC-1 (I think thats the name) on my bike, and my god what a piece of shit, within a week a whole load of rollers dis-integrated and the thing basically just fell off of my bike.....and I have installed broken/changed countless chains in my lifetime.

I've never had a chain snap, that because i was taught how to split and re-connect chains properly.

I take it that this doesn't belong to you?

Yeah I had one of these last year, pretty pathetic little chains.

Mf, that's gold.

It went under too much stress, it couldn't take it anymore, it just snapped.

You are bad to your bike, give it more tender loving care. (TLC)

:)

My chain snapped today, it was going to happen soon though, i could tell but i did not do anything about it. Can anyone recommend a good chain, I can get hold of a half link bmx chain, will that work on a track bike?

a £5 BMX chain will be plenty strong, no need to spend big bucks on a chain.

Sweet

KMC is the answer, what's the question?

Izumi Supertoughness Track chain

Bear in mind that the lower the Gear Inches, the more force you can put through the chain with your legs. Therefore a mountain bike or a loaded touring bike (with a granny gear) needs a stronger chain than your average fixed gear. So any normal bicycle chain which works for these should be strong enough, no need for super tough or wide ones unless you like how they look. or you are grinding it on rails or over rocks I guess.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#chain

edit: ok just realised this thread is old...

kmc devil101 FTW

Raggin it over Waterloo Bridge this morning, crackin noise, 2 secs later my legs were going round like Roadrunner! Chain snapped - well, pin popped out :-(

Luckily it was on the flat and not goin downhill, had to take a few mm's off the heels of my Vans

NJS my arse! :-(

In my experience chains only snap due to being fouled, i.e. something gets caught in them, or installation error.

It was a HKK Vertex, one of the ones with a screw in pin and squared off washer. Strange really, as never happened before and been using them for 3 years

I was riding along today as a van passed me, so I gave it some beans and tucked in behind. Next thing I know my thighs are up on the handlebars and my chain has snapped. Managed to stay on, but it was a bit unnerving. First ever snapped chains. Thighs of steel...

I have a taya chain on my road bike, seems to be good quality and has not snapped.

chains don't snap, c'mon, who told you all porky pies.

You can wear one out till it snaps, but it only really happens on derailieur bike I think. Ive snapped two chains across the plate (not the pins) like this. But they were heavily used and on geared MTB's.

This was on my tourer with XT MTB transmission.

Why is my chain snapping?

Bought a mongoose maurice a couple of months ago and have done 750 miles on it since. The bike is set-up or single speed not fixed.

The other week the chain snapped whilst under pressure, sat down going up a hill.

Replaced the chain and it snapped again today cuasing me to go over the handle bars.

Looking at the chain one of the links has actually teared into two.

Are single speed bikes more prone to snapping chains? I'm only 12 stone so i've not got chris hoy legs or anything.

Check your chain alignment, if it is off, it'll damage your chain.
It shouldn't be off unless you have changed your chainset/wheelset so bring it back to the shop if it is still under warranty.

In my limited experience, you've properly not got the tension correct. Either being too tight or too loose will affect the chains strength. Either that or it's just a shitey chain...

there's a lots less chain snappage with singlespeed.

if you brought it a couple months ago, the shop should replaced the chain, as it's clearly a poor installation/step up/defect.