Broke down a 10-speed chain in about 90 seconds with a new method I read about

I was over on the Park Tool site reading about chain maintenance and saw a tip about using a quick link pliers to pop the master link instead of fumbling with the chain tool. I gave it a try on a SRAM chain from a 2018 bike that was gummed up. The pliers made it so easy to get the link open and closed without bending the plates. Has anyone else found a tool that simplified a common job way more than you expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethhernandez27d ago

Pretty sure I've been breaking chains my way for 20 years and never had an issue. Is saving a minute really worth buying another tool?

skylerrobinson26d ago

I used to say the same thing for about 15 years with my old worn out chain tool. Then I snapped a pin on a 72 link chain halfway through a job and spent 45 minutes trying to fix it with a hammer and punch. That one minute save turned into a lost afternoon and a trip to the hardware store for a new tool anyway.

davis.adam24d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy Mike used to brag that he could do a chain replacement with just a punch and a hammer, swore it was faster than messing with a tool. He was out on a Saturday ride, trail was muddy, chain snapped on a 25 mile loop. Spent over an hour on the side of the trail, hammering away, finally bent the punch and cut his hand on a broken link. Had to call his wife to come pick him up, bike was trashed, and he bought a proper chain tool the next day. Sometimes you learn the hard way that a good tool is cheaper than your time and a ride home.