Just spoken a someone in a Lakes bike shop about split links for Shimano chains…
Reckons 11 speed SRAM and kmc quick links will break on an 11 speed Shimano chain…should only use Shimano pins. Apparently the KMCs will break as not designed to be used on NW chain rings.
True, or in true STW style can anyone verify otherwise?

Reckons 11 speed SRAM and kmc quick links will break on an 11 speed Shimano chain.

Pish

I once had someone from Alpine bikes refuse to sell me a 9 speed SRAM Powerlink because I had a Shimano chain. I had to show him the one I’d already fitted, and even then he was reluctant.

Utter bolleaux!

And what’s the NW chainring got to do with it? Apart from my road bike which is 2x I’m running 1x with NW chainring on all my other bikes and not had a problem.

Name and shame. That’s just groundless flannel.

11 speed Shimano chain…should only use Shimano pins

Even Shimano supply a quicklink for 11 speed chains now, the snazzily named SM-CN900.

Really? Must admit I was surprised that Shimano would make their chains so limiting.
Will hold back on the name and shame for now – sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
Maybe I’ll go to Wheelbase a few miles away instead (clue there)…

Running a SRAM 11 speed link (2 actually) on my HG54 10 speed chain on an 11 speed M7000 cassette.

By rights, I should be on fire every ride.

My time-limited options mean either getting a sram one or a kmc one on way to Lakes tomorrow – so which one?
Will get proper Shimano ones when I get back.

Either.

A 10 speed one will (apparently) work too.

My FS 29er (M9000 – 2×11) and my son’s MTB (M8000 – 1×11) have both used quicklinks from new with no difficulties whatsoever. I do this because it makes maintenance so much easier and, frankly, I can’t see any reason not to. Both bikes are KMC, but I’ve also used SRAM in the past and consider them interchangable.

Technically, they are only to be used once, but as everyone knows, this is bobbins. I don’t remove the chain that often, so they just get replaced with the chain. I did remove one from a much older bike a couple of days ago and that fell off almost without effort, so I suppose they can wear out, but I’ve never kept one long enough to find out 🙂

Even Shimano supply a quicklink for 11 speed chains now, the snazzily named SM-CN900.

I put one of these on today, one hell of a struggle, needed pliers. Not looking forward to getting it off

Installation is simple, just have the link above the chainstay then push on the pedal while holding the rear brake.

I put one of these on today, one hell of a struggle, needed pliers. Not looking forward to getting it off

Well worth getting proper tool for the job. Was bought on impulse and I use it far more often than I thought I would have. Highly recommended.

Yeah, definitely get a set of removal pliers. Turns a (potential) 20 minute struggle into a 5 second job.