broke 3 times in 2 miles today 🙁

its less than 100 miles old – side plates just popped off when pedaling, not even changing gear!!

Probably made by SRAM under contract… 🙂

Bad workman etc. etc. etc.

how so druidh?

The consensus is that Shimano chains are better than sram. As you’ll hear more about broken Sram chains than you will about Shimano.

Druidh means you repaired the chain, are hamfisted, have wonky legs and can’t ride and so you are blaming Shimano. That’s what you meant Druidh isn’t it?

Good job no one has ever heard of a broken SRAM, Sachs, KCM or other brand of chain. It’s a wonder they’re still in business what with all the failures!

Plates that break as a result of shifting under load do not generally do so at the time of the damage. They’re bent by being dragged across the teeth on the sprockets, then snap when they’re pulled straight again – either in one go (pedalling up a steep climb, for example) or ever time from normal riding. How long it takes for the damaged link/plates to be in the right place (ie between the front and back gears) to have sufficient force applied is completely unpredictable. You could ride for hours before snapping the chain, or it could happen in the next revolution.

I’d say that most chains break from being incorrectly joined or from rider-inflicted damage, with the latter being the most common.

Did you repair it with a powerlink or do it old style with a chain tool? If its the latter, its quite easy to do a sub-optimal job at the trailside and have it break again.

I broke a chain today as well – first break for years. I was heaving on it like a fool though up a steepish pitch.

powerlink (it now has 4 sets of powerlinks in it)

@eth3er hmm round here the concensus is that SRAM and KMC are both more reliable than Shimano. Two different consencii?

most chains break from being incorrectly joined or from rider-inflicted damage, with the latter being the most common

this.

“Round here the concensus is that
SRAM and KMC are both more reliable than
Shimano . “

really? what numbers?….or is that “well I’ve seen a few posts about broken shimano chains”

My favourite chain-thread FAIL was a guy who reckoned shimano chains were worse than SRAM because his shimano chain had broken further away from home than his SRAM one, leaving him with a longer walk 😛

Only ever had problems with Shimano ones; Sram ones have been great. That goes for my riding buddies too!

well, my concensus is from the three bike shops I’ve worked in as a mechanic over the last twelve years….but whatever

fair enough you implied it was from posts here.

my years in bike shops showed few problems with shimano.

@eth3er hmm round here the concensus is that SRAM and KMC are both more reliable than Shimano. Two different consencii?

You know that KMC make Shimano chains don’t you?

Broken chain are more often than not, down to poor joining technique.

my years in bike shops showed few problems with shimano

Been in and around the bike trade for many years and can also agree with the above quote.

Sure you don’t have a bent tooth on a chain wheel or somewhere else that is slowly causing the plates to splay?

Or could just be a one off bad chain as that isn’t normal behaviour

poor joining technique – it was joined in teh shimano factory ffs

1) in any mass-produced item there will be occasional manufacturing problems.
2)to be honest, they’re all pretty good
3)the problems used to be with joining, this is why shimano invented snap off rivets and everyone else does quicklink variants
4)sachs and SRAM, KMC and shimano, all the same machinery
5)the most common cause of chain breaks is poor shifting. if the same person has multiple chains break, I usually suspect their shifting…
6)I have broken two chains ever, one was manufacture, one was poor rivetting by me (on a single speed 🙄 d’oh )
7) happy days

noted and agreed 😎

cruzheckler
broke 3 times in 2 miles today

poor joining technique – it was joined in teh shimano factory ffs

You have factory support on your rides!

“twohats – Member

You know that KMC make Shimano chains don’t you?”

Not all- and to Shimano’s spec not their own.

Only ever snapped two chains SRAM 991 SRAM 970 my usual chain is SHimano XTR they just wear out for me and no other problems.

Shimano chains for me – anything else is just plain wrong. Never broken one; fit ’em, wear ’em out, replace ’em.
If i ever do break one, i won’t diss Shimano on the internet. I’ll put it down to rogue freakery and recall all the fantastic rides i’ve had with Shimano chains – god bless ’em.

Did you fit the chain the right way round?

9 speed chains are not specific direction. If it was my shifting technique it would have happened before to the same extent, i have snapped one chain before and that WAS my fault.

I’m with you CH – I love SRAM, never a fail for me…. where as Shimano, couldn’t go on a ride without a failure!

9 speed chains are not specific direction

True, but there is a joining technique recommended by Shimano that sort of makes them direction specific.

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Chain/SI_0450H_001/SI-0450H-002_en_du_ge_fr_v1_m56577569830686193.pdf

Snapped countless Shimano and SRAM chains, moved to Wipperman and it’s still going strong. Plus the Wipperman is the only powerlink type setup that actually works in my experience.

Was with cruzheckler yesterday while the chain snapped once while he was on the road,and once on flat off road section..

in my experience over the years ive never got on with shimano chains miself.
always had sedis-sachs-sram.

Hmm… I was just about to buy this combo>

Sram PG970 cassette
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5213

and

Shimano XTR chain
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1018

Now im not sure? Help

uwe-r it will be fine if you john it right.

Chain failures are rare for any brand.

I have always just use a Sram link.

I tried the Shimano pin thing once and butchered a link.

connex chain ftw

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=55295

looks good and same price as XTR.

Hmmm….

KMC X9.93. Don’t be put off by it’s lack of expensiveness.

I’ve never had any luck with Shimano or SRAM chains. Always breaking sometimes more than once per ride, load of shite. I now stick to KMC x9, used to use their 510HX on bmx as well and never had any problems. I find the powerlink better than the SRAM which was unreasonably stiff to put on/remove.

It broke where it had been joined in the factory not where I had fixed it. It was initially joined with a powerlink and snapped.on the opposite side of the chain

So you (maybe) got a dud chain – no need to piss your pants. You aren’t any more or any less likely to get a wrong ‘un if you buy a different brand, so just get one that you think is pretty and carry on. It’s very, very rare for a chain to break due to a manufacturing defect.

I’ve had 3 shimano “dud” chains. That’s enough for me to not bother with em again. Should’ve learned after the 2nd one snapped really.

eth3er – Member
The consensus is that Shimano chains are better than sram. As you’ll hear more about broken Sram chains than you will about Shimano.

Not here you wont!

What a load of tosh[/i](it is a sunday) 😉 . I’ve been running SRAM chains for years. They’re simple to fit, bullet proof, you can take them off with your bare hads to clean etc, and represent good value. I’ve had no problems on the geared bike or s/s. And I ‘tested’ the durability of a Powerlink by running it on 5 or 6 repacement chains on the s/s which sees lots of winter mud.

Shi*mano have failed me on three occaisions, and even a female riding partner who is quite err…. steady, has has Shimano chain split side plates. And don’t even mention the stupid pin thing.

My experiences match the OP. Time for a change!