Or have they always been £14 for a pack of two? 😯

I got 3 for £5 delivered from Biketart recently – they’re 9 speed ones but I run them in 11 speed chains with no problems.

9spd quick-links work in 11spd chains? Hallelujah, I did not know that! 🙂

They are often on special somewhere. I usually buy a few when they are a quid each then lose them.

IIRC the gap between plates is the same as the number of gears goes up, it’s the plate thickness that reduces. Which is why 10 and 11spd chain rings are identical. Decathlon and Halfords (BBB brand?) tend to do multi-packs relatively cheap.

local discount place (for me in Aus’) sells packs of 6 YBN ones for the equivalent of just under 2 of your UK pounds per pair

http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/6-set-10-speed-quick-release-links-shimano-sram/QR-10

– cheap enough and had no problems but still a problem when you find you need one and can’t remember where you put them all 🙁

edit

IHN – Member
9spd quick-links work in 11spd chains? Hallelujah, I did not know that!

yes but I’d be concerned about premature cassette wear especially on the ramps as the plates are thicker – still I’d do as get me home if didn’t have the correct link

9spd quick-links work in 11spd chains? Hallelujah, I did not know that!

Work, but not ideal.
Found some beginner trudging through the woods a few months back with a broken chain and fitted a 9 speed link to his 10 speed chain to get him back to the car.
Seemed secure, but did have some unwanted play in it – wouldn’t want it on the bike long term.

IIRC the gap between plates is the same as the number of gears goes up, it’s the plate thickness that reduces.

That is incorrect, it is the distance between the plates that changes; the plates themselves are already as thin as they can be for the given material and application.

Decathlon’s “own brand” are KMC but I don’t think they have an 11 speed. I got a bunch of 11s off ebay

I run 10spd ones in 11spd chains. I have also ran a 10spd chain on XT M8000 with no issues.

Be wary also that the 8/9/10spd KMC links are re-useable, but the 11 speed ones are not. The Wipperman ones are but are more money again, almost as much as an entry level 11spd chain!

otsdr – Member

IIRC the gap between plates is the same as the number of gears goes up, it’s the plate thickness that reduces.

That is incorrect, it is the distance between the plates that changes; the plates themselves are already as thin as they can be for the given material and application.

Are you sure about this? Hasn’t the inner width remained the same but the outer width (ie the width of the plates / pin length) narrowed?

example link

Hasn’t the inner width remained the same but the outer width (ie the width of the plates) narrowed?

That is correct for 10/11 speed, not sure for 9/10 speed.

I have jumped from 9 to 11 and I only noticed the spacing between the plates, not sure how the 10 would have compared.

That is incorrect, it is the distance between the plates that changes; the plates themselves are already as thin as they can be for the given material and application.

Nope

That is incorrect, it is the distance between the plates that changes; the plates themselves are already as thin as they can be for the given material and application.

sorry, see Mr Zinn’s linked explanation. Internal gap the same, outer plates thinner.

Decathlon’s “own brand” are KMC but I don’t think they have an 11 speed

They do them but they’d sold out when I was in my local (Oxford) branch- there was an empty but labelled-up rack hanger.

On a slightly related note, I recently bought a Shimano 8 speed chain and rather than the traditional pin, there was something that sort of looked like a quicklink, but with all the bits in the wrong places (two pins on 1 side and a slot along the other).

After a quick google on what I was supposed to do with it I got the idea that you flex the chain sideways to join the link but the consensus of user experience seemed to be “use a SRAM / KMC one” which is what I did, but I still have the Shimano thing – is it worth keeping hold of for trailside emergencies, or is it for the bin?

Halfords was cheapest last time I bought any…

£2.99 for 2 x KMC 10 speed

(Handy hint: Gold ones on a silver chain make them easier to find)

edlong – Member

After a quick google on what I was supposed to do with it I got the idea that you flex the chain sideways to join the link but the consensus of user experience seemed to be “use a SRAM / KMC one” which is what I did, but I still have the Shimano thing – is it worth keeping hold of for trailside emergencies, or is it for the bin?

They can be a pain in the arse tbh- always found they work OK but they’re more fiddly to fit so not really ideal for your trailside fix

Well if nothing else my shock at the price of quick links in Fresh Goods Friday has reminded me I don’t actually have any in my repair kit, glad to see i don’t *need* to spend £14 at least…

If you replace your chain every few months like you’re supposed to you have a never ending supply of spare links. Never had a problem and I get 2 years+ out of a cassette.