For both my 10sp road bike and my 9sp mtbs. I never broke a chain ever for many years until Sram started making crap, now it seems to happen fairly often. Happened last night on the road bike, I think that was a Taya.

wipperman connex 908.

Do you used a quick link? and do you keep a check on when the chain is worn?

I would change my chain every 6wks but I was doing between 500-700miles a week.

Chain not worn, I do use a quick link but they've never failed. And that also means it's not me re-joining it wrong that is the problem.

Chain wear doesn't make it more likely to snap either. It's the inner plates wearing grooves in the pins that is the wear – when chains snap in these cases it's the outer plate coming off the pin.

Have you bent the mech? This can lead to snappage.

That said, I've now swapped back to Shimano after many years on SRAM.

I'll be boring and suggest a Shimano chain.I've never had a Shimano chain break when fitted correctly and unmolested by link changes etc (and I like the Shimano joining system)

KMC

I can't abide that stupid Shimano joining pin.

I had one of the £14 (or so) Shimanos from CRC and it broke 3 times at Cannock last weekend. Not impressed. I've got a KMC on there now to see how that holds up.

Another vote for KMC here

I can't abide that stupid Shimano joining pin.

it will be going soon as shimano have a connector link on way

I have used with great succsess Sram, Shimano, Campag (a bike isnt a bike without a bit of campag) and KMC… 1 snapped chain and even then it soldiered on for ages and ages with a new link, until when I finally took it off the bike it pretty much just fell to bits.

Try the campag if your on a budget and turn your MTB into a proper bike in one fail swoop.

does anyone use the shimano pin then? I always pop a sram quick link thingy on or just press the pins in where I want a join.. In fact I only use the quick link things on the trail I always just join the chains now..

it will be going soon as shimano have a connector link on way

Good, I'll deffo try Shimano again then.

rootes, shimano HAD a (slightly fussy) joining link with their 7900 chains, but seem to have stopped using it. IME, it wasn't very reliable and would slightly jump under load.
I'm kind of glad they've gone back to the original pin method.
(a 10s KMC missing link works fine though…)

Rohloff SLT99?

Use a Shimano (XT upwards – XTR's are worth it, not tried a Yumeya…)

Join with a Powerlink.

As OP says, Sram snap fairly commonly at factory joined links, so not mechanic's error. Not even due to bad chainline/sideloading – I've snapped 3 on my SS.
Never broken a Shimano that's been properly fitted.

Yep, -what sillyoldman says times 10!
Have a look at how many SRAM-sponsored teams actually use another manufacturers chains.

I'm impressed with the ConnexWipperman on my SS. It's stood up to a winter of lugging me up hills in atrocious conditions. Bust 2 SRAMs and one Shimano on my geared HT so I can't recommend either at the moment. Never tried KMC.

Another vote for KMC.

I am bewildered that people still don't realise that you can use a powerlink on a Shimano chain.

I use mid range srams and on the tandem as well and don't break them. Are chain breakages not down to clumsy gear changing? Certainly the only times I have broken them are due to this. If we don't break then on the tandem with both of us jumping on the pedals in granny gear I fail to see how a solo ride could just from the pull.

Are chain breakages not down to clumsy gear changing?

Grrrrrrrrr! It might be in the flyweight and featherweight categories that most cyclists fall into but mine have always gone gunning it up hill. I have some nice scars as a result!

TJ – nope.
As stated they failed on my SS.
Those that complain about Shimano are generally mechanically inept *

*I worked in bicycle retail for 15 years, so sadly endured many examples of this…. 😉

KMC here too, went through several shimano and sram chains before switching. No problems since.

There is something here I don't understand. If we don't break chains on the tandem with 25 stone of pure power pushing the pedals and using very low granny gears why do solo riders? We blow up freehubs ( shimano and hope) just by the mightyness of our 4 thighs ( some of this may be a tad exagerated)

How do people fit chains so badly they break?I have never broken a chain riding any discipline from touring to fixed and I am heavy how do you all break stuff so easily?

I went through many chains from both shimano and sram, they would last about 2 rides before snapping.

I changed to a connex wipperman about 3 years ago, and they generally last about 20 rides.

I'm a fairly large chap (220lbs) and the bestest ever chains for me are KMC.

(I once had to single-speed my reign around CYB in a very tough gear after my mech got smashed off)

..must have been quite tough on it as it had to cope with the chain growth from the suspension trying to stretch it as well as my lumbering pedal strokes.. has lasted ages too

Aren't KMC supposed to supply Shimano, I only tend to snapped chains at the end of there lives

Julians I doff my cap to your superior chainbreakyness. My last 3 chains I think broke due to being used on iced up cassettes and rings in deep snow. The ice on the teeth was probably forcing the plates apart or flexing them in a manner in which they are not designed for.
TJ I can't explain the mechanics why a solo rider would break more chains. It may be to do with the force applied at a single point during the drive train or maybe the amount of links under tension share the load out.

It's just down to shifting under load. Don't do it, kids. Just say no.

🙄

No, its not. A chain should be able to take the odd duff shift or bit of cross chaining.
As I say, I've never broken a Shimano chain (or KMC, for that matter), and I've fitted hundreds.
There's just something amiss with QC or material with SRAM.

Managed to snap a few on road bike and mountain bike. Not snapped my single speed yet.

I acquired a chain wear tool and measure my chains regularly and replace when they stretch. Saves wearing out chainrings and cassetes and hopefully saves me snapping chains. Though I end up swapping chains before I would have done before using it.