How on earth do you snap a chain?

Punctuating so many posts on here is the phrase ‘then I snapped my chain’.

I have never snapped a chain.

1) I quickly clean and lube the chain within 2 days of every ride.
2) I replace the chain when it stretches to 1/16th over 12″ (after 3 rides for the last one, albiet long races in mud)
3) I slightly ease up the peddle power as I shift and don’t crunch the gears.
4) I don’t cross up the chain too much and select chainrings accordingly.

All this sounds a bit anal but it’s just common sense.

So what on earth are all you chain snappers doing? It’s like broken chains are as unavoidable as punctures (ahem, unless you run tubeless :wink:). If you follow the above rules then surely they shouldn’t break.

The only times I’ve snapped a chain it’s either been at the joining pin with a Shimano chain (factory fitted)
or after it’s been damaged through chainsuck when really muddy.
Since I swapped all mine over to KMC chains, I haven’t’ snapped one though. Yet.

u iz awsum ryder

My mate is a not infrequent chain snapper. He is a big lad 18st or so more rugby player than MTBr and uses pure power to g-r-i-n-d out short climbs. Following him is an experience you can see the frame flexing and almost hear his cartilages popping.

He’s now using some sort of ‘unbreakable’ KMC chain we’ll see how long it lasts…

Well done you! You’re an inspiration to us all

*applauds*

Snapped a few chains on a 4X bike – powering out of the start gate puts an enormous strain on the bike!

your advice is sensible, my guess is most breakages are caused by bad shifting, bad joins or a duff chain.

I just had to change my chain for the first time on a 2004 Kona, links started breaking and it got too short to salvage.

New chain (and cassette) and on the first ride the chain snaps. Might have been my attempt at putting the chain together in the first place, it did seem to take an awful long time and those Shimano joining pins seem to be made of Dairylea.

I think the next chain will be a KMC because the shimano ones seems to have gotten a bit fragile

Even with my spaghetti legs I’ve snapped chains.

You can’t call yourself a cyclist until you have.

i feel worthless and I only snapped a chain once, . and that was when I was young and inexperienced,
. . but i still feel worthless . . .
😯

A chains not properly worn out unless you’ve snapped it several times.

First ride out. Brand new everything! Snapped going up a hill in the “still got plenty of momentum” phase.

Replacement was 1 model higher in the range, which has done 1000’s of km.

One of the things that prompted me to post is riding with a mate who doesn’t change gear on a hill until it’s too late than crashes and bangs the shift whilst swearing about how shit the gears are. He never cleans, checks, replaces any of the drivetrain and we often have to endure a period of fettling on a timestrapped evening ride because of it.
Perhaps more should be made of decent maintenance/shifting technique rather than the usual shopping channel discussions on here.

EDIT: It’s always me who has to do the fettling!

I want to be rollindoughnut when I grow up.

When you get old like me, irritation and smugness will come to you naturally.

You do realise your LBS is presently burning your effigy?

Usually grass or mud fouling the rear mech cage. And power, ultimate power!!! Sorry, bit of Darth Sidious there.

I’ve snapped two chains in 25 years. One was old and probably worn, put that down to death by natural causes the other was less than 75 miles old still shiny new and was no doubt a manufacturing fault.

z1ppy – Member

A chains not properly worn out unless you’ve snapped it several times.

Lol – the truth is spoken..

At 16st and riding a singlespeed, it’s not unknown for me to snap. I’ve tried different chains, more lubing, and reasonably frequent replacement but it doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference. Probably break a couple of chains a year, so it’s not that bad.

I have never snapped one apart from that bad batch of Sram ones, of which I snapped about three.

Didn’t do anything silly, JRA and then snap.

The first time, I heard an irreluglar clicking from my drivetrain for most of a 100km race. About 100m before the finish it snapped to my amazement.

Turns out the outer plate of one link had come away from its pin at one end and splayed out, causing the clicking as it passed the mech at certain points in the power stroke. I must’ve done 80km with only one side of that link. Amazed it lasted that long to be honest.

As for power – I tried to go up a steep bank in the wrong gear in another race. I used MAX power which I normally am too scared to deploy for fear of breaking me or the bike, and I mashed the internals of an XTR freehub, causing it to jam. I tried to fix it once I got home, but realised that I’d actually ovalised the centre bit of it that the bearings run on 😯

I’ve snapped SS chains before, coz I’m f****** ‘core!

I suspect if you have never snapped a chain you’re a mincer.

[/tongue in cheek]

Snapped a few but the cause is always pretty obvious – drivetrain in a bad state and a mashed shift or similar. Snapped my shifter pod off on a long ride recently and couldn’t easily change gear – a few climbs in 44 x 30 did the chain in.
Agree that if the drivetrain is in good order you shouldn’t be snapping chains.

I have snapped a chain once, turning a sharp corner onto a small rise, I lost all speed in a big gear and hit a rock that stopped the bike dead with me stamping on the pedals. Something had to give.

If you have never snaped a chain you must be really feeble even Mrs Bruce has snaped a couple of chain 😉

I snapped my chain 3 times on one ride on Sunday having never done it before. I’d like to think that it was my raw power but given it went everytime within one link of the powerlink, I think it might have been something to do with a dodgy link.

I have yet to snap a chain 🙁

Must try Harder!

Christ I’ve lost count of the number I’ve snapped! Broke one on the road bike a few weeks ago climbing Coombe Bottom.

Broke an XTR one within 200 yards once (snapped the side plate).

At least 10 instances I can think of!

I had a SRAM chain, many moons ago (may have even still been Sachs) which broke 5 times in one ride, having been fine for many months, very odd.

What kind of sick pervert is this ‘Coombe’?

What is all the talk of washing bikes? I only ride mine twice a year on perfectly dry dusty trails and then brush the dust off. Some people. sheesh 🙄

you clearly have the legs of a chicken, and the power of an asthmatic mouse.
I’ve snapped a few, but I am a powerhouse.

I will however take heed of your solid advice and hopefully live happily ever after.

OP Your non-chain snapping prowess makes me all fizzy down below… :shy:

I’ve only ‘Snapped’ a couple it’s generally been on poor quality chains joined using a pressed in pin rather than a split link, where one plate separates and splays out…

Not sure its always due to poor maintenance/gear shifting technique, sometimes these things just happen, I mean consider the number of individual components in a chain and the stresses its regularly subjected to, it only takes one slightly duff part in ~400+ for the whole assembly to fail…

One of the things that prompted me to post is riding with a mate who doesn’t change gear on a hill until it’s too late than crashes and bangs the shift whilst swearing about how shit the gears are. He never cleans, checks, replaces any of the drivetrain and we often have to endure a period of fettling on a timestrapped evening ride because of it.
Perhaps more should be made of decent maintenance/shifting technique rather than the usual shopping channel discussions on here.

EDIT: It’s always me who has to do the fettling!

Perhaps you should tell him, rather than boring us with this pish?.

I’ll let you get back to your shopping…

Riding rules:

1. If you don’t stack it during your ride you’re not riding hard enough.
2. If you don’t damage something on your bike during your ride you’re not riding hard enough.

Excuse me while I add a few more replacement bike bits to my basket!

I generally agree with the stack it sentiment, but personally think that time spent fettling the bike before the ride can negate most mechanical problems occuring.
Don’t you agree that there is so often a frustrated comment about a snapped chain ruining a ride? Why not try to prevent that happening?

If its awesome power that snaps these chains, how come I didn’t see any broken chains in the Tour de France?

Did you not see the two guys down on the champs élysées on Sunday?

Never snapped a chain either
/Hangs head in shame/
I am clearly a mincer or maybe it’s because I don’t listen to the advice on chain length doled out on here.

rarely snap chains, but have found sram the worst, with shitmano a close second.
not entirely sure it isnt down to operator/installer error though if im honest.
EDIT: chains are the only thing i dont rate shimano for, ime all the rest of their stuff works and keeps working.