Always have a pair. Good tip is to either keep them in the original packaging but cut smaller like you did and have in the saddle bag, or as mentioned in a video a while ago, looped on a key ring chain on your keys. Thanks for the videos guys.
Not only do I carry a link, I carry a bit of chain and a couple pins. And I do have a tool with a chain-breaker. I do not like a mechanical ruining a lovely day on my bike.
I don't comment on these, but your statement of quick link being underrated is truly underrated Mr. Cannings! After suffering a bad chain drop and bending links I had to remove the bent part of the chain and "reuse" the internal joining pin to get me home. ALWAYS carry an 11s chain link now, after all they're tiny and fit inside my topeak survival box!
Hey my man I did get a spot of luck and had the chain snap on the sweet spot..I LOVE how you have the person filming your video zoom super close and you slow it down..nice to find a video you can see what's actually being taught! Keep up the damn good work and thank you
If do the repair on the upper part of the chain between cassette and front chainring, or pedal backwards to place the not-yet-fully-closed quick link there, all you need to do is pull the rear brake and step - lightly - on the pedal to close it. I once nearly cut myself trying to close it by pulling on the chain. Oh, and I had one of those breaks ending up with two inner links (at least I could remove the remains of the outer without tools) - but had no quick link with me, and no pin. (Back on the bike after about 15 years of why-should-I-use-a-bike-I-own-a-car...) Now it is a never-leave-home-without-it-item. Just like a credit card.
Broke a chain going up a 10% climb but didn't have a chain tool but I did have a quick link 🤦♂️ and had to walk 10k back to the car, not ideal, always carry a chain breaker and quick link now 👌
Happened to me last week. Matching innies...luckily I was 100 meters from home. Quick chain break in the garage and I was back in business. Great vid Jon!
while on a 70km ride, a month ago, i broke my chain in the middle on nowhere i was happy to have taken with me a chain tool and a quick link !! saved my ride back home
Thank you, I was able to fix my chain right now because of your video. Edit: Both sides of the chain link came off at same time, I just found them laying on the road, took me a while though. So I started at 3:00 of this video :)
In 30 odd years, I've only broken a chain once. But I'm going to carry a quick link from now on. Also, I carry a pair of latex gloves in my saddle bag. No worries about getting the cockpit dirty after any roadside repairs.
Thanks for these roadside videos, good tips. How often would you recommend using a reusable quick link? I wax my chain and therefore use one of these more than once. Thanks
thank you - very clear! I've made notes to take with me so I don't forget! Question: can the quick link be kept in place until I next replace the chain? In other words, it's not a temporary fix, more of a permanent fix? I have a fear of my chain snapping while climbing steep inclines!!!
I cycled (once!) with someone who didn't carry a puncture kit/tube because they knew I did. Thumbs up if I was right to reject their future ride invites!
Good video, thanks. However, what would you do if the link that was damaged was one of the "internal" ones. Presumably, as well as removing that link you would also have to remove the external link on either side in order to leave an internal on either side fot the quick link to be fitted to. If this is the case you would have effectively reduced your chain length by two links. Would your bike still be rideable? Or have i missed something?
I bought a Canyon Aeroad 8.0 Di2, and the chain wasn't properly installed (the link-pin wasn't pushed in all the way). The chain came apart halfway, but I was able to limp it to the nearest bike shop where I had a missing link installed. I ended up picking up a Crank Brother's multi-tool with the chainbreaker at the shop.
Great invention. I broke my chain on my very first outing. Poor gear change on a steep hill. Luckily, a passing cyclist carried one that fitted. I'm still hoping to meet him again so I can replace it.
Hello Jon and GCN, great tip here - thx. GHong on first tour in uk and want to be prepared. How do I know which gearing chain set up I have. 21 speed '98 mtb. not a 6 -11 speed as mentioned in the video... Cheers all!
I saw a guy with a broken chain and offered to stop and help him. After about 30 minutes of him trying to bodge together a shortened chain (he didn't have a quick link) with me holding the chain and such for him. I wished him luck and bought a quick link the next time I was getting a couple of spare innertubes. Now I don't ride without one. (Unfortunately, I lost the little hook that holds the chain together while you fix it off my multi-tool.)
I used a KMC chain joined with a quick link once and only once ... I broke it on the indoor trainer after just 500 km (cumulative). The quick link was bent out of recognition and the other half shattered into four pieces. And before someone asks how much power I put out, I barely scraped 600 W and average 250 W, so I am by no means a brute. But yes, I agree that these can save your ride. I have never had a chain mishap on my outdoor rides yet and always carry a chain tool with me so there's always an option to shorten the chain and ride home with a slightly limited set of gears.
Word of advice -- test your quick links at home first. Just for fun I bought several from various brands, and even well established ones didn't work with my chain (obviously I won't take them on the ride).
If you, like me, don't have a nifty little chain keeper in your multitool, an old spoke cut and bent in the same shape works like a charm. Or a new spoke if you've never broken a spoke. The cheapest one available works fine.
@GCN Tech, actually with a 11 speed link you can repair ANY chain nowadays, not just any 11s one, as you seem to imply in the video... The INNER width of chains is in fact the same for all speeds (3/32", 2.30 mm), while the OUTER width can only be the same as for 11s or larger.
Another thing I like to put in my saddle bag is a couple of disposable gloves,(the type you get from petrol stations) That way if you need to change an inner tube or fix a chain, you wont get dirt and oil all over your handle bars and clothes.
3:14 Yes indeed Jon. I experienced a similar outcome after consuming a reheated leftover curry prior to a sweetspot session! Let's just say it hit the sweetspot alright - a la Lemond 86 💩
Jon surprised you didn't have a couple of wet wipes stashed, greasy oily hands straight onto handlebar tape?? What saddle bag are you using? Looks perfect for a road bike. Thanks
Keep the correct size quick link and a derailleur hanger taped to the brake cables by the handle bars so you never forget to pack one. One for each bike then even if you don’t have the tools, you can get help from a passing cyclist who is carrying some tools.
Happened a couple of times. The one end of the chain is alwas bend. I cary a lengt of steel wire and just tie the end together. It means no shifting, while riding back home very slowly. But I dont need to cary a ton of tools.
Carry a travel-sized tube of baking-soda toothpaste to scrub off chain grime! Follow up with a quick rinse, just a few ounces of water, and you'll keep your bar-tape clean!
Are these links permanent replacements or just temporary? If so how many miles cycling can you get out of them and thanks for the great videos they make a newbies life much easier!
Permanent. When you get a new chain, it will come with a new link to connect it. Having said that, I do sometimes find that my chain checker will show more wear at the link than anywhere else, so I do occasionally put a new link into a used chain that still has plenty of life left.
4:30 pro bodge tip: remove your cycling shoes, shove it between the spokes to hold the derailleur forward. you won't need the small chain hook/third hand
Have a similar feature on my Pro Tools multi tool as your Toppeaks. Saw a guy walking on the trail with his bike. As if anything was wrong. He had busted a chain. I was excited because I had not yet used the chain tool. By the time I got the tool ready I started to notice something odd. He fixed his chain, praised the tool for how handy it was and than walked away. It was than I realized he was drunk. Hope that gives a laugh. True story.
The one time I broke my chain on a ride, I just scooted it on home chainless... Then, after arriving, I remembered that I had a chain tool in my seat pack the whole time!
Reason number 1 and 2 why I wax my chains. Don't really ever have to worry about a chain snapping because I switch them out every two to three weeks for cleaning and re-wax and put the spare pre-waxed chain on and also, no dirty hands!
That makes no sense. Chains don't magically become new again just by taking them off your bike and putting them back on again a couple of weeks later. A chain that's done 500km in five consecutive weeks is just as worn as one that's done 100km in one week, five times. If anything, repeatedly breaking and remaking your chains will weaken them slightly.
@@beeble2003 Connex quick links - reusable. The chains get put to pasture once they've hit 2,000 miles each. Point is clean hands and chains that are highly less likely to snap since they don't pick up nearly as much road grime.
Do you carry a quick link when you ride?
No cause I am not even a road biker cause I am only ten but I wish to be like you!! LOVE YOU GUYS! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😘😘😘😘😘
Yes, ofcourse I have a link.
Always have a pair. Good tip is to either keep them in the original packaging but cut smaller like you did and have in the saddle bag, or as mentioned in a video a while ago, looped on a key ring chain on your keys. Thanks for the videos guys.
Not only do I carry a link, I carry a bit of chain and a couple pins. And I do have a tool with a chain-breaker. I do not like a mechanical ruining a lovely day on my bike.
Yes
the underrated accessory for bike bags are latex gloves.
I always pack some
Couldn’t agree more.
this is a gold star comment tbh
I used to pack those, but now I wax my chain so... not anymore.
and latex condoms
I don't comment on these, but your statement of quick link being underrated is truly underrated Mr. Cannings! After suffering a bad chain drop and bending links I had to remove the bent part of the chain and "reuse" the internal joining pin to get me home. ALWAYS carry an 11s chain link now, after all they're tiny and fit inside my topeak survival box!
My first reaction - Jon on a bike! Or rather in Lycra!
Not quite sure how I feel about this...
Hey my man I did get a spot of luck and had the chain snap on the sweet spot..I LOVE how you have the person filming your video zoom super close and you slow it down..nice to find a video you can see what's actually being taught! Keep up the damn good work and thank you
If do the repair on the upper part of the chain between cassette and front chainring, or pedal backwards to place the not-yet-fully-closed quick link there, all you need to do is pull the rear brake and step - lightly - on the pedal to close it. I once nearly cut myself trying to close it by pulling on the chain.
Oh, and I had one of those breaks ending up with two inner links (at least I could remove the remains of the outer without tools) - but had no quick link with me, and no pin. (Back on the bike after about 15 years of why-should-I-use-a-bike-I-own-a-car...)
Now it is a never-leave-home-without-it-item. Just like a credit card.
Broke a chain going up a 10% climb but didn't have a chain tool but I did have a quick link 🤦♂️ and had to walk 10k back to the car, not ideal, always carry a chain breaker and quick link now 👌
Dangit! A lot of good multitools have them included now 👍
@@gcntech Haven't seen too many actually, need to track down the Topeak you have in the video !
Happened to me last week. Matching innies...luckily I was 100 meters from home. Quick chain break in the garage and I was back in business. Great vid Jon!
I used a zip tie to aid joining.
while on a 70km ride, a month ago, i broke my chain in the middle on nowhere i was happy to have taken with me a chain tool and a quick link !! saved my ride back home
I love watching these easy to follow videos it helps me so much and I feel more
Confident in repairing and taking care of my bike thanks Gcn
Excellent video. Thank you. I had never seen that exact multitool before. Thanx again.
“You won’t be the first person to ride along making loads of noise from the rear end” - me after too many gels
Thumbs up with an oily thumb plus index finger oily - no hand double was used during making this video
An even more important bit of kit to always carry on a ride is a disposable pair of latex (or latex substitute) gloves. 🚴🏽♂️
Thanks fir the video. Simple and straightforward to understand!
Jon on a bike! Yes!! Great video :)
Thank you, I was able to fix my chain right now because of your video.
Edit: Both sides of the chain link came off at same time, I just found them laying on the road, took me a while though. So I started at 3:00 of this video :)
Great tip and demo Jon. Now to get myself a quick link and multi-tool with chain breaker
"Loads of noise from the rear end" :-) Made my freakin' day, that!
Perfect, I've increased the distances on my rides and wondered what i would do if my chain broke. I now know what i need and how to fix it.
In 30 odd years, I've only broken a chain once. But I'm going to carry a quick link from now on. Also, I carry a pair of latex gloves in my saddle bag. No worries about getting the cockpit dirty after any roadside repairs.
Thanks for these roadside videos, good tips. How often would you recommend using a reusable quick link? I wax my chain and therefore use one of these more than once. Thanks
it's... " BICYCLE REPAIR MAAAAAN !!! "
thank you, Monty !
thank you - very clear! I've made notes to take with me so I don't forget! Question: can the quick link be kept in place until I next replace the chain? In other words, it's not a temporary fix, more of a permanent fix? I have a fear of my chain snapping while climbing steep inclines!!!
My quick link removal tool has one of those hooks for holding the chain but I didn’t know what was for until now. Great tips!!
Same
I cycled (once!) with someone who didn't carry a puncture kit/tube because they knew I did. Thumbs up if I was right to reject their future ride invites!
O yes, a quicklink is in my toolbottle. But I also keep a pair of thin latex gloves to avoid little grubby hands!
Exatamente!
Good plan!
I have the same topeak chain tool and I love that little wire hook that it comes with. So handy
You can make one of those out of old an spoke.
@@C345OFR true, but I didn't have to
The best thing about carrying a quick link is that your chain will only break if you're not carrying one. So, It's in use all the time.
Haha yeah it's just like a rain jacket!
hahaha well said!!!!
Good video, thanks. However, what would you do if the link that was damaged was one of the "internal" ones. Presumably, as well as removing that link you would also have to remove the external link on either side in order to leave an internal on either side fot the quick link to be fitted to. If this is the case you would have effectively reduced your chain length by two links. Would your bike still be rideable? Or have i missed something?
I bought a Canyon Aeroad 8.0 Di2, and the chain wasn't properly installed (the link-pin wasn't pushed in all the way). The chain came apart halfway, but I was able to limp it to the nearest bike shop where I had a missing link installed. I ended up picking up a Crank Brother's multi-tool with the chainbreaker at the shop.
Always carry a quick link, was able to help a friend when her derailleur hanger snapped and turned her bike into a fixe to get her home
Great invention. I broke my chain on my very first outing. Poor gear change on a steep hill. Luckily, a passing cyclist carried one that fitted. I'm still hoping to meet him again so I can replace it.
Nice!
Love!
Btw I am the same guy the Phantom forces Adidas I made this acc cause IM a Big fan
Just learnt something new. Every day is a school day!!!!
Hello Jon and GCN, great tip here - thx. GHong on first tour in uk and want to be prepared. How do I know which gearing chain set up I have. 21 speed '98 mtb. not a 6 -11 speed as mentioned in the video... Cheers all!
Well explained and shot video. Thanks.
I saw a guy with a broken chain and offered to stop and help him. After about 30 minutes of him trying to bodge together a shortened chain (he didn't have a quick link) with me holding the chain and such for him. I wished him luck and bought a quick link the next time I was getting a couple of spare innertubes. Now I don't ride without one. (Unfortunately, I lost the little hook that holds the chain together while you fix it off my multi-tool.)
I used a KMC chain joined with a quick link once and only once ... I broke it on the indoor trainer after just 500 km (cumulative). The quick link was bent out of recognition and the other half shattered into four pieces. And before someone asks how much power I put out, I barely scraped 600 W and average 250 W, so I am by no means a brute. But yes, I agree that these can save your ride. I have never had a chain mishap on my outdoor rides yet and always carry a chain tool with me so there's always an option to shorten the chain and ride home with a slightly limited set of gears.
Word of advice -- test your quick links at home first. Just for fun I bought several from various brands, and even well established ones didn't work with my chain (obviously I won't take them on the ride).
If you, like me, don't have a nifty little chain keeper in your multitool, an old spoke cut and bent in the same shape works like a charm. Or a new spoke if you've never broken a spoke. The cheapest one available works fine.
Handy!
beauty bike you have there mr cannings
Yes I have a quick link in my patch kit. Hoping it stays there forever
Thank you for the tip ❤
Sram quick for the win and Jon your a wattage boozoka
When u put a quick link in do u get a new chain soon or keep using chain until it breaks again ???
@GCN Tech, actually with a 11 speed link you can repair ANY chain nowadays, not just any 11s one, as you seem to imply in the video...
The INNER width of chains is in fact the same for all speeds (3/32", 2.30 mm), while the OUTER width can only be the same as for 11s or larger.
Great vid, thanks!
Fantastic yes
Quick link on order now!
You won't regret it! Or the friend in need you give it to
Jon on a bike outside the studio!
"Fixed it! Get it!" 😁👌
Another thing I like to put in my saddle bag is a couple of disposable gloves,(the type you get from petrol stations) That way if you need to change an inner tube or fix a chain, you wont get dirt and oil all over your handle bars and clothes.
Is it durable enough to leave on there or should a new chain be used ASAP?
3:14 Yes indeed Jon. I experienced a similar outcome after consuming a reheated leftover curry prior to a sweetspot session! Let's just say it hit the sweetspot alright - a la Lemond 86 💩
What Saddlebag is that? I like it!
Topeak Dynawedge. Jon
@@gcntech Thanks Jon! You are appreciated :)
Jon surprised you didn't have a couple of wet wipes stashed, greasy oily hands straight onto handlebar tape??
What saddle bag are you using? Looks perfect for a road bike. Thanks
looks like a Topeak, natch
Rich Fi Thanks for that👍🏾
Yep Topeak!
Keep the correct size quick link and a derailleur hanger taped to the brake cables by the handle bars so you never forget to pack one. One for each bike then even if you don’t have the tools, you can get help from a passing cyclist who is carrying some tools.
Is this just to get you home in the event of a snap? Is it a permanent solution or would you replace the chain at home?
I need that multi tool!
How much quick links is recomendable to install in a chain?
Are those chain links as durable as normal links? or do you need to change the chain asap?
The quick links are as durable as the rest of your chain.
But you should replace the link when you replace your complete chain.
Happened a couple of times.
The one end of the chain is alwas bend.
I cary a lengt of steel wire and just tie the end together. It means no shifting, while riding back home very slowly.
But I dont need to cary a ton of tools.
Carry a travel-sized tube of baking-soda toothpaste to scrub off chain grime! Follow up with a quick rinse, just a few ounces of water, and you'll keep your bar-tape clean!
Great tip!
Brilliant!
Are these links permanent replacements or just temporary? If so how many miles cycling can you get out of them and thanks for the great videos they make a newbies life much easier!
Permanent. When you get a new chain, it will come with a new link to connect it. Having said that, I do sometimes find that my chain checker will show more wear at the link than anywhere else, so I do occasionally put a new link into a used chain that still has plenty of life left.
Great comedic way to silence the people who have been complaining that they never get to see Jon actually riding a bicycle. Great acting there Jon! 😁
Dang John’s riding again wow.
Love !
4:30 pro bodge tip: remove your cycling shoes, shove it between the spokes to hold the derailleur forward. you won't need the small chain hook/third hand
What brand are the links used in this video?
Have a similar feature on my Pro Tools multi tool as your Toppeaks. Saw a guy walking on the trail with his bike. As if anything was wrong. He had busted a chain. I was excited because I had not yet used the chain tool. By the time I got the tool ready I started to notice something odd. He fixed his chain, praised the tool for how handy it was and than walked away. It was than I realized he was drunk. Hope that gives a laugh. True story.
I have that same multi-tool (Topeak Ninja 16+ )
and always have a pair of petrol station disposal gloves in your kit absolutely no weight or packing probs but dead handy !
Good tip there!
Which topeak tool is that?
Gary Dodgson link?
spin the link to the top before it reaches the chain ring and press the pedal to lock in place
The one time I broke my chain on a ride, I just scooted it on home chainless... Then, after arriving, I remembered that I had a chain tool in my seat pack the whole time!
F
If you'd carried some disposable gloves.... 🧐
If the chain comes with a quick link do you use that one or do you need another.
I guess the chain would be shorter
What’s the model name for the Topeak saddle bag?
Dynawedge. Jon
GCN Tech thanks!
I carry my quick link on my keys, I feel like I'd probably end up losing it if it was in my saddle bag
cool!
How do I know what type of chain I have?
What if the inner link is damaged?
I've seen Jon riding a bike!! It was leaving the shot, but that's fine.
How do I determine the appropriate chain length? .... for campagnolo 11 speed? :) #askgcn #torqueback
recommended quick links?
Shimano link is very tight (looks more secure). Open and close only with pliers. And after few open-close , feels like new. That's my choice.
Sram is also extremely tight, definitely need pliers.
@@th_js Yes, I agree, but Shimano is much tighter (I have both and prefer Shimano).
@@mislevis Maybe it's that way on the road side, but on mountain bikes it's the opposite way round
Bent my chain today, wish I had one of these
Walmart or amazon has them for around ten USD...
@@Cristasphoto thanks
@@southjerseycycling106 you are very welcome
Clear guide to inserting the quick link, but the rear derailleur chain threading part was not well filmed.
Second video with Jon on the bike? Is he gonna get back to rc.
I always give my Chain a relaxing massage before refitting it sow its not under too much tension
😂
Reason number 1 and 2 why I wax my chains. Don't really ever have to worry about a chain snapping because I switch them out every two to three weeks for cleaning and re-wax and put the spare pre-waxed chain on and also, no dirty hands!
That makes no sense. Chains don't magically become new again just by taking them off your bike and putting them back on again a couple of weeks later. A chain that's done 500km in five consecutive weeks is just as worn as one that's done 100km in one week, five times. If anything, repeatedly breaking and remaking your chains will weaken them slightly.
@@beeble2003 Connex quick links - reusable. The chains get put to pasture once they've hit 2,000 miles each. Point is clean hands and chains that are highly less likely to snap since they don't pick up nearly as much road grime.
I should remember to carry a pair of latex gloves in my bag too.
It happened to me today, snapped a chain and only the inside links remained. I have no idea how that happened.
Interesting how all the torque we apply through the pedals gets transfered by two little pieces of metal.
I always carry more than 1 quick link, and a pair os latex gloves ..
Managed to watch till 45th second. Please stop playing with my mind
is this closest we get to seeing jon actually ride a bike?
Yes, yes it is.
no, no it isn't ua-cam.com/video/avvu6zyHzGk/v-deo.html
Jon.
Wax your chain Jon then you wont get dirty finger 👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lol. Very next day of upload this happened to me. Hit my knee hard. No, did not have quick link...
Ouch! Lesson learned. Hope it recovers quick!
Back in the day, chains were basically unbreakable, because pins were long and solid.