[Dwight Moody]

So until 3 months ago, I had never broken a chain in my life. Now I've suffered 5 broken chains on two bikes. When the first chain broke I figured it was about time, the chain was four years old. This is my old rigid bike, strictly used for the street. So I buy a new chain, it's good for a month, then pop, a plate bends away from the pin. I shorten it by a link (It'd been too loose anyway.) and keep going. Then on my hardtail, which actually sees the trails sometimes, the chain breaks, this time one of the side plates has cracked.

And now both chains have popped again. The hardtail popped last night while I was running errands on it. They aren't popping on the links I've repaired.

Now I have been doing some more technical riding, wheelie dropping and doing log piles and maybe stressing my chain more on the hardtail. Plus the hardtail's big ring is a little out of true (logpiles) and I figure that maybe has been stressing it more. But the rigid has seen nothing but easy street riding and baby trailer towing. Why oh why are my chains breaking?

 

[29Colossus]

You have mad power. Face it. You can't be touched, and junk chains simply snap from your drying sweat.

I would buy a decent chain next time. Spend a little cash on something nice. You deserve it!



I really do hope that is your problem, but for the life of me I can't think of anything else.

 

[Dwight Moody]

You have mad power. Face it. You can't be touched, and junk chains simply snap from your drying sweat.

Thanks. I do recommend towing 50 pounds of todder and trailer for improving one's power.

 

[Megaclocker]

Thanks. I do recommend towing 50 pounds of todder and trailer for improving one's power.

Use the Special pin to shorten your chain or repair the broken one...

Shimano use a special reinforced when you break the chain, ask your lbs...

 

[Jayem]

So until 3 months ago, I had never broken a chain in my life. Now I've suffered 5 broken chains on two bikes. When the first chain broke I figured it was about time, the chain was four years old. This is my old rigid bike, strictly used for the street. So I buy a new chain, it's good for a month, then pop, a plate bends away from the pin. I shorten it by a link (It'd been too loose anyway.) and keep going. Then on my hardtail, which actually sees the trails sometimes, the chain breaks, this time one of the side plates has cracked.

The newer shimano chains (they've been out for a few years) have special "mushroom" shaped pins to keep the links from sliding off the pins. I've been using them ever since they came out with this design, and they've been good. Honestly, the "older" generation of shimano chains wasn't that good, but the newer stuff is. Use the correct pin for installing/reattaching the chain (and carry a powerlink).