Using a chain link tool

This is a good practice every after ride. Another trusted cleaning tool would be water and a degreaser brush or a rotating brush to do a thorough scrubbing. Moderate cleaning would entail these tools and a more detailed chain cleaning tool would involve removing the chain rings, chain, and cassette from the bike and individually cleaning it with a cog brush or paint brush with a degreasing bath. Extreme cleaning agents would involve denatured alcohol and ultrasonic cleaners.

See also: how do radar guns work. Anybody can use a chain breaker, but before you go about with this, make sure that your chain is not equipped with a quick release link. You can check by turning the pedals backwards and checking every chain link. Make sure you have carefully chosen the exact size pin before getting started. Always remember that the pin and the bolt would always need to be on the same level. With your handy dandy chain breaker tool, you can easily shorten and adjust your bike chain when deem necessary.

The first process to complete is to know how many links are you supposed to remove. Press the chain into the tool using your thumb as you spin the lever in the clockwise rotation to set the tools pushing pin up against the link pin.

The pushing pin must contact the link pin directly on its face or else you could damage the link plate as the pin is forced through the hole. Ensure that the pushing pin is directly over the link pin before you start cranking on the lever to separate the chain. With the tool's link pushing pin lined up directly over the chain link pin, start cranking on the lever, turning it in the clockwise rotation to force the pushing pin onto the chain link pin.

As you turn the lever, the pushing pin will be threaded downward onto the chain link pin, and it will begin to slide away from the link plate. Keep turning the lever in the clockwise rotation until it completely locks out. At this point, the chain link pin will be pushed all the way through the center roller and will be sticking out of the far side of the other link plate. The tool is designed so that the link pin is not pushed all of the way out of the far link plate.

If the link pin were completely removed, it would be extremely difficult to reinstall it into the link plate again. To open the chain, just bend it at the open link point and it will come apart. The fact that the open link pin is still installed a small bit into the link plate will work to your advantage when you are reinstalling the chain in your bike because the chain can be snapped back together to allow you to install the chain tool.

This means that you can install a chain on the bike through the derailleur and check it for length without having to push the pin all the way back in each time.

It may take two or three tries to get the optimal length chain, so this does make the job much easier. One thing to note is that you cannot shorten a chain by only a single pin.

Well, you can actually remove the pin next to the one you just opened, but if you did that, then you could not rejoin the chain because you need an inside link at one end and an outside link at the other in order to make a join. So, look at the links to ensure that you will end up with the same type of link at the end of the chain you are removing links from.

In this image, I started with an inside link, so I removed the pin that would once again leave an inside link at the end of my chain. Rejoining a chain section is just as easy as removing a link. Place the inside link into the open outside link so that the open link pin holds the chain together. If you are doing this on a bike with a rear derailleur, then the small amount of link pin that remains on the inside of the open link should be able to hold the chain together even under the force of the rear derailleur tension spring.

Open the tool all the way by spinning the lever in the counter clockwise direction until you can insert the open link with the pin facing upwards towards the link pushing pin. Press the chain down into the tool's cradle with your thumb as you crank the lever in the clockwise rotation, pushing the pin back into the other link plate. When the pin begins to enter the other link plate, watch carefully to ensure that the pin has been pressed through both plates at the same distance.

When the link pin appears to be installed through both plates evenly, remove the tool from the chain. Automate the backend of business processes to remove counterparty risk and reduce dependencies on third parties. Incorporate decentralized data inputs to provide your users with superior guarantees about the execution of key services. Use a single software to connect your existing systems to any current or future blockchain environment. Sell your data and API services directly to smart contract applications to expand your addressable market.

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Learn more. Decentralized oracle networks for any smart contract. Talk to an expert. Simply insert these pliers into the rollers of the link and squeeze and the link clicks into place. While I prefer to use tools, connecting a tough link can be done without tools. With the link semi-connected, pedal the chain to be centered above the chainstay. Hold the rear wheel by the tyre with one hand, and apply firm pressure onto the pedal in a clockwise direction with the other.

This force will help spread the chain and close the link. Inspect the chain to ensure the pins are fully seated. If step six is unsuccessful, then rest the bike on the ground. Ensure chain link is centered above the chainstay, firmly apply rear brake and stand on drive side pedal. Push down until the link seats. Most newer quick links are designed as a one-use item, and so re-opening them will weaken the locking function.

I cover this in more detail later. If dealing with an older 8 or 9 speed link, then squeeze the two plates of the link together and slides them toward each other. Grit inside the chain can make this process tricky and so a little wiggling may be needed.

When using the appropriate tool, simply insert the tool into the nearest rollers and squeeze the handles. This will pull the link together and undo the quick link. First is to use a combination grip or needle nose plier, place the jaws of the tool on opposing diagonal edges of the quick link and squeeze. This method will likely damage the quick link and so replacement is strongly recommended. The second option is to use a thick cord or string, wrapping it in your hands and pulling it in opposing diagonal directions.

Mixing and matching quick links is no new feat, and riders have done so successfully from the days of eight-speed drivetrains.

Ten-speed users can also openly mix and match between speed chain manufacturers and speed quick links.