Power to the Power Link
April 10th, 2008 by Arleigh JenkinsIt isn’t often that you plan to sit or walk in the wilderness with your bicycle. Breaking a chain on the trail with out the right tools can be disaster. If you are riding a further distance than you feel comfortable walking you should have a couple key items.
Chain tool - any will do, something to push a pin out.
Power Link - A much needed item especially for a single speed. Ever break a chain on a single speed and end up with your chain a bit too short due to the broken link?
These two things are very small, especially if you buy the compact chain tool, can save your feet from walking many miles. Learn how to use these two things and you’ll be the savor on the trail or to yourself!
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I can see these in an emergency, but every time I try to get a Power Link chain off, I end up using the chain tool, because the Power Link won’t budge.
Word, Quinn.
Anyone have any good tips for getting the Power Link off whilst in the woods with mosquitoes attacking every second (the quicker the better)?
Wriggle the chain back and forth a bit at the link and push it together at the same time. Works for me.
Park Tools MRP-1. I modified some small snap ring pliers to do the same thing.
I got one of the Crank Bro’s tools (I had to buy it, no thanks to Blue Collar) that has the chain tool built-in
hah, I guess someone is upset about not winning the contest a little while back!
Not really upset….but it was a fun contest. Actually my wife bought me the tool for christmas. If I had won the contest then she wouldn’t have been able to buy me anything so I guess it’s a good thing that lost.
Speaking of which, when is the next contest coming up?
To keep the mosquitos at bay, use bug spray. There should be some in your pack in case you break down. My favorite brand is Ultrathon.
Dirty, grime packed Powerlinks are hard to remove. A leatherman tool may help with the squeezing part on trail. Regular chain cleaning will help more. And two spare powerlinks will assure you that if you can’t get it loose, you can just put a new one in.
For a steel rod, Shimano replacement pins are NOT CHEAP. A card of Powerlinks costs slightly more than an equivalent portion of replacement pins and they are re-usable. If you’re running 9-speed, it’s a big no brainer. If you’re running 8-speed, just by SRAM chains as they come with a powerlink.
What Mike said about the powerlink (it also says it in the directions {gasp}). Push it together in the center then slide the two ends toward each other. It will pop right off.
I have had no problems getting the power-links apart - but I do keep the chain clean by taking off every couple of rides (squeeze and push together) and and putting in a jar with kerosine. Mini washing machine by shaking the jar for a minute. Soak chain for a bit - shake again and all of the gunk comes off. Put chain back on and re-lube - smooth sounds now come from the drive chain. This came about from living in the sandy Blue Mountains and not liking the grinding paste sounds after each ride!! Also if you let the kerosine settle, you can use many times as all of the dirt falls to the bottom of the jar - pour off the clean stuff and use this for the next clean - repeat for months!
Interestingly people fall into two camps - those who have problems getting the link apart or those who say the links break - they cannot both be right…
Squeezing the two ends of the link (hard) between your thumbs and fingers as you slide it is the key to getting the powerlink apart easily. I clean my singlespeed’s chain regularly just like Toby but with turpentine, as I ride on the beach a lot and sand and chains don’t get on.
I have only had trouble when my chain has been neglected for some time and it is really grimy. The grime tends to suction them together and it’s hard to slide the plates.
Place a thumb from one hand and index finger from the other on the pin sets of the Powerlink. Then wiggle laterally (side to side) will pressing inward. They need to be at a certain angle, otherwise they will not slide even if they are pushed in. The lateral flexing will ensure that you find the right release angle.