I'm with Patrick on this. In the old days before master links were
common, you installed chains by driving the pin in the right amount,
and if you were off a bit, the pin would gradually work its way to one
side and the chain would come apart. In my long and unglorious career
as a bike rider, I bet I've broken a dozen chains this way, and every
one of them happened within a week after an installation. You get
cocky from having done it so many times... It happens, but I haven't
seen or experienced it with a chain installed with a master link.
(Note: This is not to say master link chains are better, just that
they're more idiot-proof, which is the whole point.)

It's always called "breaking the chain," but it's not a material
failure, like breaking a chain-chain, the kind with continuous links.
A guess is that your son's chain's link was a little off, and riding
eventually got the better of it.
Grant "Doing my best Sheldon Brown imitation"  Petersen

On Apr 28, 8:03 pm, GeorgeS <[email protected]> wrote:
> My son has a Romulus he purchased about six months ago.  Several weeks
> ago he was out on a long ride and his chain broke.  I have been riding
> bikes a long time and I've never had a chain actually break in use and
> I've never known anyone who has had that happen.  He said that on
> examination the outside plate simply peeled back at several places and
> separated from the pin.  That left the inner plate holding the chain
> together and then that went.  He said he did not hear any noise until
> shortly before the chain broke and it was obviously the plates hitting
> the RD cage.   He took the bike back to the bike store where he bought
> it and they said they had never seen such a thing and put it off to a
> defective chain which they replaced and sent him on his way.  On
> Sunday the same problem started to happen.  After about 30 miles he
> said he started to see the plate on the outside start peeling back at
> three points on the chain.  This time he was able to get back to the
> car before the chain broke.  The bike store kept the bike to show to
> their ace mechanic and my son is supposed to pick it up later in the
> week.  Anyone ever heard anything like this?  The cranks are Sugino
> and the derailliers are 105's.  He is riding on good roads in Maryland
> right out of DC.
> GeorgeS
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to 
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at 
http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

Reply via email to