Those Quick Links

Yesterday I felt better than I have for a couple of weeks. So much better that I suspect I had some sort of bug.

Anyway I decided to do a quick little 30 miler with some climbing. I went up Norris Canyon and was doing OK though there's no wind and a lot of sun in the canyon.

I stopped at the top for a couple of seconds to drink a half bottle of water and kicked off for the steep descent.

I was up about 45 mph so I wasn't pedaling and it felt like I ran over an aluminum sheet or some such. As I slowed down to 30 mph or so I tried to pedal. Nothing. I assumed that I was in too low a gear and shifted into high. Nothing.

I looked down and couldn't see the chain so I messed about with the shifters since I had obviously derailed on the inside. Nothing.

I pulled over to the side and looked - no chain. Well I sure as hell wasn't going to climb back a mile looking for a chain with Delta cleats on.

I called one brother and he was off at a burial ceremony for his wife's family. I got hold of my other brother - the blind as a bat one. He said he'd pick me up. I gave him directions to a pickup location that was about a mile away at the bottom of the hills.

Riding a bike with no chain is sure rediculous.

Since there was no strain on the chain at the time it disappeared the only thing that could have happened would be that the quick link unclipped.

Because I had changed from a short armed rear derailluer to a long arm one I had to add a couple of links. So I pulled the chain apart.

They recommend that you only use 10 speed quick links once so one of those quick links had been pulled off a couple of times and probably failed.

This time I went to a KMC 10SL which has the sort of quick link that they say can be used multiple times. We'll undoubtedly test that.

I also scratched hell out of my paint job somehow so today I'll have to look for some blue metallic paint for repairs.

On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 10:07:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Snipped

I also scratched hell out of my paint job somehow so today I'll have to look for some blue metallic paint for repairs.

Some nail polishes make fantastic touch-up paints for bicycle frames and the polish is very durable and comes in an astounding array of colours and shades these days.

Cheers

On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 10:11:52 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 10:07:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Snipped

I also scratched hell out of my paint job somehow so today I'll have to look for some blue metallic paint for repairs.

Some nail polishes make fantastic touch-up paints for bicycle frames and the polish is very durable and comes in an astounding array of colours and shades these days.

Thanks for the suggestions. If I can't find Testor's paint to match I'll look into it.

On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 1:17:47 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 10:11:52 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 10:07:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Snipped

I also scratched hell out of my paint job somehow so today I'll have to look for some blue metallic paint for repairs.

Some nail polishes make fantastic touch-up paints for bicycle frames and the polish is very durable and comes in an astounding array of colours and shades these days.

Thanks for the suggestions. If I can't find Testor's paint to match I'll look into it.

You're very welcome. BTW, if you want to change the depth of colour of a Testor's jar of metallic blue you can do so by first apply a base metallic colour. Silver will give the lightest braightest appearance to the blue that's aplied over it. Gold and copper will give darker shades of the blue when the blue is applied over either. IIRC the cooped bae would give the deepest colour to the blue.

Cheers

On 2017-07-10 07:07, wrote:
Yesterday I felt better than I have for a couple of weeks. So much
better that I suspect I had some sort of bug.

Anyway I decided to do a quick little 30 miler with some climbing. I
went up Norris Canyon and was doing OK though there's no wind and a
lot of sun in the canyon.

I stopped at the top for a couple of seconds to drink a half bottle
of water and kicked off for the steep descent.

I was up about 45 mph so I wasn't pedaling and it felt like I ran
over an aluminum sheet or some such. As I slowed down to 30 mph or so
I tried to pedal. Nothing. I assumed that I was in too low a gear and
shifted into high. Nothing.

I looked down and couldn't see the chain so I messed about with the
shifters since I had obviously derailed on the inside. Nothing.

I pulled over to the side and looked - no chain. Well I sure as hell
wasn't going to climb back a mile looking for a chain with Delta
cleats on.

I called one brother and he was off at a burial ceremony for his
wife's family. I got hold of my other brother - the blind as a bat
one. He said he'd pick me up. I gave him directions to a pickup
location that was about a mile away at the bottom of the hills.

Riding a bike with no chain is sure rediculous.

Since there was no strain on the chain at the time it disappeared the
only thing that could have happened would be that the quick link
unclipped.

Because I had changed from a short armed rear derailluer to a long
arm one I had to add a couple of links. So I pulled the chain apart.

They recommend that you only use 10 speed quick links once so one of
those quick links had been pulled off a couple of times and probably
failed.

This time I went to a KMC 10SL which has the sort of quick link that
they say can be used multiple times. We'll undoubtedly test that.

I also scratched hell out of my paint job somehow so today I'll have
to look for some blue metallic paint for repairs.


It could be worse. This guy lost the propeller mid-flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEapiGMbxw

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 10:22:10 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Snipped
It could be worse. This guy lost the propeller mid-flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEapiGMbxw

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

HAH! That's nothing. A plane like that without a propeeler is a glider. Try landing an F-15 Eagle when it's missing one wing. This guy did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

Cheers

On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 3:07:06 PM UTC+1, wrote:

I was up about 45 mph so I wasn't pedaling

If you fall at that sort of speed and break a hip, you won't be cycling again.

This time I went to a KMC 10SL which has the sort of quick link that they say can be used multiple times. We'll undoubtedly test that.

I've had very good luck with KMC chains. In my circles (tourers, utility bikes, 4-seasons commuters, mainly Rohloff transmissions) the KMC X8 is the gold standard against which all other chains are measured. The only downside is that there are different 8-speed quick links for KMC chains and if you get the wrong one, your chain doesn't fit inside the Hebie Chainglider that we also love. No experience of KMC 10-speed chains but if I bought a ten-speed-transmission bike, I'd spec a KMC chain from the get-go because I've had such good luck with their 8-speeds.

KMC quick links are definitely reusable, and I normally use two per chain from new to make adjustment, if ever required, faster and easier. I haven't had to take out a link yet because, one, the X series of KMC chains are pretty "stretch"-resistant and, two, my bike has plenty of adjustment in the custom Rohloff slots and, three, a Rohloff box is anyway optimally run with a pretty slack chain by road bike standards.

In short, I can recommend KMC chains as enthusiastically as I recommend Schwalbe tires. As a bonus, KMC chains are so common that they are often on sale, and thus pretty cheap for the outstanding quality. A KMC X8 costs the same, or pennies more than, a Shimano Nexus chain (a common OEM fitting on internal hub bikes), and lasts three times as far.

Andre Jute
Experienced

On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 9:41:21 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 10:22:10 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Snipped
It could be worse. This guy lost the propeller mid-flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEapiGMbxw

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

HAH! That's nothing. A plane like that without a propeeler is a glider. Try landing an F-15 Eagle when it's missing one wing. This guy did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

Cheers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

On 11/07/17 21:01, Doug Landau wrote:
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 9:41:21 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 10:22:10 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Snipped
It could be worse. This guy lost the propeller mid-flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEapiGMbxw

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

HAH! That's nothing. A plane like that without a propeeler is a glider. Try landing an F-15 Eagle when it's missing one wing. This guy did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

Cheers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

When I was a lad not a week went by without losing a prop or a wing.
Some days the only thing left flying was the wings, on a bad day, only
the left one. Many I time I landed on only the pilot's seat with the
'chute wrapped around my knees. Kids these days, don't know they're born...

On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 12:14:48 PM UTC-7, Tosspot wrote:
On 11/07/17 21:01, Doug Landau wrote:
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 9:41:21 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 10:22:10 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Snipped
It could be worse. This guy lost the propeller mid-flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEapiGMbxw

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

HAH! That's nothing. A plane like that without a propeeler is a glider. Try landing an F-15 Eagle when it's missing one wing. This guy did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

Cheers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

When I was a lad not a week went by without losing a prop or a wing.
Some days the only thing left flying was the wings, on a bad day, only
the left one. Many I time I landed on only the pilot's seat with the
'chute wrapped around my knees. Kids these days, don't know they're born...

A+