OODA loop and Chain Tool: A Tale about Meltdown Prevention
While on my long ride this weekend, I had an unusual (for me) bike mechanical problem. I had dropped my chain twice while shifting from the big to small chain ring during the ride. When I tried to shift from big to small chain ring again, the chain would not seat onto the teeth of the small chain ring. Frustrated I shifted back up the big chain ring and the chain flew off the big chain ring and past the Chain Guard---that little cylindrical metal thingy that sticks up from the big chain ring right behind the crankarm that supposed to prevent the chain from flying off and damaging the crank. Now the chain is hung up around that little metal thingy.
I dismount and after many, many attempts I cannot get the chain back around that little metal thingy. 
No problemo. I'm a self-reliant woman and have a chain tool to prove it.
I break the chain, reposition it properly, and go to reassemble it when I drop the teeny tiny rivet. It is exactly the same color as the chip seal on the road, of course. At this point I notice that my chain is a Shimano chain. What was all that bitching and moaning about Shimano chains on the mtb forum I read? Nevermind. Time to focus on the task at hand! I removed 2 links of the chain and reconnect.
I ride away completely smug in my self-reliance when 5 minutes later I look down to see the link where I reassembled the chain looks like it exploded. Oh for crying out loud! I remove the exploded link and go to reassemble the chain. In the small chain ring on the smallest cog on the cassette, it is now too short---I need two hands to hold the links together because the rear derailleur pulley is pulling on the chain. I need a 3rd hand to hold the stupid, teeny tiny rivet and yet a 4th hand to put all of it into the chain tool. Last I checked I was not the Hindu goddess with many arms for this task.
I'm about 5 miles from home. My DH is in Albany at an Xterra race so there goes my rescue ride. I will not lie...The chain-tool wielding Superwoman was close to a meltdown. Then I thought: Ah the OODA loop! I unwind the chain from the derailleur and reconnect the chain (bypassing the rear derailleur completely) and the bike is now a single speed. Now I remember what the deal was with Shimano chains: When you break a Shimano chain, you need a brand new rivet to reassemble it. Pffft! Well, I rode back as gently I could without putting much pressure on the chain and made it home.
I have since replace that chain with a KMC chain (which does not have that Shimano rivet problem) and carry Whipperman quick links.
So, knowledgable bike folk was there a maneuver I could have done to get my chain around the chain guard to prevent this mess?
Comments
Impressive skilz for sure. Been meaning to buy a small chain tool to put in my bag after I watched someone have to use one recently and was thinking that I would be SOL if that happened to me. Wipperman links are the coolest btw, not sure why anyone would NOT use them.
Only one thing missing from that story, how you go home and smash the chain to pieces with a hammer!
Great Job on the bike fix
She is a General Surgeon. Let's hope there is no smashing
. Nice work, Kit!!
Notice how we are all hiding our ignorance on how to avoid this problem by effusively praising you resourcefulness? I have my chains get stuck in all sorts of locations, including the one you note, and really don't know how to avoid this one.
I will note that in my incarnation as a mountain biker (1994-2008), I had several occasions when I needed to break the (Shimano) chain in order to save it. I don't know if this is standard practice, or maybe the chains are different now, but by using a chain tool which has a stop in I was able to prevent the rivet from coming out completely. As long as I didn't drive the rivet totally out, I was always able to re-asemble without weakening the chain. Oh, and I had to reverse the tool and loosen the rivet just a hair to make sure the links were not wedged tight together, so they would roll smoothly over the teeth.
Vince
SRAM chains. End of story.
I asked my LBS about maneuvering the chain from around the chain guard...Basically, once it's crossed over it, it's pretty near impossible to move it back so breaking the chain was necessary.
Al, good tip on the Shimano chain. None of my mtb's have Shimano chains. I'd always been told that if I had a Shimano chain to carry new rivets--it seemed like a PITA to me given that I snap an mtb chain 1-2 times a year.
FYI, Campy chain have the same problem as Shimano chains in requiring a new rivet when the chain is broken. SRAM, KMC, and Wipperman chains do not.
I was told to carry the extra rivets by my LBS too when I bought my chain tool. So they are always in my saddle bag- PITA. BUT I didn't realize it was only because I had a Shimano chain at the time. Pretty sure I have Wipperman now with a Wipperman link- need to double check that. Thanks for the extra tip!
Kit,
Nice work! One thing I miss about the dirt biking world are weekly tales of equipment carnage and McGuyver'ed extractions. I once used an old nail and electrical tape to fix a broken sparkplug to save myself from walking 20 miles with no water in the desert...
With all of the epic solo climbing I have scheduled for the next 8-9wks, I need to seriously look at my tool kit and plan for stuff like this. Time to order a Whipperman or whatever solution I need to repair my chain on the road.
I also run the KMC quick link that a few people mentioned on all of my bikes. I have no idea how to get the chain unstuck correctly, I just take the quick link off. FYI, I also have a spare quick link in my bag just in case and my multi tool has a chain breaker.