Why Did My Mountain Bike Chain Break

This is a common question that comes up when people are riding their bikes. A chain breaking can be quite frustrating and it leaves the person who broke their chain with the task of fixing it. However, there are many reasons why a bike chain may break.

The most common reason is that the rider has not greased their bike’s chain enough or they have not replaced the old grease on their bike’s chain. There are also many other reasons for a bike chain to break including rust, being too tight, and being too loose.

How often do mountain bike chains break?

There are many variables that affect how long a chain will last. It could last several months, or it could last much longer. A typical mountain bike chain will last 750 miles of single track riding. It’s not easy to gauge exactly how long a chain will last, but there are ways to prolong the life of the chain.^[1]

How much force does it take to break a bike chain?

Wippermann’s internal standard is 9,500-11,000 Newtons of breaking force for its bicycle chains, and they achieved that; some of the others fell short of that.^[2]

What happens if my bike chain breaks?

You will loose power from your back wheel because the chain is no longer delivering the drive the engine is giving. The engine will still be going, but you will not be able to accelerate. In fact, your motorcycle may start decelerating if you’re not going down a hill at all.^[3]

How much does a mountain bike chain cost?

Entry level chains can start off around $15.00 with more expensive and higher performance chains ranging from $25.00 to $60.00 or more. More expensive chains increase shift quality and are generally more durable as they wear. A more expensive chain may be a few grams lighter as well if weight is a concern for you.^[4]

How do I keep my bike chain from breaking?

Get a chain wear indicator. Don’t re-use master links. For chains with a connecting pin, don’t break the chain in the same spot twice. Use a proper bicycle chain lubricant. Don’t continually break and re-connect the chain.^[5]

Why did my new bike chain break?

1) Your chain might be too loose. 2) Your chain might be dirty or rusty. 3) Your front gears might not be working well with your back gears. 4) Your bike chain might be too long or too short.^[6]

Do bike chains break easily?

Chains, like anything else on your bike, can be damaged if it gets hit hard enough. While not as common, chains can break if they are involved in a rock strike or other impact. Impact damage to chains can be more difficult to repair than if the chain breaks due to wear.^[7]

How strong do you have to be to break a chain?

Steel has very high tensile strength. For chain tension to permanently deform a chain link plate (permanently stretch but not break), the tensile force would likely have to be at least 200 lbf per plate.^[8]

Should you replace a bike chain if it breaks?

A broken bicycle chain will render your bike useless but can be repaired on the road, at least sufficiently to allow you to ride home. You will need a bicycle chain-tool which comes as part of most multi-tools, as well as a spare quick-link.^[9]

What does it mean when a chain breaks?

Breaking the chain means that your own sale and purchase will no longer be dependent on each other. Consequently, as chains only ever progress at the same rate as the slowest transaction, ‘unchaining’ yourself will speed things up and do everyone who’s losing patience a favour.^[10]

Can a broken chain be fixed?

Yes, it can be repaired. However, a golden rope chain belongs to the types of chains that aren’t as straightforward in repairing. It’s hard to maintain its original integrity because of the way it is constructed once it is broken. Gold rope chains are made with delicate, tiny interlocking rings of gold.^[11]

Can you reuse a broken bike chain?

Fifteen years ago the answer was a simple “Yes”. Today’s 10, 11, and 12 speed chains are not designed to be reassembled this way, and in fact, will reliably break or fail where you reuse the rivet. For these new narrow chains, simply use a replacement rivet on Shimano, or master link on SRAM or other.^[12]