Frankenchains, AKA ...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

Frankenchains, AKA The SRAM centipede.

13 Posts
13 Users
0 Reactions
733 Views
Posts: 6219
Full Member
Topic starter
 

After replacing a fair few chains I can envisage that one day I might have enough leftovers to make a whole chain. It's a bit like a really rubbish BOGOF deal where 'one' means quite a bit more. Like maybe 50?

 

Anyone ever heard of it being done successfully ?


 
Posted : 22/06/2025 8:29 pm
Posts: 712
Full Member
 


 
Posted : 22/06/2025 8:50 pm
Posts: 9093
Full Member
 

Never managed it in 40 years !


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 8:16 am
Posts: 12507
Free Member
 

Try running a singlespeed. Cheapest 8speed chain give you quite a lot extra. 


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 8:25 am
 mert
Posts: 3831
Free Member
 

Not now everything has dinner plate cassettes. Don't think i've taken more than 2" off any chain in the last decade.

Even on my road bikes!

 


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 10:26 am
Posts: 44146
Full Member
 

On the tandem the timing chain is a lot shorter than a drive chain.  two new timing chains leaves enough links to make a 3rd using two quicklinks.  I did that a couple of times


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 10:29 am
Posts: 2435
Full Member
 

it's not viable cost wise any more is it?  when you could reuse the joining pins it would have worked but now you'd have spend more on Quicklinks than a new chain

I was building bikes for sale for a while and got loads of bits of chain, but then every few years another cog was added to cassettes requiring new chains.  I've still got a huge pile of the bulk 8 or 9 speed Quicklinks I bought....


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 1:08 pm
Posts: 3167
Full Member
 

I once made a chain from left overs. Needless to say, the point at which it broke was in the middle of town pulling away from some traffic lights. Straight OTB onto the tarmac in front of everyone. From that point on all off cuts went straight into the metals recycling.


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 1:20 pm
Posts: 781
Free Member
 

Posted by: mtbfix

I once made a chain from left overs. Needless to say, the point at which it broke was in the middle of town pulling away from some traffic lights. Straight OTB onto the tarmac in front of everyone. From that point on all off cuts went straight into the metals recycling.

 

mine was a nuts / top cap interfacing session … bus stop on the other side of the road. 

 


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 6:57 pm
Posts: 1786
Full Member
 

I bought a new 10 speed Tiagra chain the other day. It only had 116 links which was only just long enough - so no spare links whatsoever 😕


 
Posted : 23/06/2025 8:31 pm
Posts: 7812
Full Member
 

I bought a new 10 speed Tiagra chain the other day. It only had 116 links which was only just long enough - so no spare links whatsoever

I've noticed this as well.  29r FS + longer chain stays + wide range cassette = not a lot left.


 
Posted : 24/06/2025 5:58 am
Posts: 41642
Free Member
 

it's not viable cost wise any more is it?  when you could reuse the joining pins it would have worked but now you'd have spend more on Quicklinks than a new chain

The received wisdom is that KMC have the patent for re-usable links, but not the links themselves, so everyone's are basically the same they just can't be called re-useable.

The only ones I've ever snapped were some Chinese fakes that failed where the pin is supposed to be permanently fixed into the plate. 


 
Posted : 24/06/2025 10:03 am
Posts: 2304
Full Member
 

Posted by: mtbfix

Needless to say, the point at which it broke was in the middle of town pulling away from some traffic lights. Straight OTB onto the tarmac in front of everyone.

Posted by: therevokid

mine was a nuts / top cap interfacing session … bus stop on the other side of the road. 

 

I think it's one of the laws of cycling that the more stupid and/or embarrassing the incident, the more likelihood there is of onlookers.

I did it myself just the other week when I broke my elbow crashing.

A grown man on a fancy expensive mountain bike, stupid skidding crash at slow speed on a tarmac path, ended up in a heap right at someone's feet.
"Are you ok? Do you need an ambulance?"
"No! ****! I'm fine! Thank you!"
(run away)


 
Posted : 24/06/2025 10:40 am

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!