On Friday I dropped off a book in town, and then rode out to Ascot Vale. In town I managed to break half a chain link - only I didn’t realise what had happened, I thought the chain had got caught on a tooth on the chainring, or something - but it made a sound not unlike a branch snapping - and sent a short jolt through the cranks. Memo to self: this is a chainlink breaking. Get off, have a look, buy a new bike chain.
The ‘funny’ part was that it took two more chain links breaking, and the chain finally slipping off the chainring, for me to work out what was going on. Mind must have been on the CRAZY CRAZY BARGAINS I was about to snap up at the St Vinnies. It’s lucky I didn’t snap up the rear of a parked car.
I now know that once you start to break links, your chain starts to stretch a fair bit more than one can otherwise get away with. :roll:
The slightly less funny part was that I had to perform a Flinstones stop while descending Maribyrnong Rd, which is the ‘hop hop hop’ part. Brakeless … it was fun while it lasted!
Only as strong as its three weakest links, perhaps?
I didn’t ride it once this happened - pushed it all the way back to the freeway until I realised that it was good enough to ride tootling along the footpath. Saw some hard rubbish mountain bikes on the way but I had enough shit on me at that point. My bike included, yes
Strictly speaking it didn’t fail - the chain never broke completely, although it did fall off the chainring. And I think that particular chain came from somewhere else, a conversion I threw together a couple of years ago, I can’t remember why I put this one back on. It’s in the bin now … wait I should be making jewellery out of it am i rite
That’s the new trap I’ve set up for people entering ascot vale without my permission, sorry you couldve died, but you need to apply for a visa before coming out this way