have i just wrecked my chain?

neilus

Hiya
Ive got a Scott Spark 60 2011 which im really pleased with, except that ive been getting an awful lot of chain slap on my descents which is really, really bugging me...even though i know what it is, i just cant relax with this rattling and clanging going on...
So ive just shortened my chain a few links, all seems well except that i just noticed on the chain that theres one pin that is clearly different, the ends of all the other pins have a tiny indent in the end but this flat and from a much darker metal...
Im thinking surely this is where any link removal should be? Ive watched a few tutorials and nowhere have i heard that you have to find a specific link/pin to remove...its a Shimano CN-HG53 by the way...
Many thanks chaps
Neil

cooldad

Shimano are prone to snap at the join unless you use their special joining pin, and even then they're marginal, IMHO.
I’d get a KMC or Sram master link and use that.
But I would be more worried about ripping the mech and/or hanger off if the chain is too short.
How did you measure it?

The Rookie

The specific link pin is to join not remove.

Size the chain correctly (big biog without the rear mech plus one link) not through trial and error (big error if it pulls the rear mech into the cassette and chews it up!)

Fit a a chainstay protector and MTFU!

nicklouse

neilus wrote:

i just noticed on the chain that theres one pin that is clearly different, the ends of all the other pins have a tiny indent in the end but this flat and from a much darker metal...
Im thinking surely this is where any link removal should be?

that is the pin NOT to remove.

why do people keep watching videos? read the manual.

and as above chain length is not guess work there is math behind it. and you also need to compensate for any chain grow.
i would be checking the length is correct now. as you dont want to be putting the mech in the spokes now do you?

neilus

Cheers, i broke the chain then fed it round largest front chainring, largest rear bypassing the mech/hanger, two more links from where they met and binned the rest...i read that method on here somewhere!
I guess i need to get into the habit of shifting up the gears before descending to take up the slack...
thanks

cooldad

And by up you mean down.

Chunkers1980

Nope - I think it means up to a bigger chainring or sprocket ;-)

cooldad

A bigger chainring is up, a bigger sprocket is down. Do try to keep up. And stop confusing the issue.

neilus

Ok, well i mean up the chainrings (to biggest) and down the rear cogs (to biggest)....you know what i mean!

The Rookie

No we didn't, which is why we tried to be helpful by making sure!

neilus

thanks for the replies, i appreciate it!