Woody (Forum Supportum) said:
All the kids are riding with PowerLink chains these days (or something similar).
In theory, you can remove and replace them without tools, but sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's impossible. A pair of chain pliers will ensure that it's always easy.
That's all well and good until you damage a different link :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I didn't say, "Don't bother with a chainbreaker", but once you remove that bad link, pop in a PowerLink to get you home. And you don't need pliers for that.
Woody (Forum Supportum) said:
All the kids are riding with PowerLink chains these days (or something similar).
In theory, you can remove and replace them without tools, but sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's impossible. A pair of chain pliers will ensure that it's always easy.
you gotta buy a new powerlink after you've taken it aprt ~4 times. still cheaper than buying a new chain...
I'll have to have a talk with him about fixing chains and all that. For now he's riding close to campus, so worst case scenario is a long walk back. When the world thaws in the spring he's planning on riding some of the more remote trails that are in his area. Need to discuss the buddy system for that as well.
Done (im)properly, you can pop off a powerlink chain in about 2 seconds using a regular ol pliers. Just cross the jaws over the chain and give it a squeeze, make sure you go in the right direction to split it tho.
Reinstallation is simple too. Get it close to lined up, position the power link between the rear wheel and the crank on top, step down on the pedal with the rear brake applied. Boom.