Ultegra chain pin

@huskerdont 166563 wrote:

Not something I would have risked without first seeing it online. I don’t know what people did before the Internet.

Didn’t the chain come with the usual Shimano instruction sheet in 8 languages?

@huskerdont 166565 wrote:

There was a sheet with many languages but it did not discuss the pin.

Oh. The sheet that explains the pin is probably only available in a pack of spare pins (which you should probably score for emergency roadside repair).

@huskerdont 166565 wrote:

There was a sheet with many languages but it did not discuss the pin.

I think Shimano publishes different versions of the instructions for dealers, OEMs, and consumers, with varying degrees of detail. I checked the Shimano site (via google) and found two sets of instructions that both showed how to break off the pin. I’ve actually found the Shimano instructions were sometimes helpful, and I’ve accumulated a shoebox full of them over the years.

So what’s the advantage to a Shimano chain. I have always wanted a quick link, so I have never actually used one. But there must be some reason why people buy them. Price?

@hozn 166580 wrote:

So what’s the advantage to a Shimano chain. I have always wanted a quick link, so I have never actually used one. But there must be some reason why people buy them. Price?

Supposedly the best shifting with Shimano components will come with a Shimano chain. There’s a lot of details in Shimano chains, cassettes, and chainrings, to the point that now chains are directional. Does this really matter? All but one of my bikes have Shimano drive trains, and I’ve used Shimano, SRAM, and Wipperman chains and haven’t had a complaint about my shifting. I don’t have the latest and greatest, so maybe we’ve reached the point that a Shimano chain really needs to be used on a Shimano drivetrain.

As far as wear or longevity goes, I don’t think there’s an advantage one way or the other. Actually, with a replaceable link, I’m more likely to take my chain off and give it a good cleaning, which increases the life of the drivetrain. When I was at my peak, which was when I only had one road bike, I actually had two chains that I would rotate – one would be in use, and the other would be cleaned. One odd thing that I found out during this time was that SRAM chains didn’t like Simple Green. I would soak one of the chains overnight in SG, but I noticed that the side plates started to crack. I don’t think that was necessarily a shortcoming of SRAM, but it did demonstrate that SG was harsher than I thought, and I stopped using it.

The pin in the Shimano chain has always been a bit of a hassle, but Shimano probably has some reason for using it (strength, performance, saves weight). Way back when (>20 years ago?), I think Shimano actually used replaceable link, and there was a lot of bitching and moaning when they started using the pin. That might’ve been when they went to 8 speed, or 9 speed.

BTW, if you are out on a ride and your chain breaks, you don’t necessarily need to have an extra pin with you (which also means you don’t have to carry pliers with you). Just fix the chain as you normally would, and that should be good enough to get you home. Shimano would warn against this, but meh. Another option is to carry a reusable link. The reusable links also have a finite lifetime, which I discovered during a ride.