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How To Use A Chain Tool

Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, youshould immediately replace it with a new one. It is possible however, to repair a broken chain usinga chain tool. For this very reason, most mountainbikers travel with a chain tool.

Your chain has three basic components - the metal side plates, the rollers between the side plates, and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollersand help to hold the plates together. These pinsallow the rollers to freely turn as the chain moves around the cogs.

If your chain happens to break, you'll need to removethe broken link and replace it with a spare link.To do this, simply reattach the two ends of thebroken chain and ride on a shorter chain until youcan get it replaced.

To remove a broken link of chain, place it in thechain tool. Now, turn the tool counter clockwiseuntil the rivet pin of the chain tool touches the chain rivet. Continue to turn the tool untilthe pin pushes out of the roller. Be very careful,as you want to stop turning when the pin is right at the edge of the roller, before it moves throughthe outer side plate.

Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and backit out of the roller. Set the tool to the side, then work the chain very gently from side to sideand extract the inner side plates and roller.

Now is the time to re-route the chain through thebike. You may want to have a chain retaining toolor some to help you hold the chain in the rightspot as you route and repair it.

Now that the broken link has been removed and you've re-routed the chain, you're ready to inserta new link or simply connect the links that werebeside the broken one. The process here is the same - align the two ends so that the link with the inner side plates will fit inside the link with the pin and outer side plates. Now, use thechain tool to push the pin inward until it's positioned evenly between the side plates.

The easiest way to learn how to do this or feelcomfortable doing it is to have someone show you, then actually practice with a chain and a chaintool. You'll have no trouble at all making a temporary repair in a mountain bike chain onceyou've seen it done by a professional and practicedit yourself a few times.

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