Okay, it’s not often I ask for technical advice but there is one job on a modern BMX that I loathe, and I spend hours swearing before nothing but pure luck intervenes and I eventually complete the job.
Rejoining halflinks.
I have had a tiny Cyclo brand chain breaker for years. Cheap, very basic, but it’s the only one I’ve had and it’s served me well for probably 20 years.
But no longer, becaise my halflink chain juat got the better of it, and finally stripped its threads.
But anyway, chain breakers are chain breakers, not makers. Since switching to halflink chains about 4 years back, I have *really* struggled with rejoining them.
I adapted my little Cyclo tool so that I could use it to drive the chain link spindles back in, as well as out. But it jas always been a very fiddly, unreliable process and as a result I really really hate fitting or adjusting the length of halflink chains.
So my question is… what’s are the top tips, essential tools, and helpul advice for rejoining halflink chains?
by Awkward_Importance49
5 Comments
I don’t know about others and i see a lot of hate for half links here but ill add what my expierences hae been.
Half links have always worked better for my needs in the last 10-15 years. I have had them on both my single speed racing/track bike running 48/16 and i’ve had it on all my bmx bikes.
Never snapped a half link and my initials reasoning for swapping to half links was that i’d snapped 8 or 9 various other decently branded chains and was getting a little tired of destroying my knees when they did snap.
Half links ive found do stretch a tiny but more but really it’s negliable if you do regular bike maintenance and tinkering. It’s the same kinda deal and truing your wheels every so often. Just either remove a link when you have enough slack or reset your wheel in the dropouts so the chain is at desired tension. Easy fix.
I personally think they look better, aesthics are a part of riding a bike. Many of us choose a bike WE (personally preference) like the look of, if we don’t like the look we’re a lot less likely to ride. Its why not many of us ride scooters…
I have always just worked my half links with a old chain breaker tool. Simple design screw with pin that pushs your chain pin out/in.
Very easy to use. Also very easy to fuck up. Lots of people here snap the pin or plates where chain link sits to keep straight. Easy to misuse the tool or be dumb with it but its also incredibly easy to use and use properly. If you wanna spend a bit more I think shadow conspiracy make a higher end chain breaker. Might be worth looking into.
Be patient when doing it and just go slow. Forcing a chain apart and back together without proper care and attention is going to earn you a face full of dirt at some point.
Any chain tool with the holding pin is a start, that’s a pin that inserts opposite the chain breaking/rejoining pin, it’s useful for all chains but actually is an essential item for half link rejoin as it keeps the whole chain links centred when pushing the pin through, half links unlike a regular so require that extra level of chain rejoining attention as they have a tendency to resist being pushed through and then warp the link and create a bad join. Shadow make a tool for their half links, but tbh there’s plenty of exactly the same chain break that’s unbranded for cheaper.
Miss my old chain breaker
Decent chain tool is a must, and what I always do to rejoin them is leave part of the pin protruding on the inside so the adjoining piece has something to hook onto. And then get a set of grips (water pump pliers) and then squeeze it together and force the pin all the way through to the other side, and then just use the tool to push it through that last bit of the outer pin.
Buy a shadow half link chain breaker and you’ll never struggle again.