Hi all!
I recently removed the pedals and chain from my daughter’s bike so she could use it as a balance bike.
In my naivety, I snapped the chain but as I wasn’t using it, I just ignored it for the time being.
Fast forward to today, and my daughter is ready to try pedals again.
The bike is single speed with a one piece crank. My question is, what information do I need to know to buy a new chain? And do I need a specific tool or do chains tend to come with it?
For reference, this is the bike:
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/kids-bikes/huffy-frozen-kids-bike—14in-wheel-686886.html
I removed the stabilisers, gear casing, chain and one piece crank arm.
Any help would be amazing! I just don’t know what I need to buy.
by willemorley
3 Comments
Photo of the broken chain would be best, but…
Most likey 1/8″ chain. So you would need a new chain [1/2 x 1/8″], a chain breaker tool to size it [should have a little slack and not be fully tensioned] and a “master link” for 1/2 x 1/8″ chains. Also some pliers to force the clasp of the master link in position could come in handy.
If you got a local bike shop you should get away with around 40€ for material and work.
If you order online it’s a bit less, as long as you got some pliers to borrow or laying around.
Maybe you’re in a helpful neighbourhood and you can ask for help/borrow tools. But if, always return tools cleaned and without damage and offer replacements if you wreck something. Also, a ‘Thank you very much’ with some cake, beer or anything comparable that fits the taste taste of your helper goes a long way in getting help again.
First off, put the cranks back in, those didn’t need to come out. Might as well grease the bearings first though.
Go buy an 1/8″ chain and a decent chain breaker. Loosen the rear axle nuts and push the wheel all the way forward. Wrap the chain around the cog and chainring and line up links as short as you can get it while still having a little slack. Use the chainbreaker to remove excess chain. Connect the chain with the included master link. Pull the wheel back to tension the chain, snug up the axle nuts. Check for tight/loose spots through the cranks rotation (these rings are never round) and adjust accordingly. Done!
You’ll need to cut a chain to length and then install it. [Park Tool has a video](https://youtu.be/88tDcVvS7mU) on it that should give you an idea of the process. And there are about 5,000 other videos on YouTube if you need additional guides.
So, you will need a [new chain](https://a.co/d/7eDn0UI) and a [chain tool](https://a.co/d/4bDHoIm), and you should be able to get your daughter’s bike set up.