i tried taking out a few links to shorten the chain and when i did it felt rough. it crunched and didnt feel right at all. put the pin back in and now its stiff. its a CN-HG701 shimano chain. is it meant to be shortened? is there a way to fix it without replacing the chain?
by Pigeon_06
5 Comments
The normal links aren’t meant to be used that way. There are dedicated chainlocks / quicklinks or pins to connect chains. Shimano sells those pins and quicklinks seperatly. Just take care what kind of drivetrain you use
Did you reuse the normal pin?
In case you did:
NEVER do that!
Do you see the little rings your chain tool will collect? Those are the ridges that keep the chain together and shear off when you push a regular pin through.
For reconnecting, a proper joining pin or quick link should do the trick.
If there is some leftover stiffness, you can flex the chain along the long side. Like laying it on a table but the table hanging through
An [11 speed quick link](https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/duraace-r9100/SM-CN900-11.html) is the answer which you seek. We [gotchu](https://youtu.be/79DijItQXMM?feature=shared).
New 11spd chains start at 25.00 at REI right now for the 105 version of it. The Ultegra version is only 35.00.
I will add to the others, just get quick links. There are even some that don’t require any tools and are practically infinitely reusable, look for Wippermann Connex Links.
You may already know this, If you’re using quick links make sure you have two inner links/plates left at each end of the chain after shortening it.