I have to give chuckanado all the credit for this one.
On our Black Mountain ride a ways back, I was having chain issues. I use a quick-link chain connector to make the removal of the chain for routine maintenance simple. Of course any of you who have one know firsthand they can be a bit of a PIA to remove and even more fun on the trail.
I was using a rental bike for the ride and the chain broke. I just grabbed a quick link out of my pack, rethreaded the chain, linked it and off we went. No real problem until I heard a click-click-click-click as I pedaled. I had installed the chain wrong on the derailleur and it was threaded under a small tab in the cage rather than over it. Nice noob error on my part. After fiddling with the quick-link and failing to get it to release, Chuck showed me the following tool and now I don’t know how I could live without it. I have one at home and one in the pack.
Take a three inch section of a wire coat hanger and bend the ends to just past 90 degrees making hooks on either end.
Hook it on either side of the quick-link and make sure you have a bit of slack.
Remove the quick-link.
Installation is the reverse order. It sure makes it easier than fighting with a chain on the trail!
You can thank Chuck next time you see him.
