# Has anyone here had a problem after reusing a quick-link on a 11 speed chain?



## walrus (Jan 29, 2004)

I've read some people reuse them and some as the instructions recommend don't . I recently put a new 11 speed groupset on my bike replacing a 17 years old ultegra 9 speed group. With the Sram 9 speed chain I reused the quick link 5 or more times with no problems. I've reused the quick link on my 11 speed a few times now with no problems but I'm wondering what will happen if it does have a problem. I do have an extra Shimano quick I carry with me and can put it on if everyone thinks it's necessary. My next chain will be a Shram.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

walrus said:


> I've read some people reuse them and some as the instructions recommend don't . I recently put a new 11 speed groupset on my bike replacing a 17 years old ultegra 9 speed group. With the Sram 9 speed chain I reused the quick link 5 or more times with no problems. I've reused the quick link on my 11 speed a few times now with no problems but I'm wondering *what will happen if it does have a problem.* I do have an extra Shimano quick I carry with me and can put it on if everyone thinks it's necessary. My next chain will be a Shram.


Really? It'll break. What do you think will happen? If you're standing this could be quite painful...if you're seated not so much.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

walrus said:


> I've read some people reuse them and some as the instructions recommend don't . I recently put a new 11 speed groupset on my bike replacing a 17 years old ultegra 9 speed group. With the Sram 9 speed chain I reused the quick link 5 or more times with no problems. I've reused the quick link on my 11 speed a few times now with no problems but I'm wondering what will happen if it does have a problem. I do have an extra Shimano quick I carry with me and can put it on if everyone thinks it's necessary. My next chain will be a Shram.



Sram's 9 speed Power Link was designed to be reused. Sram's 10 speed and 11 speed Master LOCKS are one time use only. KMC and Shimano's master link is also one time use only for 11 speed chains.

You want to risk snapping a chain and busting yourself up over a few bucks? Not worth it IMO.


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## Finx (Oct 19, 2017)

I had a quick link fail. It was on a trainer bike and had been re-used many many many times. I never had issues on the trainer, but one spring, I cleaned up the bike and took it for quick spin around the block. 

*BIG MISTAKE*.

The link popped off the chain at the worst possible time. I was standing going up very short, but very steep climb, and i went down onto the top tube and then to the ground. It was basically a no-speed crash, but I ended up with a gash from the chain ring on the back of my calf (I really wish the UCI would ban those things - they are dangerous ), and a bruised groin area (nothing too serious, but not fun either). I was also recovering from shoulder re-construction surgery at the time. So it could have been a very costly error in judgement. Fortunately, I kinda rolled over to the opposite side and didn't re-injure it.

That said, i wax my chains, and take them off more often than I probably should. I re-use the quick links, but I make it a point to pay attention to how much 'bite' it has when I snap it closed (I use quick link pliers). If it doesn't offer much resistance when snapping closed, it comes back off and gets replaced. I used to use whatever brand of quick/master link I had laying around, but I've since switched to the new Shimano version. The seem to be much stiffer going on (and coming off), and they just generally give me a better feeling about the chain retention.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

walrus said:


> I'm wondering what will happen if it does have a problem. I do have an extra Shimano quick I carry with me and can put it on if everyone thinks it's necessary. My next chain will be a Shram.


Well it depends if you are sprinting, JRA or what.

What would you do with your spare tube if you have a problem with the one in a tire? Assuming you know the correct answer to that I trust you can figure out how it applies to chain quick links.


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## JerryLook (Dec 3, 2017)

My experience is similar to Finx, I wax my chains and use the “reusable” 11 spd KMC links on PYC chains. 

You can feel when they don’t click into place as well anymore. And then they get replaced. So far that’s been after 5-6 uses. 

I have had similar experiences with the KMC “non-reusable” links. I can’t really tell a difference between those and the reusable ones. Makes me feel better using the reusable ones, even though I believe they only recommend using them 2-3 times.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

walrus said:


> I've read some people reuse them and some as the instructions recommend don't . I recently put a new 11 speed groupset on my bike replacing a 17 years old ultegra 9 speed group. With the Sram 9 speed chain I reused the quick link 5 or more times with no problems. I've reused the quick link on my 11 speed a few times now with no problems but I'm wondering what will happen if it does have a problem. I do have an extra Shimano quick I carry with me and can put it on if everyone thinks it's necessary. My next chain will be a Shram.


Reused as in "the chain was fully worn out and I reused the quick link" or as in "I took the chain off every week to clean it and reused the quick link." In the first case, reusing the link seems foolish. In the former, not much of an issue except of course that there is no rational reason to remove your chain to clean it.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> Really? *It'll break.* What do you think will happen? If you're standing this could be quite painful...if you're seated not so much.


Revelation! :thumbsup: 

Seriously, these things are cheap. At about $2 a pop, is there any reason to take the risk of having your chain snap while powering up a hill? What are you, a cheapskate?


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## Notvintage (May 19, 2013)

walrus said:


> With the Sram 9 speed chain I reused the quick link 5 or more times with no problems.


Yea, there's never a problem till there is a problem. Don't be cheap unless you like emergency rooms for some reason.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Notvintage said:


> Yea, there's never a problem till there is a problem. Don't be cheap unless you like emergency rooms for some reason.


Exactly...nothing is broken...til it breaks.


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

I'm probably jinxing myself, but I've re-used KMC 11-speed quick links several times with no issues. I'm a reasonably big guy (about 185lb race weight) and put down some decent power. The guys in my LBS do the same. Now realize this is maybe only 2-3 times over the life of the chain, not every week or anything.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

OldChipper said:


> I'm probably jinxing myself, but I've re-used KMC 11-speed quick links several times with no issues. I'm a reasonably big guy (about 185lb race weight) and put down some decent power. The guys in my LBS do the same. Now realize this is maybe only 2-3 times over the life of the chain, not every week or anything.


Just because you have always done it that way............


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

Oh right, let me edit my post where I said my anecdotal evidence proves that it's fine... Oh. Wait. I never said that.  

I've done it enough that I'm comfortable with it. YMMV and you pay your money, you takes your chances.


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