# Commuters: Do you carry a chain tool ?



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

I repeatedly read advice that says commuters should carry a chain tool and a spoke wrench. I'm a solo commuter, 18 miles each way, with no real backup that I can call if something goes wrong, but so far, I haven't packed a chain tool.

Any of you commuters carry a chain tool?
I also saw some advice about carrying spare chain pins. Do you do this? 
Where does one find spare chain pins for a given chain?
How much practice is needed to to competently repair a chain on the roadside? Don't forget about needing to do this in adverse weather. 

I am getting more careful about replacing my chains, usually once a season.

And now for the spoke wrench, if I have 36 spokes, will damage to one or two spokes sideline me? Having never used a spoke wrench, should I learn how to use one?

Trying to weigh if all of this is good advice.


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## JP (Feb 8, 2005)

I carry a multi-tool with a chain tool on most rides. I have only used it a couple of times in many thousands of miles and always on a friend's bike. I would only piece together a modern 9 or 10 speed chain as a stop gap, and it's probably good advice to just carry a spare link, but you still need the tool to take off the broken bit of chain. You can get a SRAM spare link when you replace your chain. I wouldn't bother with spare pins. 

It's pretty easy to fix a chain on the road. You pop out the broken link and pop in the connecting link. It takes a couple of minutes. You could practice this by getting a new SRAM chain. Put the new chain on your bike, and call it "maintenance." Then break and reconnect the old chain a few times for practice until you realize how easy it is. 

As for spokes, with 36 spokes your ride will likely continue with a broken spoke. I think messing with wheels is a great skill, but it's one of the last bits of working on bikes I recommend, so it's really a matter of how motivated you are to learn. On the other hand, if you have a multi-tool with a spoke wrench, you can always back off the two opposing spokes to the one you broke. This would obviously put a hop in your wheel, but at least it would be round enough to ride.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

1- yeah
2- superlink or extra links
3- come w/ new chain
4- easy... cold fingers and/or darkness might slow you down tho


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

moonmoth said:


> I repeatedly read advice that says commuters should carry a chain tool and a spoke wrench. I'm a solo commuter, 18 miles each way, with no real backup that I can call if something goes wrong, but so far, I haven't packed a chain tool.
> 
> Any of you commuters carry a chain tool?
> I also saw some advice about carrying spare chain pins. Do you do this?
> ...


I do not carry anything but a spare tube and a CO2 inflator. But my commute is a couple of miles long with the wife being a phone call or short push away. 
Would I carry a small bike shop if I were you? Most certainly. 18 miles without backup is a long way to walk solo.


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## perttime (Jun 27, 2005)

moonmoth said:


> Any of you commuters carry a chain tool?
> I also saw some advice about carrying spare chain pins. Do you do this?
> Where does one find spare chain pins for a given chain?
> How much practice is needed to to competently repair a chain on the roadside? Don't forget about needing to do this in adverse weather.


1/2. I do not carry much: 5 miles, pickup if needed, no consequences for being a bit late.
3. Bike shop
4. Try the chain tool at home (and pump...).

The only times I've had problems with a chain were when I had a new chain/joint on a mountain bike.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

I carry a multi tool that has a chain breaker and spoke wrenches.


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Any bike shop should have them
4. Not much. Follow the instructions.

All that said, I've only done mid-ride chain repairs on my MTB. But I'm not taking any chances, especially with some of the neighborhoods that I ride through- I'm carrying the chain tool. 

As for the wheel repairs, it can't hurt to carry a spoke wrench too. Ask your LBS mechanic to show you how to properly use it.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

The only mechanical I had this year while commuting was a broken chain...

I didn't carry a tool at the time but I do now..


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> The only mechanical I had this year while commuting was a broken chain...
> 
> I didn't carry a tool at the time but I do now..


Carrying the tool always prevents the problem that the tool is required for (hence the popularity of multi-tools).  

Now don't forget to haul a welding torch and a couple of tanks for when your frame breaks!


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

MB1 said:


> Now don't forget to haul a welding torch and a couple of tanks for when your frame breaks!


Won't your new plastic bike melt when you hit it with the welding torch.


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## festus (Sep 15, 2005)

I carry a cool tool, which includes a chain breaker.
no need for extra pins or links, just shorten your chain to get home and stay off the big/big gear combo until you replace your chain.


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## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

1. yes- it's this old alloy tool that also has built in hex sockets
2. no, I figure I can get to work and home with a chain that's a little short if I have to 

and yeah, I have a spoke wrench with me too, but have only needed it once (on the road) in the last 10-12 years


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

MarkS said:


> Won't your new plastic bike melt when you hit it with the welding torch.


No one likes to talk about this but; the real weight savings from switching from a steel frame/fork to plastic is the difference between carrying a torch with oxygen and fuel tanks for those on the road frame repairs and a tube of super glue for plastic frames and forks. :aureola:


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

festus said:


> ...just shorten your chain to get home...




works for gearies, maybe not for ss/fg


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a 4.5 mile in-city commute with bus lines running in all directions, each bus including a bike rack. I carry a simple multi-tool, mostly for minor adjustments, but no tubes, pump, patches, inflator, or chain tool. Knock on wood... :mad2: When commuting on my fixie I also have a 15mm wrench. 

Road rides are different, and for those I add a pump, tube, patch kit, and tire boot (section of old tire). For really, really long, unsupported rides (like brevets) I have all the above plus a chain tool, connex link, and a kevlar emergency spoke.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*insurance*



FatTireFred said:


> works for gearies, maybe not for ss/fg


Just run 1/8" cogs and and Izumi V. It will not break, ever. Could run that chain on a Harley.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

I carry a separate chain tool only when I go mountain biking.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> The only mechanical I had this year while commuting was a broken chain...
> 
> I didn't carry a tool at the time but I do now..


It's only happened once on my road bike, but at the time I was in a remote canyon with no way to call anyone on my cell phone. I could have coasted down the hill and maybe got in touch with someone on my cell then, but unless I got someone to pick me up it would have been a long walk from there without the chain tool.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Fixed said:


> ....It will not break, ever.......


Famous last words......

I see someone walking home in the near future.


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

PdxMark said:


> When commuting on my fixie I also have a 15mm wrench.


Why bother? Its not like you're carrying anything you can use to fix the problem after you've got the wheel off.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

No chain tool. Used to carry one. Never used it.

I do carry a super link for the non-Shimano chains I run.

Also carry a cell phone -- the tool for me if the chain goes _balloee._


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

MB1 said:


> Carrying the tool always prevents the problem that the tool is required for (hence the popularity of multi-tools).


I never used to carry a chain tool, but I always carried spare master links. Weird, I know.

Earlier this year I found a multi-tool with a chain tool that seemed nice, so I bought it. Don't you know within a month I had to use it on a commute home.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*I don't.*

Never carried one, never needed one.

A spoke wrench, I never did before, but especially as my new Sojourn comes with two spare spokes, why not?

I have thought about carrying a light chain tool since I use panniers everyday anyhow.


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## lonesomesteve (Mar 26, 2008)

My commute route never ventures far from bus lines that could get me to where I need to go if I break down. But I still carry everything I need to deal with the most common mechanical issues. I carry a multitool that includes a chain tool, a spare tube, tire irons, patch kit and a 15mm wrench (I ride SS). I've used a chaintool on the road a couple times. I just started commuting on the single speed a couple of weeks ago and this thread reminded me that I need to add a spare link to my tool kit. With a multispeed, you can take out a link to get home.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

Park multi-tool
Two 16g CO2 cartridges with inflator
Two tubes
Tire boot
Sram link
Single AAA maglight
Minipump
Cell Phone


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

_"Commuters: Do you carry a chain tool ? "_

Nope.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*cell*



MB1 said:


> Famous last words......
> 
> I see someone walking home in the near future.


I spit in the face of the chain gods! My Izumi V WILL NOT FAIL!!! Bring it on! 

Now, I do carry a cell phone, but for other reasons... ;-)

Really, though, have you ever seen one of these things? They are beefy. The pins stick out the sides plenty. They are heavy. They are made for 220 pound linebackers putting out 2500 watts in sprints. They don't have to shift, ever, so they don't have to be laterally flexible. They *bolt* together. I think the frame would fail before this chain.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Fixed said:


> I spit in the face of the chain gods! My Izumi V WILL NOT FAIL!!! Bring it on!
> 
> Now, I do carry a cell phone, but for other reasons... ;-)
> 
> Really, though, have you ever seen one of these things? They are beefy. The pins stick out the sides plenty. They are heavy. They are made for 220 pound linebackers putting out 2500 watts in sprints. They don't have to shift, ever, so they don't have to be laterally flexible. They *bolt* together. I think the frame would fail before this chain.





and you prob couldn't fix it with a small cheapo chain tool either


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## superjohnny (May 16, 2006)

I carry one and have used it. It's nice to know a broken chain won't end your day. Taking out a broken link while in the dark & rain though? Good luck. It's hard enough when it's light and dry outside. An extra quick-link may work better. Speaking of which, I much prefer the Wipperman to SRAM's one-time-only quick-link. You can actually take your chain off to clean it! So us neat-nick's can have a sparkly clean drivetrain through the rain & muck.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I carry a chain tool and spoke wrench as well as a superlink. The link probably wouldn't do you any good without a chain tool because if your chain breaks, you would probably have to remove the offending link to replace it. I haven't had to use any of these tools since I started carrying them, but I have had a chain break once and spokes break many times during rides. And like MB1 says, just carrying tools helps ward off the problems they are meant to fix.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

No. In 15 years of biking, I've only had my chain break once, and that was in college with a bike who's chain was like 5 years old and had probably been cleaned twice.

I'm not opposed to carrying one, I just haven't found the need and rely on my cell phone in the rare case that ever happens.

(Funny enough, I've also had a frame break on me exactly once. Still not a big fan of carrying an oxygen tank and welding torch on every ride... ;-))


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*actually, though*



FatTireFred said:


> and you prob couldn't fix it with a small cheapo chain tool either


Actually, though, I do carry a multitool that includes a chain tool. Never know when I could help someone else.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

I have socks that say "SUPER TOUGHNESS!" in tribute to the Izumi V.

I don't actually have that chain, because it costs so much you could almost build a fixie.

Okay not quite.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*it's beefiness*



Argentius said:


> I have socks that say "SUPER TOUGHNESS!" in tribute to the Izumi V.
> 
> I don't actually have that chain, because it costs so much you could almost build a fixie.
> 
> Okay not quite.


Cheaper than a Record chain, now (let alone Super Record), and will last 10 times longer. 

The glory of its beefiness:


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Well, that looks like a real track bike. Like, one you'd ride on the track.

If so, then more power t'ya.

I ran $5 BMX chains on my daily-driver fixie. Then I realized I was being an idiot, and put on the 9-speed chains my road bike had gotten out of tolerance.


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## b3ksmith (Jan 17, 2008)

Yes I carry a chain tool. I actually have used it a few times. 
Both times I was mountain biking. I've never used it on my commute...yet. 
Old habits die hard...Be prepared!

cheers.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

I'm a 15 mile commuter.

I carry one of the large Park multi-tools that has a chain tool and spoke wrench.

I also carry a Powerlink in my patch kit.

And I've broken a chain on my commute, but that was when I used to (((((((shudder)))))) force Shimano pins back in, and it eventually broke. Live and learn.


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## paulrad9 (Sep 25, 2005)

I carry both and have used both at lease once. The worst case problem I can see happen is one that has occurred before when twig was picked up in my chain and snapped my derailleur cage. The chain tool allowed me to shorten the chain continue riding, albeit with just one gear


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## zac (Aug 5, 2005)

I don't carry one. But my commute when I don't take the 20 mile shortcut is only about 2.5 miles.

I have broken exactly one chain in ~30 years and that was my fault. 

But I suppose if I had to be fully self supporting I would do the following:
1) use a chain with a quick link
2) carry a spare chain, or at least 10 or so extra links and a spare quick link
3) carry a chain tool: that I have used in advance to repair/cut/join a chain with. It just seems to me, without having used one in person other than a full shop tool, that the chain tools on the multi-tools are too small to be useable, especially when your fingers are cold and numb.
4) As for the spoke wrench, lots of guys cut/file a notch in their house key or other tool that works for their particular spoke nipple. With a 36 spoked wheel you shouldn't have a problem, unless you have a history of breaking spokes. You are not going to get the massive rim deflection that sometimes occurs on low spoke count wheels after a spoke breaks.

Yes it is a good idea to sit down some afternoon, and with only the tools that you carry on your commute: actually do the following: 
1) Adjust handlebar/stem/saddle
2) remove both wheels and (your choice) change one of tubes and reinflate and reinstall wheel.
a) patch a tube
b) fix/boot a sidewall cut on a tire
3) remove/replace chain (if you carry a chain tool)
4) adjust cables
5) use barrel adjusters for brakes/derailers
6) tighten a cleat (if you go clipless)

The worst place to discover that you don't know how to use a particular tool is out on the road, especially if you are a commuter and have no other means of ride support.

HTH
zac


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## mellowyellowCJ7 (Sep 19, 2008)

I took it out of my bag about 3 months ago. I went 6 years w/o breaking a chain. Last night my friend broke his chain on our commute and I had to push him home for a few miles. :mad2: lol
I think the tool is going back in for commuting. :idea: 
Also carry a SRAM master link, for an easy fix with a tool.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Me either.*



Argentius said:


> Never carried one, never needed one..


Been using Sram (formerly Sedis) nickle plated chains for years and none have ever broken. The most frequent occurences brought into the shop where I work weekends, are at the connecting link, either from faulty installation or catching on a cog when shifting. I've never used those, either. With Sram, a chain breaker tool will work just fine in assembling a strong chain with no weak links. The pins will press fit into the side plates tightly and won't come loose. I once picked up a coat hanger in a Sedis chain. It drew up into the rear wheel, pretzeling the derailleur and bending the hanger, but the chain was only a little bent.

Only once in over 20 years could I have used a spoke wrench, so I don't carry one of those either. Helps to run with 36 spokes and keep them evenly tensioned. As far as bolts coming loose, just check them once in awhile when you lube the chain. Stay away from the cheap aluminum ones. They strip out very easily.


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## JYP18A (Nov 29, 2008)

I commuted to work 5 miles each way. Used a chainbreaker twice in 10 years when the admittedly worn chain broke. Just shortening the chain by a couple of links did not cause any problems. The chain was fixed long before my backup team (wife) could have appeared to rescue me.


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