It is that time of year where more people will be out on their bicycle enjoying the streets or going on trails throughout their local park. Bicycling is a great way to get out of the house and get some exercise as the weather gets warmer, but sometimes things break. When you are going to be on your bicycle you always want to carry a bicycle chain tool with you to help you if your bicycle chain breaks. There are a lot of different things on a bicycle that might break or need repaired but one of the most common things that break is the bicycle chain.
If you want an easy way to fix your bicycle chain then all you need is some patience and some simple tools you should carry with you at all times. You want to always have the chain repair tool and some new links or rivets with you at all times which you can get at your local hardware store for about 10 dollars. It might be a better idea to take your bicycle chain off to repair it since it gives you easier access to both sides of the chain. Once you have gathered these tools you can start repairing your broken bicycle chain and it should take you about 20 minutes to fix.
The first thing you want to do to repair your bicycle chain is to locate where the chain is damaged at. Look for the links that either appear to be visibly broken or appear very stiff. Take your hand over each and every part of the bicycle chain links and feel them for any cracks or damage to them which might not always be visible to the eye. If you notice there is nothing seemingly wrong with the links then you need to see if any of them are stiff or feel hard even after some lubrication. Your bicycle links might not actually be broken physically but might just become very stiff and this can cause similar problems when you try to ride your bicycle.
In order to fix the broken links you are going to need to remove them from the chain. You should take the broken link and move it front to back which will help you determine whether you can easily remove the links. Some links will pop off of the chain once you move them around with your hands while other times you are going to need to use the repair tool.
Take your chain tool and put the link in the cradle part of it and turn the chain tool knob until the link’s rivet pops out on one side. You will need to take the other end of the link and put it into the chain tool and then turn the knob until the rivet from that side of the link pops out of the chain also. Make sure you remove both the bad link and the bad rivet from each side of the link and set them away from you.
Take your new link and set it on one end of the chain using the chain repair tool to secure the rivet onto the link and chain. Once one side has a rivet and link into place, flip the chain over and repeat the process for the opposite side. Make sure the chain repair tool is being used to ensure the rivet is going in properly and is set into place securely. If you do not have new rivets for the link and the old rivets are in good condition, you can just reuse these so you are not wasting money where you do not have to.
Check each end of the replaced links and make sure everything seems to be functioning okay. Also, check to see what type of motion the chain on your bicycle has to make sure nothing is too loose or too tight. Your chain should have a good range of motion and should be secured without you holding onto it. If these steps are complete and you see nothing else visually wrong with the chain, your bicycle chain is repaired.
