Campy 12 speed chain - peen or quick link?

[PsiSquared]

Originally Posted by Dave

Pin length is not the only criteria to consider when selecting a quick link. I have both the KMC and Eagle 12 links. The pin length on the KMC link is .212 inch or 5.4mm and the Eagle pins are .209 inch or 5.3mm.

If the links are installed on a Campy 12 chain, there is a big difference in clearance between the two links. The KMC link will have a clearance between the inner and outer plates of .014-.015 inch, while the Eagle link will be about half that amount. A new chain will usually have a clearance in the .004-.008 inch range. Quick link clearances to tend to be larger than the rest of the chain, but the Eagle link produces a better fit than the KMC.

The pin lengths on the chains won't always be the same as a quick link. An Eagle chain measures .207 inch or 5.25mm, which is only .002 inch less than the quick links. A campy chain measure .203 inch or 5.15mm. I don't have a KMC chain to measure.

How many "uses" are you getting out of a SRAM quick link?

[Dave]

Originally Posted by PsiSquared

How many "uses" are you getting out of a SRAM quick link?

Can't say yet. I just started using the eagle quick link.

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by Dave

Can't say yet. I just started using the eagle quick link.

Any update on this? Curious.

Thanks!

[Dave]

I go by the feel and sound, when I click the link into place. I installed and removed an AXS 12 link, many times in one day, while testing different chain lengths. That link may have a dozen uses, but now it's segregated, just to use for testing.

If you're doing 500 mile chain rotations, I'd be comfortable with 6 uses, as long as there's some click left, when it's joined. That's usually the life of one chain.

[jkbrwn]

Okay so this may be due to chain wear but I haven't got a chain wear tool. For what it's worth, it sits nicely on the chainrings and cassette and shifts perfectly.

Anyway, I was giving it the beans up a short climb today and my chorus 12 chain snapped at the (unsanctioned, but well known) SRAM Eagle 12 speed quick link. It's been totally fine up until now. This obviously has raised warning flags and purely out of caution, I probably won't do this again. My first crash in a very long time. A little bit of road rash on my knee and hands but I think I'm fine. So is the bike.

Anyway, is there yet a cheaper tool that will allow me to install a pin with a new Campag chain? Or is the campag tool still the only option?

Or has anyone tried the 12 speed Connex chain with their own proven quick link? (Not that I can find any stock). Or the KMC 12 speed chains?

Or do I just count it as bad luck and give it another go with Campag chain and SRAM quick link? To be fair I got a lot of use out of this one...

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

Okay so this may be due to chain wear but I haven't got a chain wear tool. For what it's worth, it sits nicely on the chainrings and cassette and shifts perfectly.

Anyway, I was giving it the beans up a short climb today and my chorus 12 chain snapped at the (unsanctioned, but well known) SRAM Eagle 12 speed quick link. It's been totally fine up until now. This obviously has raised warning flags and purely out of caution, I probably won't do this again. My first crash in a very long time. A little bit of road rash on my knee and hands but I think I'm fine. So is the bike.

Anyway, is there yet a cheaper tool that will allow me to install a pin with a new Campag chain? Or is the campag tool still the only option?

Or has anyone tried the 12 speed Connex chain with their own proven quick link? (Not that I can find any stock). Or the KMC 12 speed chains?

Or do I just count it as bad luck and give it another go with Campag chain and SRAM quick link? To be fair I got a lot of use out of this one...

DOH...the Pedro's Tutto chain tool will work on 12s and the Park CT4.3 does too. BUT, look around..I'll bet you can find a proper Campag tool for not a whole lot more than the Pedros tool.

A chain, using a 12s link, that broke at that link..hmmm.. Whatdoyathink?

KMC 12s link?

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

DOH...the Pedro's Tutto chain tool will work on 12s and the Park CT4.3 does too. BUT, look around..I'll bet you can find a proper Campag tool for not a whole lot more than the Pedros tool.

A chain, using a 12s link, that broke at that link..hmmm.. Whatdoyathink?

KMC 12s link?

I've used links on Campy 11s for years. They work fine but seem to start clicking after a while and I install a new one. When I got Record 12s I tried the Park peening tool but the pin broke. So, I used a 12 KMC link instead. After a month or so the chain broke at the link, not the link itself. I suspect I may have damaged the chain using the Park tool not perfectly centered on the pin. Anyway, off to my local Campy guy who charged me $10 to properly peen it with the official tool. I was tempted to get the tool myself but I don't think I'll get enough new chains to offset the cost.

Tim

[buddybikes]

What tools do people use to install (or just force) and deinstall?

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

DOH...the Pedro's Tutto chain tool will work on 12s and the Park CT4.3 does too. BUT, look around..I'll bet you can find a proper Campag tool for not a whole lot more than the Pedros tool.

A chain, using a 12s link, that broke at that link..hmmm.. Whatdoyathink?

KMC 12s link?

Well I can't ride currently so need to figure something out asap. Hunting around for the campag tool isn't really optimal right now.

KMC 12 links don't fit very well I don't think. Cycling tips published an article on quick links and the closest match to a campag chain is sram eagles quick link. It's 0.05mm thicker I think.

[Dave]

with a Campy 12, the same tool used to install the joining pin is used to remove excess links or remove the chain by first removing a pin. The Campy tool does it all.

If quick links are being used, quick link pliers are used to squeeze the link together, so it can be removed. Many brands are available.

I've been using quick links since they were first introduced. To fit properly, the side clearance should not exceed 0.012 inch or .3mm, and 0.008 inch or .2mm is better. Too little side clearance is also bad.

KMC links will have more side than is desirable with a Campy chain. Wipperman 12 speed links are still vaporware - shown on their website, but unavailable.

I've never bought a shimano 12 link to measure.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

Okay so this may be due to chain wear but I haven't got a chain wear tool. For what it's worth, it sits nicely on the chainrings and cassette and shifts perfectly.

Anyway, I was giving it the beans up a short climb today and my chorus 12 chain snapped at the (unsanctioned, but well known) SRAM Eagle 12 speed quick link. It's been totally fine up until now. This obviously has raised warning flags and purely out of caution, I probably won't do this again. My first crash in a very long time. A little bit of road rash on my knee and hands but I think I'm fine. So is the bike.

Anyway, is there yet a cheaper tool that will allow me to install a pin with a new Campag chain? Or is the campag tool still the only option?

Or has anyone tried the 12 speed Connex chain with their own proven quick link? (Not that I can find any stock). Or the KMC 12 speed chains?

Or do I just count it as bad luck and give it another go with Campag chain and SRAM quick link? To be fair I got a lot of use out of this one...

Ouch that is nightmare stuff, glad you are okay.The SRAM Quick Link broke or the campy link it was connected to?

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Ouch that is nightmare stuff, glad you are okay.The link broke or the campy link it was connected to?

I was very lucky that I was going uphill to be honest. I hate to think what it would have looked like had I been going downhill much faster.

The campag link it was connected to broke. The SRAM link looked totally fine!

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

I was very lucky that I was going uphill to be honest. I hate to think what it would have looked like had I been going downhill much faster.

The campag link it was connected to broke. The SRAM link looked totally fine!

Okay as I suspected for whatever reason. This is a brand new drive train on the Seven right? How far cross chain might you have been?

I'm always a bit squeamish when people talk about how light a chain is. I have no idea what caused it but have to wonder about the mix and match with the SRAM link I guess.

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

I was very lucky that I was going uphill to be honest. I hate to think what it would have looked like had I been going downhill much faster.

The campag link it was connected to broke. The SRAM link looked totally fine!

Do you recall if you had ever removed the link to remove the chain? I’ve been using the sram Eagle link with Record 12 groupo (may be a SR chain, I don’t recall) and SR cassette with no issues.

This said, your experience is a bit concerning for me. I thought about this for a long time before going with the link over the pin and peening. I also considered a bunch of different tools and you’ll find folks that indicate all the various brands of tools for pin peening will work but I also read reviews where guys had problems with every tool except the Campy tool. My thinking was that if I’m going to peen because it’s better than the Eagle link the tool needs to work. After looking at the cost for the tool I decided to give the link a go. Now I’m seriously second guessing myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

Do you recall if you had ever removed the link to remove the chain? I’ve been using the sram Eagle link with Record 12 groupo (may be a SR chain, I don’t recall) and SR cassette with no issues.

This said, your experience is a bit concerning for me. I thought about this for a long time before going with the link over the pin and peening. I also considered a bunch of different tools and you’ll find folks that indicate all the various brands of tools for pin peening will work but I also read reviews where guys had problems with every tool except the Campy tool. My thinking was that if I’m going to peen because it’s better than the Eagle link the tool needs to work. After looking at the cost for the tool I decided to give the link a go. Now I’m seriously second guessing myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay, so home truth. I'm really bad at replacing consumables, or rather, knowing when to. I worked it out last night and this chain/cassette has 3800km on it - so for all intents and purposes - the chain at least should've been replaced a while ago. I don't want to tarnish anyone's opinion on using the Eagle quick link, because I also had no issues up to this point - but ya know - it happened.

I unequivocally have never tried to loosen or remove the quick link. The chain has not come off since it's installation.

Right now, I think I'm going to go down the route of ordering the Pedro tool. It's worth trying at least. And I'll also grab a chain wear indicator!

With that said, the page listing for the 12 speed pin on Excel's website says:

Must be installed and peened with Campagnolo CN-UT300 Chain Tool

But Pedro's claim the Tutto peens a 12 speed pin. So who knows..........