All You Need to Know About Fixing a Broken Mountain Bike Chain Using a Chain Tool

One of the most common malfunctions, on a mountain bike, is the chain. If your chain becomes broken, or damaged, it needs to be replaced right away. Sometimes, when you're out in the middle of a ride, you don't have that option. One solution is to use a chain tool to fix your mountain bike chain.

There are three elementary parts to a mountain bike chain: Metal side plates, rollers, and rivets (or pins). The rollers are set between the side plates. The rivets are there to help keep the plates together. The pins also enable the rollers to turn freely when the chain is going around the cogs.

When your chain breaks on your mountain bike, you will have to find the faulty link. Once you find the bad link, you need to replace it with a spare link. This is very simple to do. You just reattach the two ends of the broken chain together. You will be riding your mountain bike on a shorter chain, but at least you will be riding your mountain bike, and not walking off the trail.

In order to eliminate the damaged link of chain, you will need a chain tool. Put the broken link in the chain tool and turn the tool counter clockwise. You want to keep turning the tool counter clockwise until the rivet pin of the chain tool touches the rivet on the mountain bike chain. Now, keep turning the chain tool until the pin gets pushed out of the roller. Here's where you will have to be a little cautious. You will want to stop turning the chain tool when the pin is at the edge of the roller. You have to make sure it doesn't move through to the outer side plate.

Once you have the pin where you need it to be, turn the mountain bike chain clockwise and back it out of the roller. You can now put the chain tool down for a moment. Next, you want to move the chain, be gentle, in a side to side motion. The goal is to get the inner side plates and roller.

The next step may require some assistance, if any is available. You could also use a chain retaining tool if you have one at your disposal. You need to re-set the chain through your mountain bike. Now is the time to re-route the chain through the mountain bike. In order to do this, the chain has to be put in the right location, as you fix it. Here is where your extra pair of hands, or chain retaining tool will be needed.

At this point, you should have successfully eliminated the broken link and re-routed the chain. It is time to insert a new link or attach the links which were beside the damaged one. It's pretty straight forward to do. You need to make sure the two ends line up in order for the link with the inner side plates will go inside the link with the pin and outer side plates. Once again, you will need your chain tool. Use the chain tool to push the pin inward. Keep pushing the pin until it is uniformly sandwiched between the side plates.

Using a chain tool on your mountain bike chain is actually easier than it sounds. Like anything else technical; the easiest way to learn, is to be shown by someone with experience. Once you get mentored, you can keep practicing with the chain tool until you become proficient. After that, if you're on the trail and your chain pops, you won't have to worry. You'll know exactly how to fix your broken mountain bike chain.