Commuting - Broke my chain and crashed hard

I've been commuting to work on my mountain bike (slicks, fenders, lights, etc.) off and on for a few months since I changed jobs and increased my mileage from 10 to 32 (round trip). My bike has been used quite a bit (I've commuted on shorter routes for over 12 years) over the past few years and the bike has been maintenenced on a pretty regular basis. That is why I was so shocked when my chain snapped and I almost had a disaster on Friday evening.

I was riding home on a fantastic day and the traffic was manageable. I came to a intersection and there were quite a few cars inching up waiting for the light to go green. As the cars moved forward I accelerated to get up to speed. Just as I got going I stood to get some power and speed and my chain snapped clean and I went down hard. Because I'd lost balance so quickly I never had a chance to adjust or recover. Instead I was suddenly veering for the curbing and (luckily) the grassy berm area. I did a major face plant on the grass (glad I had my helmet on - only a slight bruise on my right forehead. The largest injuries were an abrasion on my right thigh and right shoulder (like a stingy rug-burn that looks nasty). A few inches to the left I would maybe not be here writing this. Hitting your face on a concrete curb or road surface would not have been pretty. I prefer not to think about the consequences to hard.

Of course a day later I'm feeling aches and pains like the bruise on my other inner thigh that the seat and top tube smashed against. Overall I'll live to ride another day (hopefully a club ride tomorrow). I didn't have a chain tool (who thought I'd need one - next time I will) so I called on the cell phone and my lovely wife came and rescued me (a half-hour drive through traffic).

Only one person stopped to see if I was alive or dead. The lady immediately behind me in traffic said she would go down the street and find the police station. Guess what? I was waiting on the side of the road for over 30 minutes and no rescue or police showed up. Hmmm?? Maybe a downed cyclist in a ritzy, affluent area didn't seem to concern them. I should have been driving a Mercedes and they would have rushed to help.

Final comment is. Check your chain more often than you think you should. Chain stretch, wear, low quality can all contribute to failure. I immediately went out today and bought a new chain for the commuter bike ($20.00) as well as another bike (single-speed fixed gear) that has some miles on it. Chains are cheap compared to plastic surgery, broken bones, brain injury, etc. I've learned a lesson after riding bikes for over 30 years. You are never too old to learn something new.

Be safe out there and check your stuff.

Yes, you were lucky. Happy to hear you weren't seriously injured. Chain-breaks-in-an-intersection happened to me once, and I learned my lesson the same way. Of course it happens when you stand and hammer to accelerate, and when you're a commuter of course that means you're probably in an intersection when it happens.

And after that, where chain maintenance was once sort of an academic pursuit -- you do it because you understand why and everybody says you should -- now it's your neck on the line, and you know it.

The hematoma on the inside of my thigh persisted for months, got to be as big as a football, and then started to migrate southward. Very peculiar.

Start carrying a chain tool. I think it's a Law (like Murphy's) that people who are so chain-conscious that they pack a tool on every ride also never break chains because they maintain them so religiously.

But you might be able to help out another rider.

RichC

Some chains are just duds. All bar one of my chains have lasted forever (or at least until I replaced them), but I snapped one after just 500km or so. That was not good. Neither is crashing (I know, I did that this morning). I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
The hematoma on the inside of my thigh persisted for months, got to be as big as a football, and then started to migrate southward. Very peculiar.

that is dependent ecchymosis and is pretty common....and normal :)

Ive snapped onmme chain at the very end of a long off-road ride, as I rode up a bank of grass onto the driveway. I dont know how you can predict chain breakage, and whether it has any relation to general chain wear.

I only havebroken one chain, standing to pedal, but was fortunate enough not to have fallen. The chain was practically new, so I think it was either my installation, or the fact that I had put a huge amopunt of force into the chain

I buy only top end chains, change them every 3,000 miles even if they have a little more time left, and use a chain checker regularily.

Despite being really achy this morning I went on my Sunday club ride and did 46 miles with 7 long climbs. The thing that is bothering me the most is the back of my biceps. I must have strained them without realizing it on my fall. Even though it was an pain to deal with, I'm really glad to immediately get back on the bike.

The chains have been replaced on my commuter and my fixie too. My race bike has a new Whipperman Stainless which is quite new. I should be OK for now.

I made an announcement to the club riders this morning at the ride and made them all aware of the hazards of chain breakage. I hope they were all listening.

There is a thought that chain breaks really can only occur where (1) the chain has been joined and the rivet is not right (either the wrong type for the chain or not inserted properly through the sideplate which then gives way) and (2) the chain has suffered a catastrophic occurrence such as chain suck that has twisted it.

Originally posted by Rowan
There is a thought that chain breaks really can only occur where (1) the chain has been joined and the rivet is not right (either the wrong type for the chain or not inserted properly through the sideplate which then gives way) and (2) the chain has suffered a catastrophic occurrence such as chain suck that has twisted it.

Chain suck was most likely the cause of my last chain break. I was going through sand at the time too.

http://journals.neebu.net/khuon/archives/2001_05.html

I changed recently not only the chain, but the whole Shimano system too. It was not that expensive.

It took 2 workers in the LBS about half an hour. They advised me this. They told me that the new chain on the old system is not good.

bikeman , thanks for sharing your experiance ,sorry you were hurt but as you say it could have been worse ! touch wood I hav'nt had a chain break on me , yet !!. I've never even thought of it till now .I'm going to check the links on mine to-morrow , thanks for the warning :thumbup:

Bikeman, thanks for the heads up on checking your chain.

Glad to hear that you are mostly ok.