I have a sram pc1070 chain, and it broke today while i was out riding. For those in the nyc area, i was headed out to piermont, turned around at the bottom of the huge hill on 9W (about 1-2 miles from piermont), and was ready to head back and climb the hill. As i was clipping in, the chain failed. As I carry a pair of SRAM powerlock pins in my saddlebag, i proceeded to mend the chain, only to realize that while the pins at the end of the chain are broke, they were still connected to the chain. This was around 6pm, and it was getting bad as most bike shops are closed and I was befuddled as to how i would get home. Luckily, this was near a bus stop, and a bus headed for the port authority bus terminal came by. The driver was kind enough to let me on without paying as i didn't carry cash on me (i had my debit card on me, reasoning that I would always be able to find a bank). At the end of the bus ride, i was able to pay the fare, but came away from this somewhat dazed.

So first, the PSA: make sure you always carry cash (in addition to credit and debit cards) on a long ride. Also, cleat covers can't hurt as when s**t happens, you may very well need to walk miles.

Now a few questions. How many people here carry a mini chain tool, and what would you recommend? In addition, what other parts of the drivetrain should i check for damages? Everything seems to be shifting just fine, but then again, they were fine until the chain broke. And last, just out of curiosity, anyone else had similar problems with the pc1070 chain?

Thanks in advance,

Jim