Maybe "odd" isn't really the best adjective to describe it. "Lucky" might be closer. In any case, I took my bike out for a ride yesterday morning after having just cleaned, lubed, and reinstalled the chain (a Campy Record 11 speed) the night before. I've been using KMC 11 speed "Missing Links" on this chain with no problems for quite a while, and I understand a lot of other people do as well without issue. As I pedaled away from the house, I noticed an odd "ticking" sound that had a periodicity that didn't seem to relate to wheel motion, and really didn't correspond to pedal position. But it did relate to cadence. Tick... tick... tick While I was looking down, trying to figure out what the heck, the chain just suddenly shot off the chain wheel onto the ground and the ticking stopped.
I walked the 75 - 100 yards back to where the chain had come to rest, and upon picking it up, discovered that one of the missing link pins had somehow pulled free of it's key-holed slot in the opposite plate and had opened enough to come completely apart. Now I'm pretty damned sure I installed the thing correctly. I do use the KMC unlock and lock pliers when removing and reinstalling these links, and afterward, I ran both derailleurs through all their positions without noting anything unusual. After 3+ years of use on Shimano, KMC, SRAM, and even Campy 10 speed chains, I've never had any sort of problem. Still, as with anything where humans are involved, I suppose some sort of "operator error" may have been at the root of this event. One thing is certain though, and that is I must be
incredibly lucky that this link gave way at just the
exact right time to avoid running afoul of either derailleur (especially the rear) so it could be ejected from the bike without any collateral damage.
I've since replaced the failed link with a brand new one, and so far (about 40 miles worth) all seems well. But now, I'm a bit spooked
. Has anyone else experienced a similar failure associated with the use of the KMC 11 speed master link on Campy 11 speed chains?