Originally Posted by
aaronmcd
It was in a left turn lane and there were cars behind me so I was putting probably 700 watts or so for the acceleration
Sure about that? 700 watts is an awful lot.
And the metal shear you see is most likely not the rivet, but the link plate. Pins are case hardened, and don't tend to peal like that.
Exactly.
Hopefully you learned a few things for your next build. Take time to read everything that comes with parts before tackling anything. The instructions that come with Shimano chains, for example, are very clear as far as breaking the chain to remove links and the way the specially designed pin goes in.
But don't worry. We all learn the same way