I was taking my winter project '07-'08 commuter for its first commuter ride yesterday when a few months of work evaporated via a tacoed chainring. I'm wondering if anyone has any insight.

I had ridden the bike in heavy rain two days prior. The chain was a bit slack and I was waiting on a half link to arrive at the LBS. By Monday the chain had tightened a bit after drying out. I put some chain lube on it about a half hour before my ride.

Heading down an extremely steep hill, not going that fast, feathering my front brake. All of a sudden I feel my feet spin free and some crunching. People in cars drive way too fast down this hill and sneak up on me so I had to come to a stop and move to the shoulder. When I did I looked down and the chainring was crunched in half.

I am thinking that lubing the chain loosened it a bit and the potholed winter road caused the chain to jump on the ring, then it catch out front, the crank turned a half revolution and pulled it in half.

1) I am happy nothing caught and I still have my front teeth.

2) Anyone have a similar experience and care to shed some insight? I'm at work getting it back together and would like to avoid this from happening again. I have ridden with a chain that loose before, but maybe the hill made it jump more than flat riding?

3) The chainring is gone. I'm trying to salvage the crankarm but one of the spiders (mainly confined to just the tab - this is an old road double CS) was bent a bit. It is pretty tough bending those back. I have done it carefully. Is it worth it to use a bent/rebent drive-side crank arm or should I just shell out for a new one? I like my teeth, but I also would like to go the safest, most inexpensive route available.

I'll have to take a photo today of the ring so this story is believable...