RGW

Experienced my first (hopefully last) incident of chain suck on my C'dale tandem. the chain is now wedged around the BB and I can't seem to work it out as it is hindered by the inner head of the chain ring bolts of the granny gear. What's the best way to free up the chain?? wondering if I should break the chain (& use a powerlock link to put together)?? Other option might be to pull the crank??

Not sure if I'm overlooking an easier solution.

thanks!!

HillRider

I'd pull the ds crank arm.

FBinNY 

+1, pull the arm to increase the clearance. In some cases it's possible to remove the 5 inner chainring bolts and slide the ring out of the way. This is slower, but might make sense in the field where you have a 5mm hex key, but not a crank extractor or big wrench.

BTW- sometimes you can free it without moving the crank or ring with some patience and finesse. I do this with the bike upside down so I have more to work from the underside. The inner plates are narrower than the outer, so maneuver the chain so you're sliding a middle plate past the narrowest spot. You might ant to remove the rear wheel so you have the chain totally slack as you work. Then it's simply like working a Chinese puzzle box, but if you're struggling and don't see your way clear, either pull the crank or the inner ring to make life much easier.

3alarmer 

...I have a small Harbor Freight (cheap) bolt cutters that I use for bike chains here frequently.

If you are careful to cut at an exterior plated link, you can then rejoin the chain with a KMC quick link of the proper width...
But if you already have the tools to pull the crank, and have no bolt cutter, then that's what was meant to be.

FBinNY 

Sounds kind of extreme, but good example of well camouflaged humor. Anyway, since this issue is most likely to manifest in the field, I wonder if even the most avid member of the "fully tooled" crown wouldn't balk at the added weight of a bolt cutter.

3alarmer 

...you really think he's posting from his ride ? Hey, OP, are you still stuck out on the road somewhere ?
Also, my bolt cutters are the aluminum handled, weight weenie ones sold by harbor freight to the guys who steal your bicycles. #steelissoyesterday

FBinNY 

No I assume the OP posted from home, but realistically, chains don't fall off and jam unless/until the bike is ridden.

I took tour post as humor because you're historically so good at that, but if you want me to dissect it as a serious post, I will. Bolt cutters may help to quickly remove a chain, but not provide for immediate reuse. Cutting the outer plates in half, still leaves both haves securely pinned to the rest of the chain, which cannot be spliced until they're removed. That takes two passes with a chain tool, which could have been done in the first place. However, there's still need for a connecting link.

RGW

Fortunately, the chain suck happened when taking my son on a demo tandem ride in front of the house; so not field rescue was needed!! I imagine it would be helpful to have a connecting link on the chain going forward to ensure the flexibility to work the chain off the BB should this happen again away from home. I think it was due to sloppy shifting though, as this is my first experience with a triple chainring.
I'll pull the crank to free up the chain, and probably break the chain & add a link connector while I'm at it.
thanks all for the great input!!

3alarmer 

...getting dissected here makes me feel special.

FBinNY 

Mike, you ARE special.

3alarmer 

...why, thank you. That's very sweet of y...................wait a minute.

spdracr39

If you break the chain why would you need to remove the crank ? It should come right out.

RGW

I was trying to understand what the better alternative would be. As it turns out I broke the chain, and it slid right out as spdracr suggested. Used a SRAM chain connector on chain in case I encounter in the future on the road.
Tried initially to remove the Shimano Hollowtech tandem crank, but did not have the right tool for this. What is the right tool for this crank??

FBinNY 

If this was a fluke, you're covered for next time. OTOH if it becomes more common, you might want to prevent it entirely. You can use any of the anti-chain drop devices, or fit a hose clamp around the right side of the BB shell, slid over to narrow the gap between the crank and shell so the chain can't slip through. $1.00 and an ounce or two and this will never happen again.