You don't need to carry a chain tool. Just carry one of those quick links. If a chain breaks, it will be because the pin separated from an outside link. If one pin pulls out, the whole outer plate will have to pull itself off before the chain separates. Thus, you are only missing one outer link. The quick link requires no tools to install. You DO NOT want to be messing with a chain tool attached to a multi-tool when dealing with modern 10-speed chains; the tolerances for the pin are too close. If you use a chain tool to make a field repair, you won't be able to get the pin in the right place. The chain will break again at the point you riveted it.

On my fixie, I just carry a 1/8" master link. I use my keys or tiny pocket knife on my key ring to slide in the circlip.

Luis

Chains break in mysterious ways. Above is a very common break with the pin still intact. A Missing Link would work, but you would have to first remove the pin of the damaged outer link with a chain tool.

Thus, always carry a chain tool....and some missing links.

And a power link

Yep!
I carry a multi-tool with a dinky (but effective) chain breaker, plus a couple of old quick links.

Twice, I have saved the bacon for riders with busted chains. Once on a group ride where we were miles from nowhere, and out of cellphone range.
The second time was in the early miles of a century ride thru NYC.

The key is to use a quick-link after removing bad links with the tool. I would not want to attempt "re-pinning" a chain on the road, in the dark, while raining!

Always carry one and have had to use it a few times over the past 5 or so years when I was mountain biking and riding my fixed gear and in both cases saved me from a really long walk (of shame) home.

On the road, it has been a welcome tool for other people's bikes.

Another here with multi-tool and chain breaker. Not had to use it yet . The only time I've had to use a chain breaker was on a ride with school pupils and one had is chain jam up. I had to remove several links. We checked every-ones bikes before we set off but he joined us down the road and we never spotted the state of his ride.

I carry one and also a small drill that is slip fit for the pin and a small sleeve I made along with a couple repair links. Most of the usage is of the Good Samaritan variety. The drill and sleeve can be used to align the link to replace a pin. Or the sleeve alone works for tightening the side plate on something like the one shown above or one coming loose.





Last summer I came upon a club with one guy down with chain problems and out of about 6 guys no one had any tools or repair links. We fixed his chain but it was ready to come apart several other places so we went around and snugged up all the pins. Told him it was really time for a new chain when he finished the days ride.

Here is what I carry for a tool.

Nice, handy tool there, Bud.

Bill

Thanks for all of your thoughtful replies. After dropping the chain on Saturday, I knew I'd start riding with a tool but had not considered a multi tool as I didn't realize that they could break chains. Do they perform when needed? Ihbernhardt says I don't want to be relying on one to break a 10 speed chain, which is what I need it for. True? Or is he useing the wrong one? Seems a good multi tool that would replace all of the other things I carry seperately ( levers,allen set, small screwdrivers, maybe a chain tool) would be the ticket. But I've always shied away from them for some reason.

I have a chain tool on both my bent and my trike. I also carrry a quick link for both the chains. If a chain should break, there is no reason to have to walk home.

I have never broke a chain myself, but have stopped to help people who did and didnt have a chain tool.

I carry the multi tool but for a chain tool I prefer the one that’s not attached I posted above as the smallest one to get the job done for me. But then again I haven’t tried all that many on the multi tools.

I almost always carry one, but the only time in thousands of miles I had a sticky link was when I didn't have one.

I don't carry one. I used to when I first got my MTB, back in 1990, when I though that b/c I'd be doing some hard core off roading, putting some serious torque on my chain, that I'd break one soon. It never happened. I carried a chain break tool in my saddle bag for about 10 yrs before I stopped.
Short Story:I've only had 1 chain break since started seriously riding in 1983; that was a brand new chain installed earlier in the day at a shop in Georgetown (Wash. DC). I snapped it on a short steep hill later that afternoon. Took it back to the same LBS next day. The owner told me that snapping a chain pretty much should never happen. It was about a 5 mile walk back to the dorm when it snapped Since then, I learned to install all chains myself and haven't had one snap since 1983, after many yrs of road racing, training, hill intervals, centuries, off-roading, etc.

Actually, I think that my multi-tool in my bag on my hybrid does have a chain break on it. None in the bag on my MTB

Never had a chain break in my life and I've been cycling for forty years.

I broke a chain once on my commute in to work, temp was just below 0F, and it was a royal pain getting the bike repaired enough to get the rest of the way in to work. I now carry a wipperman chain tool, which included one of their quick links....

Mark

Yup. It came with my Topek seat bag. Along with tire levers, a mutlitool(slotted and philips screwdriver,allen wrenches), spoke wrench, and hex wrenches. Iv'e used the chain tool after my chain came apart after I rushed to put it back on and did a bad job of it. And to repair a chain of a scout on a Boy Scout ride. His chain broke in the parking lot before we started. Do you have to carry one? Nope. Does it come in handy? You betcha.

Sometimes I carry one, sometimes I don't. I've never had a chain break on the roadie or the MTBs during a ride. When I carry the chain breaker it's because it comes attached to the multi-tool and I want to carry hex wrenches. I have had the need to use a hex wrench many times.
For those who are interested, I use a Topeak Hexus II. I use it when I work on bikes and have broken many chains with it of all speeds, 7, 8, 9 and 10, Shimano, SRAM, Campy and KMC. I don't know what problem the previous poster had with a ten speed chain, but I used the Topeak many times to break a ten speed Shimano chain and reassemble it. The first Topeak I bought I wore out the chain breaker (flattend the tip). I now have a second, newer Hexus II. If anyone is looking for recommendation, which unit to buy, I would rate the Topeak Hexus II as a unit you should consider as it's performed very well for me.

Unless I have a new bike that I'm getting dialed in my philosophy is to keep a light heart and to carry just enough stuff to fix one flat tire. I've done tech support on some big rides so I've seen the kinds of mechanical failures that happen in real lift. To equip yourself to cover all of them would require a saddle bag that's only slightly heavier than the burden of worry on your shoulders.

I do. it's one of the few heavy things in my rear rack trunk. been trimming down what I carry and I stood there recently pondering the chain tool for about 60 secs and eventually decided to keep it in the bag ...

One out of my three bikes has a multitool in its saddlebag with a built-in chain tool. I've never had to use it, but I suppose it's nice knowing that should the opportunity arise, I'll be able to completely screw up a roadside chain repair!

I have on at least two occasions seen someone rescue a ride with a chain tool, so it seems prudent. But I can't quite bring myself to add a chain tool to my other two saddlebags.

Meh... what was the question?

I don't carry one...never needed one.

Perhaps I'm pushing my luck.

My experience is as a sailor where one may be thousands of miles from help. In truth, in our modern age we are not likely, especially with radios or cell phones available, to be that far from fairly quick aid. Nevertheless, my mentality is to be independent with the capacity to deal with serious emergencies on my own. My outlook is to consider consequences. It may well be that the consequence of a gear failure would be more than a PITA. The failure may sometimes be deadly. In my opinion, how much stuff you carry is dependent on those consequences and that will vary with the region, time of year, distance from timely aid and any number of considerations. For example, will there be children in your group, will you be far from a trailhead, is weather predicted to be fairly steady or is it likely to get worst throughout the day. There can be many considerations depending on the makeup of the group, time of day, terrain, weather and on and on. It is not so much the gear carried that is key, but judgment on the situation.

I've been riding bikes since I was around 5, I have never had a chain break yet. If I ever experienc my first chain break and don't have a tool I'll have to deal with it. I don't normally ride very far from an easy call or ride to get home. If I decide to ride somewhere there is not an easy call or ride home I may decide to carry a chain tool and some links. I carry what I need to fix a flat if I have one.

Most of the multitool kits I carry with my bikes have a chain tool. My only advice to add is to make sure the one you carry is of good quality. I've found it's easy to misalign the pin driver when you use cheap ones, and you end up driving the pin in or out of the chain at an angle. Not good! That flaw once caused me a chain failure after only 20 miles. The misaligned pin had ovalized the holes in the side plates which caused the pin to pull out. Chain puked out onto the road and I became an expert spinner, real fast

It seems that the mountain cyclist seem to have more of a problem with chains than roadies do. If I was strong enough to do the mountain bike thing I think I would carry one.
That was the long answer to the question. The short answer is no.