Single halflinks on normal chains

Helloo,

My chain is out by only a little bit, can i buy a single halflink to correct it? I thought that was the whole point but I asked in the bike shop and they said I'd have to buy a whole halflink chain - I am suspicious.

ta,

Caroline

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-0-Chain-Half-link-1-8inch--Each-6981.htm

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-0-Chain-Half-link-3-32inch--Each-6982.htm

Nope they link differently (not male / female) so they're not interchangeable. Plus your chain could well be 3/32 and they are 1/8 (I think!).

My chain is 1/8 - bummer so I have to fork out for a new chain?

Ha! Tommy schooled me.

I had the same problem. BLB wanted to sell me a half link for £23!?! Condor do one for £2.99. Easy!

The condor half link is 1/8 also. Job done.

Yes you can use a halflink on any regular chain to shorten or lengthen though you can get branded ones for specific chains like Izumi + KMC.

As Tommy has linked just make sure you have the right size. Your LBS is talking BS.

when you say half link do you mean an entire halflink chain?

I had the same problem. BLB wanted to sell me a half link for £23!?! Condor do one for £2.99. Easy!

Sort it out BLB

Ah good I thought so, ace - so I just need a single halflink - yes and it's BLB that told me all that crap suprise suprise

You know what I am boycotting those ****s for good, the other day the sold me a baggie of workshop grease for £1 & it costs 50p to use their pump, they are literally selling air.

50p to use their pump
!!! Walk. That is terrible. Worse than Evans. Worst ever.

Final piece of advice when dealing with 1/8 chain is ideally to make sure you have a heavy duty breaking tool and read how to use it properly; you need to mess with two pins to remove a link but one needs to be left partially in place.

!!! Walk. That is terrible. Worse than Evans. Worst ever.

A line has been crossed!

Sadly I work literally opposite there so the temptation is sometimes too great but not any more.

Final piece of advice when dealing with 1/8 chain is ideally to make sure you have a heavy duty breaking tool and read how to use it properly; you need to mess with two pins to remove a link but one needs to be left partially in place.
Yeah its a fricken ball ache - I've not managed to split my half link chain with my park tools splitter (it's the travel one, not the one with the big handle).

haha, I'm still laughing at them charging to use their pump. Do you have to pump the tyre yourself for the money, or do they do it for you?

I thought the original point was to use a single half-link to make chains work with ss and bmx to get chain tension right. I dunno when the whole-chain half-link thing started?? Just make sure you get the right width and you should be fine.

I don't really know I just saw it on a postcard in the shop.

BTW I have this chain tool http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CT-5 is that heavy duty enough? I was told by the shop that it does both 1/8 & 3/32

I thought the original point was to use a single half-link to make chains work with ss and bmx to get chain tension right. I dunno when the whole-chain half-link thing started?? Just make sure you get the right width and you should be fine.
Haven't you got one? :P

I don't really know I just saw it on a postcard in the shop.

BTW I have this chain tool http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CT-5 is that heavy duty enough? I was told by the shop that it does both 1/8 & 3/32
No, that's the one I've got (you'd have thought at £15 it'd do the job).

This is the one you'll need:

Check out the tool swap thread, I'm sure someone on here has it.

Balls I'll have to buy it as my flatmates have 3/32 the bastards

I got a park chain tool too and it's true, you have to be patient working the link peg out a little at a time so you can remove the narrow link from the wider one without the peg popping out of the wider bit. Get ready for some mucky hands!

Haven't you got one? :P

Yeah, I do. I was referring to shops suggesting that whole chains were the ONLY option rather than single links. If you want a whole chain that's fine, I just don't like shops suggesting more expensive solutions if there's a cheaper, effective one.