Road chain quick links and pins

Quick link or pin: how to join your chain

There are two ways to join a road bike chain, and the choice is not arbitrary: it depends on the chain brand and, above all, the number of speeds.

The quick link

• SRAM PowerLock, Shimano Quick Link (CN900 for 11-speed, CN910 for 12-speed), KMC Missing Link, Miche Quick Link.
• It can be fastened by hand or with pliers, and lets you remove the chain to clean it without tools.
• PowerLocks are rated for single use : reopening them weakens them. Buy a few and keep one in your saddle bag.
• The FlatTop is specific to SRAM 12- and 13-speed chains. It is not compatible with a conventional chain, even one with the same number of speeds.

The chain pin

• Shimano has traditionally joined its chains with a reinforced connecting pin — 9-speed, 10-speed and CN-9000 for 11-speed — which is driven in with a chain tool and must never be reused.
• Campagnolo does the same for 11- and 13-speed chains, using a dedicated tool.
• A connecting pin can only be fitted once. Have a spare ready before shortening a new chain: it is always the part you find you are missing at the worst moment.

The number of speeds determines everything

An 11-speed quick link will not hold on a 12-speed chain: the internal widths and plate thicknesses differ by a few tenths of a millimetre, and that is enough. Check the brand too — a KMC 12-speed quick link is no substitute for a FlatTop PowerLock.

To find out more: How to fit a road bike chain

See also: Road chains · Road cassettes · Road drivetrain spares