By Matt Hulgan
Here's a short review (no pun intended).
Half-links are used to micromanage the position of your back wheel
in the dropouts. Today's tiny dropout frames may pose a problem
for you depending on your choice of frame, sprocket, and gear. Take
out one link and you're tight against the front of the dropouts
or your brake pads may hit the rim unevenly. Add a link and your
peg may be hanging off the back of your frame. 1 link can make a
BIG difference in the way your bike rides. That's where half-links
come in. It lets you adjust your rear wheel in half link increments
(duh) while maintaining good chain tension.
One problem people have had with half-links is that they use a
"cotter pin" to hold the link together. This means that
a small piece of metal no thicker than a paper clip holds half-link's
pin in place. If the cotter pin breaks (it happens more than you
might think) then the pin slips out. When the pin slips out it gets
lost and you get to go buy another half-link. A few smart companies
decided to make half-links with integrated pins just like you find
in your regular chain. This means that each link in the chain is
theoretically as strong as the last.
KHE is one of the companies offering these integrated half-links
and I've had no problems with it in the 2 months I've had it. That's
pretty much all you can ask for with a half-link. If it's a good
one you install it and then never notice it's there ever again.
Conclusion: If you have adjustment issues buy a half-link with
an integrated pin. KHE is one of the companies who sells them.
Matt Hulgan |
