Originally posted by Audio-A
I'm not sure what I would do to fix a broken chain. Should I carry a length of chain with me?
You don't need to bring any chain with you. An extra pin is helpful. I have a pin taped to my chain tool. If you break your chain on a ride, you can take out the bad link or two and put it back together. It might be a little short, so you might not be able to get into the big ring, but the bike will be rideable. You're probably need a new chain then, anyway.

A while ago, there was a thread here talking about how some of us were cyclists with messy houses. Do you remember? Well, I'm one of those... And part of my messy house includes a length of chain in my living room that I use to practice breaking and putting back together. Practice, practice, practice! I've fixed 3 chains while riding (mine once, stranded riders twice). They were all mountain biking rides. I kind of think that mountain bikers break chains more often than roadies.