Quote Originally Posted by SnappyPix
My current bike has a Shimano HG chain - am I right in thinking these have special pins which aren't designed to be removed and reinserted? Can anyone shed any light on this?
Maybe a master/quick link would be a good idea if that's the case.
I've had this same question. From searching around it appears that there might be some masterlinks out there for shimano chains but most people still break and repin the chain, using a new pin each time. Looking at online retailers I'm seeing lots of Shimano chain pins sold in packs of 10, 20, etc. which would support this theory.

For now I just plan to keep with the onbike cleaning, it's better than nothing. Maybe every 500 miles or so I'll go to the trouble of removing the chain to clean it perfectly.