🔧 Efficiently Handle Bike Chain Links with Park Tool's MLP-1.2 Master Link Pliers Review

I'm not a fan of chain links on race chains but that seems to be the trend, at least for Shimano Ultegra 11 speed chains. I'm old school and have replaced hundreds of chains "in my day" as a bike dealer and race support mechanic. I've just started riding 11 gears on a Cannondale SuperSix Evo that I bought in late 2018 as a training bike to replace an old Giant TCL that was discontinued with a road bike. I always have spare chains but they are all 10 speed so recently I had to buy a replacement…

I worked with bicycle and motorcycle chains as both had old fashioned easy to use chain links with a large clip to hold them together. I've never felt the need for a fancy special tool to connect or remove master links, so I've never had chain pliers. Motorcycles got rid of the master links many years ago, the new master links used in bike chains are a bit stiffer but still not a big deal. I decided to buy these dumb things as I'm working on a bike project that involves replacing a lot of…

I have a KMC chain with a KMC "missing link". I've taken to waxing the chain with paraffin and PTFE powder (absolutely clean and amazing) so I need to be able to put the chain on and off regularly. I've been told that Connex Master Links are the best because they can lock and unlock without tools. But many bike shops have also warned me against mixing one brand of chain with another brand from Master Links as it can lead to breakage and accidents. I don't know if that's true or not, but I don't