I'm not been funny dude, But i'm sure you can afford a new pin! And it might be safer in the long run Wiggle says: Chains: Chain length can be adjusted when you fit it but the width has to be correct. 7 and 8-speed chains are the same width but 9-speed ones are narrower, with 10-speed narrower again. Choose the right one to match your gear system. You can use a SRAM (Sachs/Sedis) chain with a Shimano gear system - in fact, most people do! When you join a Shimano chain, you must use a new replacement connecting pin. If you change your chain, you must replace the cassette sprockets at the same time or the new chain will skip over them under load. Ok, It's not to say that not using a pin is impossible, But it will probably help you out Cheers