Bicycle chain "slipping".

[RossJarvis]

On my Bicycle, which is just over a year old and not had a lot of use, the chain slips frequently, when going up hills whilst I'm standing up. This started a couple of months ago, with the odd slip and now it happens on every peddle push. So far I've not been able to observe closely what's happening as I find difficulty cycling up-hill standing up and looking at the drive-chain without falling off . I've had a look on t'internet and the suggestions there seem to indicate chain or sprocket wear. The chain seems fine (forgetting the rust ) with no tight links, or noticeable "stretch". The sprocket teeth, front and back seem fine, so I'm suspecting something up with the ratchet in the free-wheel. Anyone know of links or advice on how to investigate this and what to look for?

 

[bellringer]

On my Bicycle, which is just over a year old and not had a lot of use, the chain slips frequently, when going up hills whilst I'm standing up. This started a couple of months ago, with the odd slip and now it happens on every peddle push. So far I've not been able to observe closely what's happening as I find difficulty cycling up-hill standing up and looking at the drive-chain without falling off . I've had a look on t'internet and the suggestions there seem to indicate chain or sprocket wear. The chain seems fine (forgetting the rust ) with no tight links, or noticeable "stretch". The sprocket teeth, front and back seem fine, so I'm suspecting something up with the ratchet in the free-wheel. Anyone know of links or advice on how to investigate this and what to look for?

last time it happened on my replacing the chain and cassette solved everything but it could be something to do with the gears your in say if i was in 1 on the front cog and 9 on the back that would happen as there is to much slack

 

[aideym]

Firstly what sort of gears does the bike have? If there are more than one is there one it slips in more than the rest?
If you have a dérailleur system then there can be a number of things. If there is the slight indication of rust on the chain, then it might be that the gear cables are sticking or need re indexing. Also you may have a twisted link, which would still move ok but under pressure is would skip a tooth. A bent rear mech will also cause a ghost shifting effect. Check it is in line. The hubs can give way but this really isn't a usual thing on a lightly used bike. The best thing is to have it in to someone who does bikes. Failing that, replace the cables and chain, although I usually replace the rear sprockets when I do the chain as they wear in together.

 

[tim burr]

I would say it's more likely poor indexing of your gears, probably down to stretched/seized cables or the rear mech may have had a bit of a knock

 

[RossJarvis]

Thanks guys

It seems to happen when in top gear (6th) Only single sprocket on the front. As it's progressively worsened and was okay, I'm thinking adjusting the cable will be the simplest thing to start with. For the life of me I can't remember if I've had the same problem in 5th. I thought I'd tried this but now can't remember.

 

[Jacob]

What sort of bike is this with only 6 gears?
Sounds like freewheel prob. Most force is applied in bottom gear where it'll show first. Oiling might fix it - bike on it's side and flood oil into the hub, but if you've ridden it a lot with the slipping it's probably too late. Could be something else though.

 

[bellringer]

What sort of bike is this with only 6 gears?
Sounds like freewheel prob. Most force is applied in bottom gear where it'll show first. Oiling might fix it - bike on it's side and flood oil into the hub, but if you've ridden it a lot with the slipping it's probably too late. Could be something else though.

dont flood it with oil it needs grease if you put oil in it will replace the grease

 

[clk230]

I would be surprised if its a cable problem. If its slipping this is caused by the chain no longer gripping the teeth on the cog ,the highest gear is more prone to wear as it has less teeth and a lot of people seem to use this gear more rather than spreading the load across the gears ,if your going uphill go down a gear .
You may be lucky and get away with just changing the chain but if the teeth have visibly 'sharpened'to a point on the rear freewheel/cassette then you will have to change this aswell , you will hopefully be lucky enough not to have to change the front chain wheel.

 

[tim burr]

As above, keep oil well away from the hub :shock:

 

[clk230]

What sort of bike is this with only 6 gears?
Sounds like freewheel prob. Most force is applied in bottom gear where it'll show first. Oiling might fix it - bike on it's side and flood oil into the hub, but if you've ridden it a lot with the slipping it's probably too late. Could be something else though.

why would oiling the 'hub' help a freewheel? these are two different components you can oil a freewheel ,but please never oil a hub this will need taking apart and greasing.

PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE IS NOT WHAT IS CAUSING THE OP's PROBLEM.

 

[bellringer]

it is more likely to be the chain and rear cassette

 

[tim burr]

Really we need to know what sort of bike it is, what sort of gearing and what you're using it for to give us a bit more to go on. Is the chain actually slipping or is it skipping from one ring to the next which can feel a bit like it's slipping?
The OP said the bikes only a year old with not much use so unless he's been blasting it through some very gritty singletrack I can't really see the chainrings getting too worn.

 

[Shrubby]

This is simply wear on the transmission as clk230 said. I have fixed this on many bikes. The chain wears and elongates, wearing the front chainring and rear cassette/freewheel (dependant on bike age) teeth in varying amounts
The poor fit of the chain on the smaller diameter and more quickly worn rear cassette will cause the chain to slip around the teeth rather than mesh correctly especially when large forces are applied (standing up on the pedals) Best repair is to buy a new chain and rear cassette /freewheel - if the front chainring is alloy it will likely have worn to a sharktooth profile and wil need replacing too.
If you google Sheldon Brown he wrote a great website explaining all this gubbins very clearly
Good luck
Matt

 

[RossJarvis]

What sort of bike is this with only 6 gears?

It's one of these;

http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=206785

...and of course, being a Land Rover, it's poorly made (though I believe Pashley actually make them) and unlike a real LR it's rubbish off-road and on-road. However it is very good at sticking in car boots and getting on crowded trains.

The rear chain set looks like this;





Which seems to show little wear, apart from on the front corners of the smallest sprocket. The teeth seem to be machined in all sort of complex shapes, which I don't know if it's part of fiendish design or the cutting machine going crazy.

As mentioned it's not covered many miles so I can't see how the drive chain has worn to any noticeable extent.

 

[clk230]

Land rover bikes are made in the far east ,the company was started by some ex Falcon/Cluad Butler staff ,they are not made by Pashley who make some very nice bikes.
your freewheel doesn't look worn (still could be) I notice you have removed the chain can you check to see if it is twisted by holding it up and eyeing it down its length ,the chain should run straight if its twisted this could be your problem.
The chain could also have worn very quickly as most cheaper bikes have crap chains fitted ,I would start be replacing with a decent chain a Sram one shouldn't break the bank.

 

[Wood Monkey]

Yay. At last a forum post that I feel I have some useful knowledge to share

I note you say you haven't use the bike a huge amount. My first comment of the picture of your rear cassette is that it does look a little worn, but not excessively. I'd expect a good service life from the 'robust' components used on this bike as they were not designed to be lightweight.

I'd suspect the issue is a combination of some wear poor set-up. The symptoms you describe exactly match a worn chain/cassette combination and often some gears are worse that other as those gears get more use and wear more.

Usually the chain goes first as it stretches and starts to ride high on the teeth and my bet is that this will be your issue. I change my chain every 2K miles and my rear cassette with every 4th chain. I lube it twice a week with white lightening clean ride. I ride a lot and maintaining my bikes is almost as much as a hobby as riding them.

Step one is a new chain. Make sure you get a 6 speed compatible chain. It will probably be sold as a 6/7/8 speed compatible chain. If you can get a KMC chain with a magic link then go for that over a Shimano chain. Fitting a chain is really simple but you will need a chain breaker to get the old one off and, in the case of Shimano chains, install the joining pin for the new one.

Whilst the chain is off give the cassette and derailleur a good clean. I usually use WD40 to clean and then re-oil.grease where required. Once it's all back together go for a quick ride and go through each gear. If there is any clicking/ticking as you pedal then tighten/loosen the gear shifter cable (probably by way of a twist adjuster on the cable on the shifter end) until the noises stop. Make sure you can still shift to every gear. On indexed gear systems the adjustments are very small, but once you get it right they tens to stay in tune reasonably well.

The components on this bike are pretty cheap to replace. If you are going to do it yourself then the usual on-line gang (Wiggle, Evans, Chain Reaction Cycles) will have everything you need. Alternatively, seek out a local bike shop and put some business their way. A good mechanic can make any gear system zing.

Good luck.

 

[Jacob]

What sort of bike is this with only 6 gears?
Sounds like freewheel prob. Most force is applied in bottom gear where it'll show first. Oiling might fix it - bike on it's side and flood oil into the hub, but if you've ridden it a lot with the slipping it's probably too late. Could be something else though.

dont flood it with oil it needs grease if you put oil in it will replace the grease

Definitely oil if it is an old style freewheel and not a sealed cassette. Grease is OK on the bearings but not the ratchets as if neglected it holds dust and thickens up, but worse - in very wet weather it can turn into a thick emulsion and clog up the ratchets. I know this from experience - sitting under a cherry tree in Portugal in a torrential downpour after several wet days of touring and having to dismantle the block and clean everything off with meths and put it back together in the pouring rain with greasy fingers - all those ball bearings and little springs! Cured the slipping problem. I had greased it well before we set off - a mistake.
In fact I'd start by flooding white spirit through, to clean it out.
Chain wear - easy to check without taking it off the bike - the pins (new) are exactly 1/2" apart so if you put a 12" ruler up to it the first and last pin will be exactly 12" apart. If the chain has worn to 12 1/8" it's due for renewal.

 

[bugbear]

Thanks guys

It seems to happen when in top gear (6th) Only single sprocket on the front. As it's progressively worsened and was okay, I'm thinking adjusting the cable will be the simplest thing to start with. For the life of me I can't remember if I've had the same problem in 5th. I thought I'd tried this but now can't remember.

When you say "top" gear, do you mean the biggest spocket at the back, or the smallest?

Since you're talking about going up hill, I assume you mean biggest sprocket (i.e. lowest gear, easiest peddling). Could you confirm/deny?

In any case, with light use, and no obvious wear, my guess is that you're falling between two gears (due to cable stretch in the gear mech). If the gears can be put in friction mode (not index mode) this could be easily checked.

It could be a faulty freewheel, but IME that's rarer.

BugBear

 

[RossJarvis]

When you say "top" gear, do you mean the biggest spocket at the back, or the smallest?

Since you're talking about going up hill, I assume you mean biggest sprocket (i.e. lowest gear, easiest peddling). Could you confirm/deny?

In any case, with light use, and no obvious wear, my guess is that you're falling between two gears (due to cable stretch in the gear mech). If the gears can be put in friction mode (not index mode) this could be easily checked.

It could be a faulty freewheel, but IME that's rarer.

BugBear

By top, I mean the smallest sprocket, hardest to pedal. If I use the largest sprocket, my feet go round and around a lot for little gain in forward progress.

Upside down, the gears seem to be working fine across the range, with no "ticking" in top. There appears to be no wear in the chain or tight spots. The links match perfectly along a 12" rule, which is the longest I've been able to find (I've bought a zillion tape measures and can never find them!!! ). As I've not ridden more than 400 miles and probably nearer 200 since purchase, I'd be surprised if anything had worn. The chain seems a bit flimsy compared to chains of old, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is c**p (although I think chains may have lightened up a lot since I last bought a bike in 1986). The bike itself is a curious mixture of good and rubbish parts slung together.

Maybe I now need to get a new chain. Haven't got a clue where my bicycle chain splitter's gone, the only one I can find is for my DID 520s!!

 

[clk230]

have you checked the chain for twist ?