New chain skipping

[pam]

I just got a new chain after LBS told me the old one was worn out.
The new one occasionally skips. The old one never did. What's the
problem?

[newenglandbike]

Hi Pam,

I'd maybe take a look at your cogs and chainrings (if you haven't replaced those too), and make sure that the teeth aren't too worn.    You'll know if the teeth end in sharp points like a shark fin.

Matt  

[Peter Morgano]

Maybe a stiff link in the new chain?

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[Tim]

I agree. Both of those answers are probably the two most likely
suspects. Your old chain and your cassette wore together, and when you
put the new chain on, it revealed the wear in the cassette that was
hidden before.

[Joe Bartoe]

That would be the answer. Replacing a worn chain resulting in skipping should always make you think "worn cassette". If no amount of adjusting dials it in, it's time for a new cassette.

I didn't see the original thread here, but if you're using a master link, make sure it's installed properly. If it isn't seated properly, it may be shorter than it should be at that link. If you have a Wipperman link, there's an orientation that you need to worry about. Barring that, new cassette.

Joe

Joe Bartoe
Synaptic Cycles Bicycle Rentals, Inc.
email: j...@synapticcycles.com
website: www.synapticcycles.com
Twitter: @synapticcycles
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> Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:12:06 -0700
> Subject: [RBW] Re: New chain skipping
> From: tki...@comcast.net
> To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com

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> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Most new chains are not intended to be installed with a chain tool. If you did install it with a chain tool, check for a stiff link. The easy way is to stand beside the bike while smoothly rotating the crank backward with your hand. You'll see the stiff link as it passes through the rear dérailleur. If it's smooth, then, as others have suggested, replace the cassette or freewheel.

[pam]

More detail - the chain and cassette were new last May from
Rivendell. I've ridden about 2700 miles and I just learned about
keeping the chain clean so I understood I needed a new chain. The new
chain does have a master link. If the cassette is worn, do I replace
the whole thing? I've only noticed the skipping in the smallest cog.
Can the cog just be replaced or the whole thing? I'll look at the cog
and try to see.

[Peter Morgano]

Only skipping in smallest cog makes me think it is a deraileur adjustment, maybe they knocked it out of whack a bit on the install.  Did you try adjusting the tension back there? I dont know your level of expertise but if you havent done this kind of thing before just remember to go slow and make small adjustments or else you will have it back at the LBS paying them to do it.  The late great Sheldon Brown has a few articles on the net about it.

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[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

If it is the smallest cog only, then the stiff link hypothesis has a point in its favor, as the stiff link will be most obvious on the smallest cog, which has the tightest curvature.

You can generally buy a small cog for your cassette if it turns out to be worn. Seems unlikely, because most people don't ride many miles on the smallest cog...unless they're also riding in one of the smaller chainrings. This "cross-chaining" practice prematurely wears cogs, rings, and chains and should be avoided.

[Lynne Fitz]

Check your chainrings. That was the problem I had, once. Replaced
the chain. Replaced the cassette. Finally took it into the shop.
Head mechanic: "did no one look at your chainrings?"

Bleriot's chainrings (13500+ mi) are starting to look suspect, but
nothing is skipping... yet.

Lynne

On Apr 16, 9:16 am, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery <thill....@gmail.com>
wrote:

[William]

I needed a small chainring when I did my winter overhaul on the Hilsen.  New chain and the hooky teeth wanted to pull it up like precursor to chainsuck.  They were pretty sharkfin-ish.  

[pam]

I tried looking at the cog but I can't tell much. I'm not very
mechanical. I'll look at the chainring too. It wasn't knocked out of
adjustment because I watched him install it. I checked the master
link. It looks ok. It may be the derailleur but I have friction
shifters so I wouldn't think it was that. I'm not going to make any
adjustments. I'll take it back to the LBS to check. It's not very
often - just twice in 14 miles yesterday.

And it is in the smallest cog on the cassette in the largest chain
ring. That's where I do most of my riding - probably 70% of the
time.

[William]

I mean this in the nicest possible way, but unless I'm misunderstanding something terribly, there's no way you should be spending 70% of your time riding in your highest gear.  It makes my knees hurt just thinking about it.  You should be trying to ride in approximately the 90-100RPM range.  "Spinners" might tell you higher.  "Mashers" might tell you lower.  90-100 is a good medium.  If I was riding in my highest gear at 90RPM, I'd be going 30MPH.  I use my highest gear much less than 1% of the time.  Completely separate from drivetrain wear, I recommend you get some advice on that front.  Focussing on drivetrain wear, if you ride 2700 miles on a single 12 or 11 tooth cog, it's probably worn out.  Replace.  

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[Steve Palincsar]

On Tue, 2012-04-17 at 12:33 -0700, William wrote:
> I mean this in the nicest possible way, but unless I'm
> misunderstanding something terribly, there's no way you should be
> spending 70% of your time riding in your highest gear. It makes my
> knees hurt just thinking about it.

He said 70% of his time in the big ring, not in his highest gear. If
your big ring is geared low enough, for example a 46 or 48T, you might
not have to shift to a smaller chain ring until you need a gear lower
than 50 inches or so.

[Mojo]

Ah ha! You ride in this smallest cog most of the time! Take another look but the back side of the teeth on that cog are most likely cupped (increasing slope of the tooth until it becomes an overhang near the top). This is good news as buying a new final cog is easy and much cheaper than a whole cassette. This is also bad news as you are riding in your biggest gear all the time. Something is wrong here. You either need much higher gearing, or more likely, your leg speed is really slow and you need to learn to use your gears more efficently. You want a leg speed of something at or greater to 70 rpm on the flats, 90 rpm is better.  

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[William]

"And it is in the smallest cog on the cassette in the largest chain 
ring.  That's where I do most of my riding - probably 70% of the 
time."

I must've misread it then.  I see that telling me smallest cog on the cassette in the largest chain ring....probably 70% of the time.  

I agree 70% of the time in the large chainring (mine's a 44) is not controversial.  But I use my 44x11 less than 1% of the time.  If I used my 44x11 for 2700 miles my knees would be gone, and that 11T cog would be shot. 

[Steve Palincsar]

On Tue, 2012-04-17 at 13:26 -0700, William wrote:
>
> I agree 70% of the time in the large chainring (mine's a 44) is not
> controversial. But I use my 44x11 less than 1% of the time. If I
> used my 44x11 for 2700 miles my knees would be gone, and that 11T cog
> would be shot.

And I agree with what you just said.

[William]

...and I agree with you agreeing with me...