BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Have you checked to make sure the wheel is seated properly in the dropouts? If it's slightly angled your chainline could be messed up which could cause the problems you describe since yesterday. If the "stuck between gears" thing has been going along for a while, and you have index shifting (the kind where you click the "brifters" or twist the handlebar grips), the shifting might need to be indexed.

A bent hanger might cause some of these issues as well.

The bike hasn't fallen over on the drive side recently has it?

Can you fix this yourself? One of the nice things about bikes is you can fix anything yourself--though sometimes you need special tools.

I pretty much meant with my limited knowledge - I can fix a flat and replace my brake pads, basic stuff. would this be an easy fix? I just checked out the chain, it seems that the reason I can' move the pedals backwards is because it's getting caught on the something on the derailleur, it looks like.

You know what made wonders for my gear shifting? Cleaning the derailer of crap it had embedded in it.

I'm not the greatest at cleaning my chain/gear as needed, but I did some thorough bike-work on my bikey a couple of weeks ago, specially since I had trouble changing gears, or staying in them, and VOILA! Gunk and crap from the road was "glued" to the derailer gears..... cleaned it up, and is a heck-lot better now.

Just my 2 cents

I'm changing my brake pads now, I'll wipe down the chain and other related parts, and re-lube them after. hopefully that will help somewhat.

You might try brushing your chain with an old tooth brush and some kind of cleaning agent, try to scrub all the gunk out of it, then relube.

so what kinds of cleaning agents are good on chains? I've never used any before? in my house I have shampoo, scrubbing bubbles, and dish soap.

that's about it...

The small wheels on my derailleur get caked with crap pretty quickly. I use a toothpick, twig or plastic fork while spinning the chain to peel off the gunk.

I also sometimes get a twig, mud or some other crap between the gears of my cassette that keeps the chain from fully meshing with the cogs. A twig, toothpick or plastic fork are good tools for removing that stuff too.

Then apply generous amounts of lubricant to make your drivetrain happy again.

citrus based cleaner is awesome. I use this stuff

I've had skipping chains due to wear on chainrings and cogs. My middle chain ring skips a lot when I get a new chain -to the point where I have to replace the chain ring.

I had this issue on my mountain bike and discovered that about 1/2 the bottom derailleur wheel had sheared off. Check to see if you are missing any teeth on it.

Yeah, you definitely want a citrus based cleaner to degrease, and pretty much anything that calls itself such will work.

When you are cleaning the chain look for a frozen or bent chain link. This can cause the gears to jump around.

My chain has an SRAM master link. I take the chain off, thread it into an old soda bottle half filled with paint thinner (hexanes). I shake it up and let it sit there a bit. Usually as long as it takes to wipe down the rest of my drivetrain with a rag. To take the chain out of the bottle, you can use a bit of wire with a hook bent on the end. I take it out, wipe it off, and let it completely dry. Put it back on and lube it up.

Every other time I do this, I'll filter the hexanes through a paper coffee filter, which gets rid of most of the dirt and grit and eliminates any liquid waste. You'll want to do this part outside. I've been using the same 6 ounces of paint thinner all year. It still gets my chain super clean and shiney.

+1 on the frozen link. If there's one, there may be several. If there are just a few, they can be worked loose. If there are a lot, replacing the chain will set you back about $20, and that you can do yourself.

I asked about frozen chains and links on this thread a few months ago. Lots of good advice on chain maintenance.

Simple Green. Stuff works miracles on grimy cassettes & drivetrains. Spray, let it soak for 10-15 mins & hose off.

Good idea dwillen.

well, I brushed off cogs, and took a video of what was happening (uploading now). Wiped off the chain best I could, as I don't have any of the suggested cleaners (and I don't know how to take my chain off).

It looks to me as though the entire set of cogs on the back stick occasionally, and that may be what's causing the skip

this is what's happening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVywSr_iyrs

It does seem possible that the freewheel is sticking. If you are riding and you coast, does the same thing happen? Or is only when you pedal backward?

Wait, the bike is upside down, are you pedaling as if moving forward and that is happening?

it happens when I pedal backward, and when I pedal forward, it skips.

I agree with the advice to check for frozen links on your chain. Pedal very slowly while watching the front chainring and see if any links ride up instead of wrapping around. Flex them a bit. Or just check each link in the chain to see if it moves freely. Flexing side to side can sometimes free them.

If it is the cogs that are sticking (I once had a wheel that behaved very much the same) you'll need some special tools but you might try lubricating it with some oil. I'm assuming it's a freewheel and not a freehub. Sheldon has descriptions and information.

http://sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html

If oiling it doesn't work, and the rear wheel is in straight, you'll probably need a shop to take a look at it since they'll have the tools to remove it.

And when I said you can fix anything on a bike, I meant it. All you need is a good book, access to some tools and some patience. Working on bikes can be rewarding because they actually make sense.

Also, although your cats are pretending they have no interest in the bike, beware their Jedi gear tricks!

my cat was batting at the wheel, making it spin, haha.

also, no frozen links. I don't know the difference between freewheel and freehub, so I'm a bit clueless.

That Sheldon Brown article might help. The way it's sticking though, and since you need to be able to ride it, if you can I'd take it to Kraynick's or Thick and see what they make of it.

Try taking the wheel off and spinning the cassette (cogs) by hand. It should spin real easy and free. If it doesn’t, this is the problem. If it spins freely, at least you’ve eliminated this as the possible problem. This is also a good time to look for “shiny” areas caused by something rubbing against something it shouldn’t (especially look for the chain rubbing the derailleur cage). If you see rub marks, something is out of alignment or bent.

When you reinstall the wheel, make sure that it is centered between the chainstays (not necessarily centered between the brake pads). If the wheel is centered, and the brake pads are rubbing, adjust the brakes and leave the wheel centered.

I haven't ruled that out as the problem, as I'm absolutely horrible at putting the wheels back on.

How to remove a wheel video.

Another wheel video.

I don't know what level of help you are looking for but I'd be happy to meet you at Kraynick's during the day some time if you want some help with this. By help I mean diagnosing the problem. From there we can figure out if you can fix it.

I wish this had happened at a different time!

I live on Arlington, which is quite a distance from Kraynick's, especially since this quarter at school is my busiest ever.

Another way to investigate Marko's line of reasoning without removing the wheel:

Turn the pedals a few times so the wheel has a little momentum. You don't need to get things moving fast, that just prevents you from seeing what is happening.

Now stop pedalling and hold the pedals stationary. The wheel should keep turning smoothly and should not pull at your hand.

From the wheel's perspective, this is the same as being pedalled backwards, but it leaves out the idler pulleys and the sticky links in the chain.

"You know what made wonders for my gear shifting? Cleaning the derailer of crap it had embedded in it."

Try a single speed or fixed gear and this statement will put a gi-normous smile on your face.

If this isn't solved yet I could probably find a little time to look at it during the day. I always see your candystriper locked up in Market Square. I'm guessing lunch time isn't the best time for you to take a break? PM me.

RF is probably working and not reading boards, but you don't need her to be there. Only takes two minutes... I don't have any meetings this AM, I'll swing by on the way in and see if I can spot it.

Nope, couldn't find it.

has anyone suggested that this might be as simple as the cable tension being off? if the bike is ghost-shifting that would be the first thing i checked.

From the video, I think it's more than cable tension. But I'm a n00b at bike repair and could be wrong.

has anyone suggested that this might be as simple as the cable tension being off? if the bike is ghost-shifting that would be the first thing i checked.

I have no idea what that means. I did get ahold of edmonds though, and he should be stopping by in a bit to see what he can do. Hopefully it's a simple, easy fix.

if its cable tension, it should take him about 2 or 3 minutes to fix and tools should not be needed. if he can't get it take it to thick and ask them to check to make sure the rear derailer is adjusted properly. should take about 5 minutes and they are slow enough they will probably just do it then and there and maybe even for free.

so this horrendously annoying problem was brought to you by one little bolt that help my rack onto the frame. The bolt was hitting the cogs. I'm currently putting another washer between that and the frame. Problem solved, thanks edmonds, for your help.

@Morningsider: touché !