Bent Chainring causing chain to attempt changing gears

Asked by: Elizabeth Jones

Why does my bike chain keep changing gears?

Most of the time, a skipping chain is caused by cable stretch. In the first half dozen rides on a new bike, your shift cables stretch the most. They can also stretch over time as you ride. Hippley explains, “It takes cable tension to open a derailleur, which shifts your chain between gears.

Why does my chain come off when I change gear?

If your chain regularly comes off the inside of your chainset, it could be that the L screw needs adjusting. Put the chain on the small chainring and the largest sprocket at the back. The inner plate of the front derailleur cage should nearly but not quite touch the chain; we’re talking about a gap of 1-2mm.

Can you straighten a bent chainring?

Bent chainrings can sometimes be straightened by using a screwdriver as a prybar. A special bending tool made by Bicycle Research sometimes will fit, but not usually on modern chainsets. If you have the guts to try it, a large rubber mallet will often do the trick.

Why does my bike chain keep clicking?

A clicking noise often comes from your chain wanting to jump up or down a gear on the rear cassette. This can typically be fixed by adjusting the tension of the cable that runs from your shifter to your rear derailleur.

How do I know if my chainring is worn out?

“Rough/noisy running is the best way to tell if a chainring needs replacing,” says Chris Mckenney of SRAM. “Unless a chainring is well beyond its service life it is very difficult to see this visually; chainring teeth slowly take on the shape of a shark’s fin in use.

Why does my chain skip when I pedal hard?

These include worn out or misaligned derailleur pulleys, old or malfunctioning shifters throwing off the indexing in some gears, or broken/bent teeth on one or more cassette cogs. Build up of dirt and grime on drivetrain components will also cause shifting issues, including skipping chains.

What is chain drop?

A dropped chain is when your chain comes off your gears keeping you from pedaling. This can happen in the front chain ring gears or the rear cassette gears.

What is cross chaining?

Cross-chaining is when you’re in your big chainring and the biggest cog on your back cassette, or on your small chainring and your smallest cog. The problem is that this stretches your chain diagonally to its limits, and needlessly so, since you could just shift to your other chainring and find a similar gear ratio.

How long does a chain last on a bike?

2,000 to 3,000 miles

Most mechanics agree that you should replace your chain about every 2,000 to 3,000 miles, depending on your riding style.

When should I replace my chain ring?

Quote from video: Start to become hooked. Like little shark's teeth. And that is a surefire sign that you need to replace the chain rings.

How do you straighten a bicycle chain?

Quote from video: Uh you know spin it around and then get it toward the chains on the bottom. And you can normally pull some slack.

How do you fix a bent gear on a bike?

Quote from video: So you need to address it straight away and we're going to show you two major methods first one is on the bike the second one is by removing it and just giving a bit more welly.

Can I replace chainring without removing crank?

Condensed Answer: If the big chainring attaches to the drive-side crank via bolts, it’s possible to replace it without removing the cranks. If the chainring is permanently attached to the cranks via rivets, it’s not possible to get it off without removing the cranks.

Is it OK to use wd40 on bike chain?

WD-40 is a great bike chain lube water based lubricant and will not only lubricate the chain well, but will also keep it rust and corrosion free.

How do I know if I need a new bike chain?

Quote from video: If you are using an 11 or 12 speed chain replace your chain once it is reach point five percent wear and for two sprocket or single speed bikes replace your chain when it has reached 1% wear.

How do you fix ghost pedals?

The end result will be sporadic ghost pedaling when the bicycle is coasting. To fix this issue, you will have to replace the broken pawls, the freehub body, or the entire hub.

How tight should a bike chain be?

It should be tight enough that it only allows you to move it up and down about one inch. If it is sagging or much looser than that, you need to tighten that chain up.

How long should a bike chain last?

2,000 to 3,000 miles

Most mechanics agree that you should replace your chain about every 2,000 to 3,000 miles, depending on your riding style.

How do I know if my derailleur is bent?

Quote from video: When we're trying to shift. Down becomes quite erratic or vice-versa. The key is to look at the rear derailleur we can see it's bent slightly inward.

What causes a derailleur to bend?

A common cause of a misaligned hanger is from the bike falling over to the right side. This pushes the derailleur body inward, bending the hanger. It is often possible to repeatedly re-bend many derailleur hangers. This is because there is very little stress from riding the bike or shifting gears.

How much does it cost to fix a bent derailleur?

There can be a range of prices for replacement derailleurs, starting around $20 and going all the way up to $700.