Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

My chain is skipping on my single speed

4 min read

Asked by: Junior Valentyme

Your chain/freewheel could be worn out. If you recently replaced your chain, the worn out teeth of the freewheel won’t mesh with the new chain and will cause skipping. Simply examining the profile of the freewheel teeth with pictures of a new one will give you a sense of whether this is a possibility.

How do you fix a skipping chain?


Quote from video: Now one of the most common causes is simple derailleur adjustment on modern derailers with index shifting. The pulleys in the cage. Here should line up with the cog that the chain is on.

Why does my bike chain slip when I pedal hard single speed?

The chain could be slipping due to natural weakening of the chain. Over time, the chain will stretch out and a loose chain means more slipping when pedaling hard. The chain could also be slipping if your cogs are word down. The cogs/crank also wear over time and can leave the chain with not much to “grab” on to.

What causes a chain to skip?

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.

How do I fix the chain on my single speed bike?

Quote from video: Before we get started we'll remove the old chain from the bike loosen the axle nuts to relieve tension on the chain. Using needlenose pliers to remove the c-clip.

Why does my chain slip under pressure?

Other problems associated with a worn drive train are bushings coming out of the chain, bent cog or chain ring teeth, and individual teeth breaking off of cogs or chain rings. All of these problems can cause a chain to skip while under pressure.

Why is my bike chain popping?

Check your chain tension and chain line. Even with perfect alignment the amount of extra torque you’re putting into the drivetrain can cause the ring/chain/cog to not line up perfectly and “pop”.

How do you fix ghost shifting?

Quote from video: You probably need to replace. The rear derailleur cable some have pointed to other causes of ghost shifting. Including worn chain worn cassette kinking of the cable.

Why does my chain slip when I pedal backwards?

Stiff links in a chain can cause it to fall off the chainwheel when pedaling backwards because they are not moving as smoothly as they should be. The chain mechanisms on a bike need to run like a well-oiled machine. The movement of the chain needs to be smooth and any stiff links can disrupt this.

How do I know if my chainring is worn out?

How To Fix Bike Chain Skipping/Slipping/Jumping Gears

Why are my bike pedals slipping?

After a long time riding under high-intensity pedaling, the chain will get damaged and stretched, the rollers will lose their normal shape (rounded) and plates elongates. Therefore, the chain will lose good mechanical contact with sprocket teeth and start causing slipping under hard pedaling.

How do I stop my gears from slipping?

Quote from video: Check the pulleys line up with the cog you're in if not turn the barrel adjuster like shame. In some circumstances. The part that attaches the derailleur to the frame called the derailleur hanger

Why does my bike chain keep changing gears?

Why Do Bicycle Chains Skip? When your bike chain skips between gears while you’re riding, or shifts twice instead of once when you try to change gears, the most common culprit is a loose cable. Your bike cables naturally stretch over time.

How do you tighten a shift cable on a bike?

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Step 1: Shift into the smallest gear. I also like to drop my cable tension as low as possible. …
  2. Step 2: Adjust the high limit screw, usually marked with an “H”. …
  3. Step 3: Tension the cable properly. …
  4. Step 4: Carefully shift up into the largest gear. …
  5. Step 5: Fine adjustments.


How tight should shifting cable be?

Quote from video: The bolt that crimps your cable tight and pull that slack tight with your hand or with a pair of pliers not too tight you don't really need to wrench.

How do I know if my shifter cable is broken?

If the shift cable breaks, your shifter handle won’t return to its neutral position on its own. If the horizontal cable breaks, you won’t be able to shift. If the vertical cable breaks, you will only be able to shift to third or fourth gear.