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Problem with chain skipping when pedaling hard

5 min read

Asked by: Brian Gonzalez

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.

Why is my chain skipping?

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 stop my chain from jumping?

Common Fixes for Skipping Chains



The most typical recommendation for fixing a skipping chain is to add tension to the rear derailleur. However, there may be times when you have to either shorten the chain by removing a link or swapping out the shifter cable altogether. It’s also possible that the cable is too tight.

Why does my bike chain jerk?

Chain skipping is when the pedals slip forward as pressure is applied resulting in a sudden jerk forward of the feet. One cause of chain skipping is a stretched chain. Believe it or not, bicycle chains actually stretch! A stretched chain will wear down the sprockets causing them to become sharp.

What is chain slipping?

Bike chains slipping is a common issue that all bikers have to face from time to time. It happens when your chain skips between gears while you are riding, shifts twice instead of once, or refuses to shift when you change gears. Chain slipping after putting on new bike chains isn’t something unusual.

How do I stop my rear derailleur from skipping?


Quote from video: If your derailleur skips clicks or won't shift into some gears chances are that the hanger is bent or misaligned or your cable needs to be properly tensioned. Here's how to diagnose it look from the

How do I know if my chainring is worn out?

“An inner chainring is considered worn when a clean new chain starts to chain suck [when doesn’t release well at the bottom of the chainring) and an outer chairing is considered worn when it is very rough running or the shifting is poor or inconsistent.

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. Many Tour De France riders wear out two or even three chains on their primary bike over the course of the three-week race.

How do I know if my chain sprocket is damaged?

A worn out sprocket can be easily identified as inner and and outer faces show signs of stress. Mostly sprockets are damaged owing to misaligned chains. If you ride an ADV and take it off the road frequently, your chain should always be free from corrosion and well lubricated.

Why does my bicycle jerks when I accelerate?

Another common reason for a bicycle to jerk while accelerating is because the gears are worn down. A gear becomes more likely to slip when it is worn out. This can be a very common reason for your bicycle to jerk when you are trying to accelerate, especially if the gears on your bike have been worn down.

Why does my bike get off when I accelerate?

You may have excess slack on the throttle cable where it is connected to the carburetor. This in turn will lessen it’s ability to open the butterfly valve because it’s not giving it a full pull. You will have an uneven air and fuel mix which will cause your motorcycle to lose power when accelerating.

How do I adjust my skipping gears?

Quote from video: So try one click first as you're just pedaling along it should hop up one gear if it's not apply some tension which means counter-clockwise adjustments on that barrel adjuster until it jumps.

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.

Why does my rear cassette slip?

Chain slipping on bike when pedaling hard ( partially solved …

How do I stop my bike chain from popping?

Quote from video: But you just tighten up the bolts. While you pull on the back wheel and force it backwards. That's that side.

How do you fix a slipped bike chain?

Quote from video: Itself. Once you've found the tight link simply grasp the chain with the tight link in between your hands and flex the chain. Laterally. This will open up the plates. And resolve the tight.

How do you know when chainrings are worn?

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 rear cassette slip?

These can occur simultaneously – a dirty chain causes rapid chain wear, a worn out chain causes the cassette to wear out. If you have been riding with a slipping chain for long, you are very likely to have worn out both the chain and the cassette and will have to replace both.

Can you over tighten a cassette?

Can You over-Tighten a Bike Cassette? Yes, you can overtighten a bike cassette and this usually doesn’t end well. If you go way above the torque recommended for your cassette lock ring, you would be overtightening it. This is why using a torque wrench is advised when tightening your cassette.

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.