Bicycle Mechanics - chain slipage

hi all,
I have a norco charger i have had it for 18 months know. When i go riding the FUkin Chain keeps slipping down a gear then going back to the right gear again and it stuffs u up especially when riding up hills. The gears are ajusted well but it still does it. Do u think it is a streched chain if so can i just take a chain link out or do i have to get a whole new chain.

When this happened to me, it usually just slipped on the gear that it was on, so I'm not sure what to make of that if everything is adjusted correctly. Is one of your links tight? I know that was the problem on an old ten speed that I had. Chain stretch is the most common cause though, I'd say. If the chain is stretched, you have to replace it because it's not the overall length of the chain that's making it skip, it's the length that the individual links have stretched from eachother. I've heard that you can put a new chain on old gears, but you can't put new gears with an old chain. Good luck, Ride for Jesus

If the system is changing gear under tension, then it may be that the gear shifter is lose. Is it a downtube-friction type lever ?

The other type of slippage is due to wear; the chain slips around the rear cog one tooth. It does not change gear but just slips. This is usually caused by putting a new chain onto worn cogs. The old worn chain will not slip like this.

I had this same problem, swapped the chain, and the problem persists. It happens more often in one particular gear, so I suspect that the cogs are worn. I've only that the bike a couple months though so that puzzles me :confused:

Dax

If the skip is being caused by a stiff link in the chain, you can usually spot the stiff link by pedalling backwards with the chain on one of the smaller rear cogs... it'll hop when it goes through the cogs and derailleur pulleys.

Perhaps the derailleur's indexing is off a little, which could give those symptoms. I put up some steps for setting up a rear derailleur in tFUNK's thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11800), although I'm sure there are better instructions at Park Tool's site or Sheldon Brown's.

All advises above is good and worth checking.

I tend to agree with MichaelW that the problem is with the shifters and not the chain or derailure.

Look at the side of the shifter. There will be a bolt that has either slots for a screwdriver head or it will have someprotruding loop for you to grip with your fingers. Turn this clockwise to tighten. This should solve your problem.

OF COURSE... you did not put any WD-40 or other lubricant on the shifters -right? Because if you did, this would lubricate the shifters and cause your problem.

This is what has happened:

The casette is worn out!!!!

I'll bet that the chain is really, really elonngated (like, 1/8" over one foot), and it has trashed the cogs. You need a new chain, and a new set of gears. Had you lubed the chain and replaced it when it was 1/16" elongated, you would've save the extra $35 us that the cogs are gonna cost you.

Maintain your bike.

Hmmmmm....


My bike is new, but I was having the same problems from week 1. I get chain slippage. So what could my problem be? I took it to a bike shop for a tune up, and they didn't say a word about needing a new cassette.


Koffee

Being brand new it would probably just need a cable adjust and the high and low settings on the der checked. If it is anything else I would be worried.