Bicycle Mechanics - Pedals Move On Their Own

The pedals move on their own while not on the bike, just moving it by walking with the wheels rotating the pedals rotate as well. anyone know how to fix this?

Get an exorcist?


It sounds like your freehub or freewheel is dragging. Try dripping some oil into it.

its a a fixed gear bike ?

its a a fixed gear bike ?

Haha +1.

its a a fixed gear bike ?

ROTFLMAO!!! :D:D:D:D

Could be a broken spoke protector rubbing on the backside of the cassette or freewheel. I've also seen grass and weeds packed into these same areas that will cause the same thing. If it's not that, something in the freewheel or freehub is locked up.

Freewheel/freehub friction. Unless it's so severe that the top of the chain is sagging when freewheeling riding the bike (which is bad news since the chain can get pulled, jam into the freewheel and take the rear derailleur with it), it's not a big issue. Lube the ratchet mechanism, make sure that there is no dirt stuck between the freewheel/cassette and the hub + spokes, make sure that if a dork disk is installed it's not jamming.

Freewheel/freehub friction. Unless it's so severe that the top of the chain is sagging when freewheeling riding the bike (which is bad news since the chain can get pulled, jam into the freewheel and take the rear derailleur with it), it's not a big issue. Lube the ratchet mechanism, make sure that there is no dirt stuck between the freewheel/cassette and the hub + spokes, make sure that if a dork disk is installed it's not jamming.


but what if I don't know how to use the travel adjust Mr Lawyer?

I want a set of those. Prepetual motion machine in the making.

haha, sorry i may have explained it a bit indirect. what i mean is when i am on the bike and the wheels are moving say going downhill or just moving from momentum from cycling the pedals continue to move on their own while the wheels rotate, also in one occurence the chains bundled up and jammed at the rear pretty bad.

Honestly, I'm a little scared now. I bought my bike really cheap on Craigslist-- what if it was 50$ because it is haunted?

I've seen one bike where the cassette was so close to the spokes that it rubbed and dragged the cassette along with the wheel rotation. The owner had to add some kind of spacer to get enough separation, IIRC.

it has nothing to do with the supernatural. could this be the cause of the plastic disc on my wheel behind the gears breaking or falling off?

The behavior you describe is from friction at the freehub. It may be the freehub itself has a friction problem or it may simply be that your bearings are adjusted too tightly. The hub should have play in it when off the bike if you move the axle up and down (wheel vertical) and no play when mounted. Without the wheel mounted but with the chain disengaged the wheel should slowly and gently rock to a stop.

it has nothing to do with the supernatural. could this be the cause of the plastic disc on my wheel behind the gears breaking or falling off?

The other way is possible. If any pieces of the disc (known as a "dork disc") are still there, it may be those pieces that are stopping the freewheeling action. The plastic ages and becomes brittle and then break up on their own.

The behavior you describe is from friction at the freehub. It may be the freehub itself has a friction problem or it may simply be that your bearings are adjusted too tightly. The hub should have play in it when off the bike if you move the axle up and down (wheel vertical) and no play when mounted. Without the wheel mounted but with the chain disengaged the wheel should slowly and gently rock to a stop.

First part of response is correct (freehub friction), but in the rest you confuse freehub bearings with wheel bearings. The freewheel bearings are usually not readily adjustable, and the "play... when off the bike... with the chain disengaged the wheel should slowly and gently rock to a stop" refers to wheel hub bearings, not freehub, so does not impact the OP's issue.

First part of response is correct (freehub friction), but in the rest you confuse freehub bearings with wheel bearings. The freewheel bearings are usually not readily adjustable, and the "play... when off the bike... with the chain disengaged the wheel should slowly and gently rock to a stop" refers to wheel hub bearings, not freehub, so does not impact the OP's issue.

Guess I dashed that one off too fast, confused the issue. True, the hub bearings have no impact on the dragging freehub - could only be freehub bearings or something like a spoke protector or badly bent spoke.