Mountain Biking - Shifting is Shot.

I got a new chain but the shifting still skips. I knew it wasn't the chain. Might the rear derailer need adjustment? The chain works in some gears but it skips bewteen 3 and 4 and 7 and 8. 5 and 6 work well some times. As well as 9 and 1 and 2.

Should I bring her in for adjustment?

I have the occasional shift problem aswell, not a skip really, just a delayed upshift (shifting into smaller toothed sprockets) but I was leaning towards maybe checking the chain length myself, maybe since you got a new chain, you could double check the length to make sure alls well. Just a thought.

The chain is good length. The problem is that it skips between chain rings on the freewheel.

Does it make a clicking noise as you pedal, or is it just happening all the sudden and randomly?

Its like clickity clack and it jumps up and down from two chain rings. I'm sure it needs adjustment. I also need a front derailer and a chain guide. But who's complaining?

Hmm...

1) Try adjusting as accordingly to your manual.
2) Ride some 20-40 km and see if the chain "breaks in" to your new gears, as mentioned in your previous post about the third time breaking your chain.

It's a new chain. Switched from Shimano CN-53 to Sram PC-59. But it was skipping with both chains. Bringing it in tommorow for adjustments and such.

I knew it wasn't the chain.

How many breaks did it take you to realize that? :rolleyes:

How many breaks did it take you to realize that? :rolleyes:

Read it wrong. It WASN'T the chain that was causing the skipping. Because it happened with both the chains. The derailer is in need of adjustment as I've said before.

MAybe the OLD chain is broken. The new one needs breaking in.

MAybe the OLD chain is broken. The new one needs breaking in.


Nah its the derailer i'm sure.

The cassette wears with the chain, so if you put a new chain on an old cassette it will skip. Other possible causes can be dirty cable housings, and check your jockey pullies for buildup and wear. They don't usually cause skipping but can be a contributing factor.

had a similar problem when my chain didnt shift to the next gear, but skipped a ring to the next one down only after i pushed the shifter down (i.e. tightening cable) 2 gears. a quick service showed problem to be sand on the cable. but you say it jumps rings when you FREEWHEEL? sounds like the chain is catching on something or the derailleur just isnt springing back like it should to tighten the chain?

Derailleurs don't usually require periodic adjustment after proper initial set-up. Check the derailleur hanger alignment; the housing & cables and housing end-caps ( For proper tension, cleanliness, damage, drag, etc.); chain length and stiff links (Even if it's a new chain); wear of the cassette cogs and chainrings; condition of the pully wheels; the cleanliness of the rear derailleur, especially the pivots; and the tightness of the cassette lockring. And if you've ridden a bunch of miles/hours, the rear/right shifter may be worn out.

had a similar problem when my chain didnt shift to the next gear, but skipped a ring to the next one down only after i pushed the shifter down (i.e. tightening cable) 2 gears. a quick service showed problem to be sand on the cable. but you say it jumps rings when you FREEWHEEL? sounds like the chain is catching on something or the derailleur just isnt springing back like it should to tighten the chain?

Freewheel = Cassette

I've heard it called both.

Freewheel = Cassette

I've heard it called both.
Wrongo! Freewheel does NOT equal cassette.


Freewheels and Cassette Freehubs

They're NOT the same!
This particular page is intended to help you determine which type your bike is equipped with, because there is a great deal of confusion about which is which.

The terms "freewheel" and "cassette" are often used interchangeably, an error that causes a lot of wasted time and money.

Freewheels for Threaded Hubs:
Traditional rear hubs came with a standardized set of threads to which a standard freewheel/sprocket cluster could be screwed on. This allowed any brand of freewheel to be mounted on any brand of hub. If you wore out your sprockets, or wanted different gear ratios, you could unscrew the cluster and install a new one.

Almost all bikes made through the late 1980s used this system.

Cassette Freehubs
Over the last few years the Shimano "Freehub" has largely replaced the conventional threaded rear hub. It is sad to lose the brand interchangeability that formerly existed, but these hubs work so well that they have come to represent the new "standard."

Most decent-quality bikes made since the late 1980s have used this greatly improved design.

The cassette Freehub incorporates the ratchet mechanism into the hub body (although the ratchet mechanism is still replaceable). When you wear out the sprockets on a Freehub, you replace the sprockets only, not the ratchet mechanism (which typically lasts much longer than the sprockets).

The sprockets are commonly sold as a set, called a "cassette". The sprockets in a cassette are usually held together by three small bolts or rivets for ease of installation. These bolts or rivets are by no means necessary, they just make it easier to keep the sprockets and spacers in the correct order and position when they are removed from the ratchet body. Individual sprockets are also available.

Sorry for the confusion guys, i thought he used the word "freewheel" as a verb - i.e. the action of coasting along w/o applying forward pressure to the cranks or even spinning the cranks backwards. if that were the case and the chain starts jumping cogs, it sounds like somehow the derailleur isnt keeping the tension on the chain, and the slight feedback when you spin the cranks backwards loosens the chain for a split second causing the chain to jump? just a theory.

have you tried adjusting your cable?is the bike fairly clean and lubed?the cables as stated before need periodic adjustment