Bicycle Mechanics - indoor trainer & 3 speed Raleigh

I just bought an indoor trainer to use with my 3 speed raleigh. It has the sturmey archer
rear hub with the chain . I am wondering if there is a better way to mount this as the chain is pinched by this mounting. I tired peddling the bike and the chain keeps slipping...is that because of the lack of shift via pinched chain? I looked at the slack of the chain itself and it doesn't seem like it's too slack..there's no room to take one link out. Should a bore a hole on the trainer itself on that side to allow the chain movement?

medusa: by chain slipping, do you mean the chain coming out of the rear axle which actuates the shifting mechanism, or the drive chain? A picture might be enlightening.

IF You are talking about the shifting chain,
if you just un screw the chain
it will revert to the 4/3 top gear..
then when you want to hit the road again,
remove the bike from the trainer & screw it back in,

It's called an indicator chain,
because in 2nd gear the end of the rigid shaft, start of the chain,
when even with the end of the hollow axle
indicates it's in Adjustment. ... again.

Well I just unscrewed the little chain and gave it a try. I started turning the peddles and yes it does seem like the chain is slipping, coming off the sprocket. There is tension starting out and then after 3 seconds a noisy abrupt slipping and then it may fall back into place after I slow down.

I'm looking at the photo and it appears that your chain (drive chain) is a bit slack. Rotate the crank to find the tightest spot (the chain length varies because the chainring doesn't turn perfectly true). At that position you should have about 1/8" vertical play in the center of either loop. If there's more, loosen the axle nuts and m0ve the rear wheel back to get the right tension in the chain and retighten.

Then try it again. As for the indicator chain, you can leave it off and ride in high, or saw (file) a slot in the trainer's right mounting cup, so it holds on the axle nut, with the indicator in the slot and free to work.

It's been a long time (45 years!) since I had a 3 speed bike so my memory is very faded. On the Schwinn I think I recalled I had to have the rear wheel snug against the back of the dropouts on both sides to get the chain tight; so what FBinNY is saying is correct. If yours is already all the way back then that would beg the question, did you get a new chain recently? If so then the chain you bought was too long, you may have to remove a link or two.

Many thanks to every one who responded. We live and learn...now I can peddle away happily indoors. I'm still working on the outdoors thing. :-)

Many thanks to every one who responded. We live and learn...now I can peddle away happily indoors. I'm still working on the outdoors thing. :-)

So what was the problem? Just in case this should ever arise again it would be nice to know. Thanks

It was exactly what both of you had mentioned....too much slack in the chain..I already had my wheel positioned all the way back in but apparently I had a chain that was too long....took out 2 links and I'm good to go. No slipping . :thumb:





So what was the problem? Just in case this should ever arise again it would be nice to know. Thanks

It was exactly what both of you had mentioned....too much slack in the chain..I already had my wheel positioned all the way back in but apparently I had a chain that was too long....took out 2 links and I'm good to go. No slipping . :thumb:

Good job, now you can ride indoors and hopefully not get as bored as I do doing that, I hate riding indoors thus I hate the fact winter is coming and onto the trainer I'll go!! Don't forget to have a fan directly in front of you for cooling or you can overheat and the sweat has no way to evaporate. What's weird about me is that I will start the winter on the trainer doing pretty good, but by the time spring rolls around my miles slowly drop off from 30 miles to maybe 5 miles due to the incredible boredom factor. Some people are wired for doing tread mills and indoor bicycle trainers...not me!!