Tossed my chain three times today
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 749
Bikes: Specialized Crux Elite X1, Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert, Specialized Crux Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Tossed my chain three times today
This is a new Trek 1.5T. I picked it up Friday, and tried to put some miles on it today. First off the chain rubbed the front derailleur something awful, took it to the shop, they adjusted it. Seemed fine.
Three times (maybe 4?) I would be in the large front sprocket, smallest rear, really getting some speed, and the chain jumped the front sprocket outside. Stopped, got it back on, rode for a while, same thing again. I am not shifting when this happens. Chain seems to be riding on the sprocket fine, no rubbing. The reason I say maybe 4, is it jumped, but before it completely left the sprocket, I back peddled, and got it back on without stopping.
This is scaring my right crank all up. Not nice on a brand new bike. Shop is closed tomorrow, so if I ride, I'll have to stay at least one gear down in the rear. I tried that and it seemed okay.
Any ideas? Just an adjustment problem? I'll let the shop handle it Monday probably, I'm just curious if this is something that happens often. I've been riding my Mtn. bike for a few years, and I never had an issue like this.
Three times (maybe 4?) I would be in the large front sprocket, smallest rear, really getting some speed, and the chain jumped the front sprocket outside. Stopped, got it back on, rode for a while, same thing again. I am not shifting when this happens. Chain seems to be riding on the sprocket fine, no rubbing. The reason I say maybe 4, is it jumped, but before it completely left the sprocket, I back peddled, and got it back on without stopping.
This is scaring my right crank all up. Not nice on a brand new bike. Shop is closed tomorrow, so if I ride, I'll have to stay at least one gear down in the rear. I tried that and it seemed okay.
Any ideas? Just an adjustment problem? I'll let the shop handle it Monday probably, I'm just curious if this is something that happens often. I've been riding my Mtn. bike for a few years, and I never had an issue like this.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
One possibility is that the large front sprocket has a burr on one of its teeth, or a tooth which is bent inwards or outwards. Burrs, gouges and bent teeth may heave the chain overboard. It isn't the front derailleur's job to keep the chain on the sprocket, just to deliver it there when you shift, so if you're already riding in that gear when the chain jumps, it's not the derailleur per se.
There might be other issues, but that's where I'd start. If you want, you can check for bent teeth by sighting down the chainring from directly above, while slowly backpedalling and looking at the teeth for ones that lean in or out. You might see large burrs or gouges that way too, and feeling the teeth with your fingertips will usually help you detect smaller ones.
There might be other issues, but that's where I'd start. If you want, you can check for bent teeth by sighting down the chainring from directly above, while slowly backpedalling and looking at the teeth for ones that lean in or out. You might see large burrs or gouges that way too, and feeling the teeth with your fingertips will usually help you detect smaller ones.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA
Posts: 1,020
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck, Surly Pacer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You should be able to adjust the limit screw to keep this from happening. The limit screw on the front derailleur that is.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 749
Bikes: Specialized Crux Elite X1, Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert, Specialized Crux Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
If the front derailleur is not rubbing, does it still need to be adjusted?
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: silicon valley
Posts: 1,774
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This is a new Trek 1.5T. I picked it up Friday, and tried to put some miles on it today. First off the chain rubbed the front derailleur something awful, took it to the shop, they adjusted it. Seemed fine.
Three times (maybe 4?) I would be in the large front sprocket, smallest rear, really getting some speed, and the chain jumped the front sprocket outside. Stopped, got it back on, rode for a while, same thing again. I am not shifting when this happens. Chain seems to be riding on the sprocket fine, no rubbing. The reason I say maybe 4, is it jumped, but before it completely left the sprocket, I back peddled, and got it back on without stopping.
This is scaring my right crank all up. Not nice on a brand new bike. Shop is closed tomorrow, so if I ride, I'll have to stay at least one gear down in the rear. I tried that and it seemed okay.
Any ideas? Just an adjustment problem? I'll let the shop handle it Monday probably, I'm just curious if this is something that happens often. I've been riding my Mtn. bike for a few years, and I never had an issue like this.
Three times (maybe 4?) I would be in the large front sprocket, smallest rear, really getting some speed, and the chain jumped the front sprocket outside. Stopped, got it back on, rode for a while, same thing again. I am not shifting when this happens. Chain seems to be riding on the sprocket fine, no rubbing. The reason I say maybe 4, is it jumped, but before it completely left the sprocket, I back peddled, and got it back on without stopping.
This is scaring my right crank all up. Not nice on a brand new bike. Shop is closed tomorrow, so if I ride, I'll have to stay at least one gear down in the rear. I tried that and it seemed okay.
Any ideas? Just an adjustment problem? I'll let the shop handle it Monday probably, I'm just curious if this is something that happens often. I've been riding my Mtn. bike for a few years, and I never had an issue like this.
try replacing the chain with one of better quality.
ed rader
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA
Posts: 1,020
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck, Surly Pacer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
EDIT- That said, I would probably take it back to the shop you got it from and insist they fix it.
#7
Pwnerer
Are you a heavy rider?
I don't mean to be insulting, but heavier riders get much more flex out of a crankset and bottom bracket which could cause the shifting issue you described. It's tough to adjust the front derailleur to compensate for a lot of large chainring movement. At times it can be a choice between occasional rubbing or occasional chain-throwing depending on how much flex the BB has.
I don't mean to be insulting, but heavier riders get much more flex out of a crankset and bottom bracket which could cause the shifting issue you described. It's tough to adjust the front derailleur to compensate for a lot of large chainring movement. At times it can be a choice between occasional rubbing or occasional chain-throwing depending on how much flex the BB has.
#8
Senior Member
If the rubbing sound originally wasn't constant, like it would rub only at one position on the rotation, that could mean a loose bottom-bracket or bent chainring. The correct solution is to adjust the bottom-bracket bearing and/or true the bent chainring, not to adjust the FD to make up for something else.
If you look at the outer-cage of the FD when it's shifted furthest to the outside with the chain in the big-chainring (smallest cog in back), it should be AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE to the chain without rubbing. So we're taking about 0.5mm or so here. That way, shifting to the small chainring will occur quickly and easily.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
Without looking at your bike that would be my guess. When your bike is in the largest front chainring and the smallest rear cog the chain should just barely miss the outside blade of the derailleur cage.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 749
Bikes: Specialized Crux Elite X1, Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert, Specialized Crux Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
What ever it was, they made it good today. I took it out and did some high speed runs. About 4 miles, shifting through the full range and all is good.
__________________
Gary F.
2019 Specialized Crux Elite X1
2015 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert
My bike page: https://www.gwfweb.com/bicycles
Build a bike stand! https://www.gwfweb.com/bicycles/stands.html
Gary F.
2019 Specialized Crux Elite X1
2015 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert
My bike page: https://www.gwfweb.com/bicycles
Build a bike stand! https://www.gwfweb.com/bicycles/stands.html