gettingfit

The chain dropped off the front sprockets on my new Raleigh between the smallest and second largest rings. Because of the design of the Shimano rings, the chain got stuck "really good". It was hung up inside the cutout of the second ring.

inside view


topview


outside view you can see the link sticking through and hung up on the 2nd gear ring


After dislodging the chain here is what the sprockets look like.

frontview1


frontview2


backside


The chain is ruined as two of the links have bent side plates. I'm going to replace it with an SRAM 850 or 870.

Do you think the sprocket is okay or salvageable. There is a gouge on the the one tooth on its outer-facing side that i think i can file down to get the burr off of. The back side of it is fine, and the slope or pitch of the tooth is unchanged, as is its alignment with the rest of the teeth.

There is still a warranty on the bike which according to what I've read in it covers everything for one year other than "wear items" such as chains, tires, and brakes. If it is applicable to this, I'll certainly take advantage of it (the only question being how long the parts (Shimano) will be on order and how long it will take for the shop I bought the bike from to get around to fixing it.

BCRider

At most the chain should have just dropped onto the smaller ring teeth. The fact that it was able to jam down into that gap suggests that they are using too narrow a chain on those components or that the crankset is poorly speced or made with too wide a step between the rings.

gettingfit

The chain is stamped with Shimano HG-40 (narrow). So you might be right on the money with the chain being too narrow for the gap. Its an 8 speed rear end so from my understanding the chain has to be somewhat narrower to accommodate the spacing between the rear sprockets.

I'm taking it to the bike shop I got it from this afternoon with the pictures of how the chain lodged in/under the second sprocket. He said the crankset is covered under warranty, though he wasn't sure if the chain would be (which is fine as I'd rather have a better quality/properly sized chain if need be).

The bike in question. I got the monster sized men's "19 frame (which I needed at nearly 6'4") riding on 700c wheels so its kind of funny pulling up next to the average sized mass market retailer bikes and setting a good shoulder+ above those riders.



Here's the spec page for it. Anything I might want to consider replacing in the future (i.e. next year) with better quality components?
https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/hybr...40/?page=specs

busted knuckles

As a side not, excellent example of good pictures to show the problem.

FBinNY 

An 8s chain shouldn't have been able to slip into and jam between the sprockets, but that doesn't mean it couldn't. Odds are this happened while shifting under power and the chain started to wedge between the sprockets and the high tension pulled it down.

The first lesson is don't shift under power, especially the front shifter.

The sprockets are probably OK as long an no teeth were bent. If so use a hammer and small punch to gently tap them back into line, otherwise the chain will jam on them. The gouges can be ignored, they may click a bit but if the chain slips past them OK without hanging it'll quickly wear them smoother with use. If the chain does hang, the gouges can be dressed out with a file, then you'll be fine.

BTW- you might consider prevention, by checking that the chain can't get started between tops of the teeth on the inner and the inside of the outer chainrings. that means that the chain's tendency will be to drop onto the teeth properly rather than jam in between. the problem is that chains wider than 8s may not work on your cassette, and it's hard to narrow the chainring spacing. If you do end up replacing the inner ring, look doe one with little or no offset so the points of the teeth will be closer to the outer chainring.

wrk101

A Raleigh hybrid does not lend itself to upgrades. Its more of a set it and forget it kind of bike. Use it, enjoy it, and then look for a different type of bike for other kinds of riding.

Depending on the type of riding you want to do, I would look for more of a road bike, with no suspension fork, narrow tires, drop handlebars. But for towing around the family, you made a good choice.


That frame is small for you at 6-4. I would not call a 19 inch frame size hybrid "monster" at all. Its about the size for someone in the 5-11 to 6-0 range. Many hybrids come in sizes as large as 25 inch (check out a Trek 7200 for example).

BCRider

I see that you prefer the bars to be quite a bit higher than the seat. This being the case and assuming that you don't switch to a more aggresive riding posture at some point then a style of bike to look at as a replacement for this one, which is way too small for you, is an XL size 29er with a switch to street hybrid tires. The 29'er bikes are mountain bikes but on steroids with the bigger wheels that will accept 700c hybrid tires. And the taller front end suspension fork and frame with a riser stem would put the bars up where you appear to be enjoying them. And an XL size with a 23 inch seat post frame would fit you far, far better on all counts. And the mountain bike gearing, while most would say it is too low for street use, looks like it would suit you just fine for trailer towing duty as well as the slower and less racy riding speeds that go along with a more sit upright stance.

Check out some options for these 29'ers on the net and perhaps test ride a few when you want to get more serious about a better quality AND fitting bike size.

gettingfit

Thing was, I wasn't shifting under power. I was shifting on a slight decline to prepare for towing the kid up an long incline.

The 19 is the largest Raleigh makes in their hybrids but is about the equivalent of the 25" Trek ( tried out a Trek at the shop and the Raleigh nearly the exact same size). Its just the oddball measurement labeling they use because of the "comfort geometry" of the frame. Its set up fine as far as frame size and seat height with just a very slight bend in my knee when the peddle is at its lowest position.

On a positive note, the bike is at the shop and a crankset is on order (about 1 week). The mechanic took one look at it and said "Its under warranty, better safe than sorry", so its getting a new chain and crankset.

az2008

With the seat and handlebars that high, it doesn't look equivalent to a 25" Trek.

I'm 6' and have a retail bike with a 17.5 seattube. I have the seat and bars as extended as you do. At 6-4, that looks like the equivalent of a 19".