Originally Posted by
veronicak5678
Thanks for answering, and please bear with me. I know nothing about bikes.
The chain is on the smallest ring in the front.When I move it to the largest, it hits the side of the metal piece that it runs through behind the rings. Could that piece be bent?
The small ring in the front is the lowest (easiest) gear. It has been shifted into low gear. That's why it feels like it does.
Are there two or three rings in the front? If there are three, while pedaling gently shift it to the middle one.
as you shift the rear gears the angle of the chain changes. This may be rubbing because the chain is in the large gears in the back and the large gear in the front. The bike really does not work properly in that combination. Shift to a smaller gear in the back may fix the chain rubbing. The big ring in front is only for going down hill or very fast.
It probably is not bent, but without photos or more info about the bike manufacturer and model name it's hard to get a really accurate answer.