So I'm basically new to bikes. I've been riding them my whole life but just recently got a hand-me-down mountain bike, and am using it for everything.

My problem is i don't know what the previous owner did with it or how to even go about correcting it. When i get it into the lowest gear (after going through the previous ones to get up to speed) if i crank too hard the chain will start to skip. This morning i tried moving the wheel further back while in the low gear to stretch the chain but it didn't really move much.

I would appreciate any help as I'm new to bikes and this forum. Though I've been reading around here for a while and its great.

Without knowing the history of this bike a guess would be either gear adjustment, bent dérailleur hanger or chain and cassette need replacing. For the gear adjustment look up teh procedure in Park Tools web site, For the chain measure a section with a 12" ruler form pin to pin. Anything over 12 1/8"is worn. For the derailleur hanger a shop will have ot chck this as a special tool is needed.

I'd start troubleshooting with the chain.

No offense but:

1. PLEASE don't start post with "So..." Maybe it's your style but it seems that dozens of others have adopted that style as well. It gets annoying after the sixth post in a row (no exaggeration).

2. The New Posters Please READ THIS entry https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ease-READ-THIS at the top of this forum is there for a reason. You will learn MUCH more by following the suggestions there than by asking questions one at a time. AFTER you read it try the Sheldon Brown site under Beginners and Gears and Drive Trains.

3. Three hours after you posted over 30 people had read your post and only two responded - that's because the same issue has been posted so many times and the resources to answer it are readily available. All of us have a finite amount of time and energy available, and in addition prefer to assist where our help is most needed. I'm only posting this so that not only you but others might get the message.

Thanks.

While I understand the frustrations with stylistic and grammatical errors in internet forum posts, the OP was clearly written and grammatically correct. Please hold on to your inner editor until the next person writes a punctuation-free post about how he "looses break function" whenever he squeezes his "break handles to write about their." You may have to wait five or ten minutes for this post, though.

Edit: To the OP - do search the 'stickys' at the top of the forum, try a search on "chain skipping," and be sure to visit SheldonBrown.com as that is the best source of bicycle technical information in existence. Then post back when you need some clarification.

So, this is the third or fourth recent thread on this site that has included grammatical critiques. Perhaps we can all get issued a report card once a year from the English teachers in the audience and keep the actual threads focused on bikes. Or maybe we need to establish som some subforums on such topics as split infinitives and whether its ok to start a sentence with a preposition.

Has nothing to do with English or an individual use of style. I did not complain because of grammar but rather because the use of So is getting to an annoying level - as I clearly noted.

Chains should be replaced when any one foot interval has "stretched" to 12 1/16 inches. By the time it reaches 12 1/8 inches it's probably too late.

I find "so" at the end of sentences in conversation much much more annoying. My boss does this all the time. I remain silent, just looking at him. Makes for a fun awkward pause, then he leaves my cube.

So a relevant post about chain skipping is not a problem.

Thank you.

Thanks for providing to SheldonBrown link. I have bookmarked it for future reference.....Just noticed it was a sticky..duh!

The lowest gear? You mean the smallest cog, which is the highest gear.

If you had got that right, odds-on the first response would've been that you have a worn chain and need to replace it and your freewheel/cassette.

Your problem is probably with the chain. A cheapo chain is maybe $15. Many folks suggest changing the freewheel/cassette at the same time, but then it gets expensive.Just change the chain- you will need a $10 tool if you DIY- and call it a day.
Plan B don't use that smallest cog-save the $$.

In respect to posting for answers that might be found somewhere else; the OP is new and trying to make a connection to the forum members. He certainly isn't looking for some sort of English lesson.
Some members need to learn some manners.

I know what you mean. My wife has picked up that habit and it's driving me nuts!

So . . . here are all the causes of chain skip that I've observed in my short life: bent chain, worn chain, chain with stiff link, badly adjusted derailleur, bent derailleur hanger, worn cassette/freewheel cogs, dirt caked between cassette/freewheel cogs, bent cassette freewheel cogs, otherwise damaged cassette/freewheel cogs, and bent chainrings.

Where do you want to start?

Yep - That's right. 12 1/16 = time to replace chain. 12 1/8 = rplace chain plus cassette plus possibly a chainring or two. First option is more economical.

You forgot "wrong size lockring".