Smoothness of drivetrain?
#1
Smoothness of drivetrain?
Hey guys... I had a question about my Medici's drive train. Not sure why I just noticed it, but for some reason I was cleaning my bike and realized that the drivetrain isn't as smooth as my Peugeot. I'm not sure if this is even a concern or not.
I don't notice any stiffness when riding, but when I slowly turn the cranks or give it a spin with my hands it just isn't as smooth. Everything has been taken apart and cleaned/lubed. The chain is brand new and now stiff links. The crank and derailleurs were lined up correctly.
C-Record Cranks and Rear Derailleur
IRD freewheel
Sram chain
What do you guys think it might be? Or am I just making something out of nothing? Maybe I need to be a bit more thorough and try different gear combos as well as I only tried the big chainring and 3rd gear.
I don't notice any stiffness when riding, but when I slowly turn the cranks or give it a spin with my hands it just isn't as smooth. Everything has been taken apart and cleaned/lubed. The chain is brand new and now stiff links. The crank and derailleurs were lined up correctly.
C-Record Cranks and Rear Derailleur
IRD freewheel
Sram chain
What do you guys think it might be? Or am I just making something out of nothing? Maybe I need to be a bit more thorough and try different gear combos as well as I only tried the big chainring and 3rd gear.
#2
Veteran Racer


Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,854
Likes: 913
From: Ciudad de Vacas, Tejas
Bikes: 34 frames + 80 wheels
Is the freewheel also relatively new? A worn freewheel sprocket will be noisy with a new chain just as a worn chain will make noise with a new freewheel sprocket. Mismatches in wear between chain and crank chainrings is less noticeable.
#5
Yea it really bugs me out. I don't think it's causing any impact on functionality though...
Here's a bit more detail on the components:
C-Record Cranks and Rear Derailleur (used, but not very much wear from what I can tell. Pulleys look good)
IRD freewheel - New
Sram chain - New
I broke everything down and had it regreased and put back together. BB is super smooth. Is it possible that my RD be bent or something and I'm not noticing it? A few things I do notice...
- Freewheel wobbles. I noticed it's not too bad and read it's a normal occurence. Although my Peugeot shows no sign of wobble.
- Not sure if this is normal, but my RD moves back and forth a little when I put the bike on a stand, pedal a few rotations and just watch it freewheel.
-Rear wheel hub is quite smooth.
Here's a bit more detail on the components:
C-Record Cranks and Rear Derailleur (used, but not very much wear from what I can tell. Pulleys look good)
IRD freewheel - New
Sram chain - New
I broke everything down and had it regreased and put back together. BB is super smooth. Is it possible that my RD be bent or something and I'm not noticing it? A few things I do notice...
- Freewheel wobbles. I noticed it's not too bad and read it's a normal occurence. Although my Peugeot shows no sign of wobble.
- Not sure if this is normal, but my RD moves back and forth a little when I put the bike on a stand, pedal a few rotations and just watch it freewheel.
-Rear wheel hub is quite smooth.






