Crank skip problem
 

I'm not very good with derailers so I'm not sure if it's that or the crank but when I pedal the crank sometimes "skips" or "jumps". Anybody know where to start?

1. Check the derailleur position over the cassette cog it is supposed to be on. The upper jockey wheel should be directly over the cog.

2. Check your chain for wear. Check you chainrings for wear, "shark finning" and bent teeth. Installed a new chain recently? A new chain on worn components will skip under even slight load. If everything is just really worn out, time for new: chainrings/cassette/chain. Yes, all at the same time.

3. Depending on the age of the rear wheel, could be a dying freewheel, or damaged freehub. This would be a sharp "klank" kind of sound, with not as much movement as actual chain skipping.

I can't think of anything at the crank itself that might cause this.

Check the chainring for sharkfinning. I had this happen, where my middle chainring was worn down and I replaced the cassette and chain (didn't know the chainring was worn). I was fine in the big or little chainring, but when I'd apply any strain on the middle chainring the crank would jump forward and the bike went nowhere.