OakTownRider

Hey all! I'm new here and I feel kind of embarrassed about this but I have two questions. First, I think I am a victim of what is called "chain suck". The chain got stuck between the chainring and the frame. I have no idea how this happened. Second, how do I get the chain out? I had to leave my bike at work overnight and come back with my car today.

ed 

I usually give it a good yank. If that doesn't work, I try to move the crankset backward. If that doesn't work, I pull the crank arm.

Be gentle. If you can't get it...got to a shop. They will most likely take it our for free if they're worth their weight.

Remember never to shift up there under intense power. If you have to do it up a hill, give the pedals a good honk and then soft pedal while you shift. Then you may continue the uphill grind.

jiiiim

yep i know what you mean... happened to me a few times. i just yank it out like chelboed said. try the chain breaker first instead of taking your crankset apart.

FreeRidin'

But once the chain is broken it would still be stuck...

Just give er' a good yank!

jiiiim

nope, the way i find it is... after you break the chain, you only use one hand to yank
also i tried it and it worked for me somehow =P

OakTownRider

It's really jammed in there. I think it dug deep into the frame. It's really stuck in there. I'm afraind to bend the chainring if I yank on it.

jiiiim

i dont think chainrings can bend that easily

clifford_bgrddg

make sure you lube your chain more often. i get suck when my chain gets dry or dusty. sheldon brown talks pretty extensively on this topic. just pull the damn thing out.

OakTownRider

Okay so I was able to yank it out like you guys said. Yeah it was pretty good in there. My frame is a little marred up but I can add it to the list of battle scars.

Thank you so much for your advice. I think I did do it while pushing hard on the pedals. I was trying to shift when I was going up a hill. So now I learned something! Thanks guys.

ed 

Good job, man. Now remember...when you are going up a hill and you're running out of steam, surge forward / soft pedal while you shift / and then get back on the gas. Same with shifting the rear derailleur under gobs of power. Lighten up the pressure a bit.

You're drivetrain will last much, much longer.

OakTownRider

Okay will do. But I don't understand how putting pressure on the pedals while switching gears will cause it to get jammed up in there.

ed 

It not only puts direct tension on the chain...it puts a slight "side load" against it b/c the chain is not always perfectly straight b/c of the different gear selections. The side load causes the chain to hug or hang on to the bottom of the big ring and get sucked up between the ring and the chain stay.

More lube helps, but may not cure the issue.

Since I have changed my shifting techniques, I have not had any chiansuck on any bike for over 10 years.