Nice ride today, but……..
14November 20, 2011 by welshcyclist
Got up early-ish, 06.30., and out for a day-off runaround, meaning to stay close to home. The new chain makes the bike feel new, and smooth, but it seems to slip when I put alot of pressure on the pedals i.e., when I stand on them. It’s strange because it only happens in a few gears, and then only intermittently?? I thought I’d cured it, after my ride yesterday, (when I discovered the problem). Oviously, my ride around the car park, outside Halfords, when I thought I did a good job of checking the bike over, (Halfords and I have history), didn’t flag the situation.
Like yesterday, I did a short circuit close to home, trying out the gears, which were still slipping, despite my best efforts at adjustment, tinkering post ride, the day before. I wandered a couple of times around Cwmgwrach, trying the short steep hill three times. No problem for me these days, though the struggle I used to have is only a short memory ago, for me. Today, I even attempted to scale Empire Avenue, in Cwmgwrach also, testing my self adjusted gears, I was going well until the gear slip problem cut in. Proud to say I still had forward momentum despite several slips and ponderous gear changes. I must be getting lighter, or is it the new chain.
Yesterday I didn’t bother with a McDonalds, today I did. But only after I’d had a go at several more inclines. I seemed to have alot more oomph about me, why though, is a mystery to me?
When I returned home, I spent a good, but very frustrating hour, tinkering with the gears, adjusting the front cage. Then, just as my short temper was about to cause me to throw in the towel, it all came together. Hope it’s all good for my commute early tomorrow morning.
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I suspect the chain slip will be a worn cassette, it normally affects the smallest cog, but can in theory be any of them..
New chain on old cassette is bad unless it is carefully managed. I replace the cassette every January and have 3 chains that I cycle (Excuse the pun) each one does 1000 miles, so the chains and cassette wear evenly,
Currently the cassette has done just over 6000 miles with all chains having done 2000 and chain 1 is currently in use.
I worked out this strategy as my first year of cycling cost me a fortune in chains and cassettes, I got through a chain and cassette every 1500 miles or so!
I’ve had a good look at the cassette, chainrings etc., and everything seems fine to my untrained eye. The good news is that on my commute, today in and back, I didn’t experience any kind of slipping? So my tinkering yesterday must have cured the problem? On my Carrera Subway LTD I did, must have been, 7000 mile plus, only changed the cassette and chain once. The cassette on my Pioneer, is I believe a real quality piece of kit, when I cleaned it up ready for Halfords to fit the new chain, it looked brand new, and the chainrings also. Am I leading a charmed cycling life?
Check out the picture in this post of mine
http://xendistar.co.uk/2063-the-importances-of-good-maintenance
It show a worn and new gears from a rear cassette, when you look at the gears on your cassette yourself it will look like nothing but as John said it is probably worn cassette
Thanks for the tip and the picture, I’ll have a very close look tomorrow, in daylight at work, cheers.
If I were rich I would buy you a Rohloff, your problem would then be solved. Sorry I’m not rich.
John Berry is right, chain rotation is common amongst deraileur users, you need even wear between chain and sprockets otherwise one wears the other out much quicker (so they say) and definitely more slipping occurs when one is warn more than the other.
Tip: Don’t go to McDonalds, put that money for whatever you’d have bought into a pot and have some soup at home instead. After 12 months you might even have enough for a light that will change your life. Again, if I were rich I would buy you one as it too will change your cycling life.
Hope your commute was OK?
The commute was great today, no slipping at all? I’d love a Rohloff, and to see a new light that will change my cycling life, haven’t you won the lottery yet? Not to go to McDonalds is a very big ask, it’s food for thought, though. (whoops sorry!)
I saved pretty hard for my Rohloff, then (when I was half way) I saw and bought a second hand (10 year old) bike and I haven’t regretted it. Sure, parts needed replacing (e.g. cables, chain, brakes, etc), but I could get one sooner this way, so it was worth it. And the light, well, I bought that out of the Rohloff fund while I wasn’t looking 🙂
Thanks to you all for your advice and tips, and thanks for dropping by my blog. Cheers.
Tim, what bike did you buy?
A second hand Thorn Raven Tour.
It cost £1000 and was fitted with an electric kit.
I wanted an electric kit, so it seemed ideal.
I used the electric kit for 8 months then I wore out the battery and they are expensive, so back to pedal power only since then.
I think they bike has already paid for itself in terms of petrol / car costs, but it was an investment that will keep saving me money (so long as nobody steals it).
Ravens don’t sell for under £1000 very often, one just yesterday went on ebay for £910 which I think was a real bargain.
I failed to mention that this also meant we could go down to one car – which has saved us (every year!) more than what the bike cost.
I came across Thorn bikes a few years ago, and to be honest, I’ve wanted a Raven touring bike ever since, but they are expensive. Perhaps one day? What do you mean by electric kit? Battery powered assist? I’ve never seen one of those advertised in the second hand section, or brand new for that matter. Have you posted a picture of it? When I first had my Raleigh Pioneer GT 27-speed, it was valued at £799, but I had it for free( it’s a long story ), that was about 5 years ago. But I couldn’t get on with it until January of this year, and I’ve ridden it for everything since, and I love it. Anyway, if you were rich, you said you’d buy me a Rohloff, just make sure it’s attached to a Raven touring bike, complete with dynamo hub lighting! lol.
It’s an after market (i.e. not thorn) electric assist kit that you can fit to any 26″ wheeled bike if the forks are wide enough.
I have been meaning to write a post about it, but it’ll take some time to put it together, so sometime I’ll have one up there.
It didn’t really make the commute to work easier as such as I still put the same amount of effort in, but it did make it 2 or 3 MPH quicker as I could fly up the (albeit small) hills.
You want a dynamo too, you are pushing it lol
OK you’re off the hook, I’ll make do with one minus the dynamo!