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Permalink Reply by Davo on December 10, 2010 at 5:37am

Thanks for all the input and symantical debates.

It seems to me that the best thing to do (in the short term) is to buy a new chain. After watching some of those videos, it also looks like I'll have to inspect and possilbly replace a chain ring and/or cog. But that wont happen till after christmas when I hopefully get some more tools.

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Permalink Reply by dan brown on December 10, 2010 at 5:54am

buy a pair of chain tensioners. they work. one even has a built-in beer bottle opener ;-)

Davo said:

Thanks for all the input and symantical debates.

It seems to me that the best thing to do (in the short term) is to buy a new chain. After watching some of those videos, it also looks like I'll have to inspect and possilbly replace a chain ring and/or cog. But that wont happen till after christmas when I hopefully get some more tools.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on December 10, 2010 at 8:10am

Do you also have a set of sandals that hook into your downhill skis?

 

Using the wrong terminology makes someone sound ignorant, just like using poor grammar or incorrect spelling does.  Don't axe me why...

 

Mark Kenseth said:

Different context: I wanted to get new wheels for my office chair, and my co-worker said, "You mean casters."  I was like, 'fine.'

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Permalink Reply by Davo on December 10, 2010 at 8:50am

Im confused on how that one would work.

dan brown said:

buy a pair of chain tensioners. they work. one even has a built-in beer bottle opener ;-)

Davo said:

Thanks for all the input and symantical debates.

It seems to me that the best thing to do (in the short term) is to buy a new chain. After watching some of those videos, it also looks like I'll have to inspect and possilbly replace a chain ring and/or cog. But that wont happen till after christmas when I hopefully get some more tools.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on December 10, 2010 at 10:03am

I'm going to repost this right out of Sheldon Brown's instructions on chain length.

 

The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.

This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:

• If the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
• If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
• If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.

• If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.

 

A new chain on worn sprockets will most surely be quickly destroyed by them.  It might skip and jump too.  In the short term it might get you through but when you go to replace the chainring and cog be sure to also replace the chain once more.  Otherwise you are going to just continue the cycle of damage to the new components.

 

Never put a worn chain on new sprockets or a new chain on worn sprockets as the new product will be chewed up in no time and no longer be new. 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on December 10, 2010 at 10:30am

Check to make sure the freewheel and crank are lined up. If not, there's a few things you can do to fix it, depending on your set-up.

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