EEEEEKKK! My chain came off

At the worst possible point in a ride....down at the bottom of a hill at the river's edge with help a few miles away, my chain came off.

With a new bike and no knowledge (yet) of how things work I bent over the bike and pondered the situation. It seems a very small bump from the rear pannier did the dirty deed. The chain was off the front.

Harkening back to the 1960's bikes that I knew something about, I thought I was sunk and would have to push the bike for a few miles. I seem to remember there being no way to re-hook up a chain without major surgery on my old (new at the time) "English Racing Bike" as my father called it.

However, I was astonished to notice on this bike (Trek 7.6 FX) that if I turned the pedals backwards slowly I could restring the chain and suddenly it was all together again and worked perfectly.

Doesn't this mean that my chain is too loose for it to be so easily re-strung? It's a brand new bike (2 weeks ago with 45 miles on it so far) so maybe things loosened up?

Fortunately my LBS is open tomorrow and I can get it checked out but I'd like your opinions for this novice who can take her car apart but who is still mystified by my bike chain.

Also fortunately there are a couple of local groups offering training on bike maintenance which I'm taking as soon as possible.

Thanks for your comments.

pardes,

It's not uncommon with triples for the chain to drop. Since the bike is new, the cables will require adjustment after 100 miles, but it's probably not a chain problem per se.

I encourage you to go and spend about $20 at the lbs and have them install a "third eye". It's wonderful!

It goes on your seat tube next to the chain ring:

http://www.icyclesusa.com/catalog/th...in-watcher.htm

when your chain decides that restringing itself is not in the future, here is how to get it back in gear. Give the chain some slack by taking one finger and pushing your deraileur forward towards you pedals. then take another finger or the J part of a spoke and just pull it back on. It's not hard.

Pardes, as you get more used to the bike you will throw your chain less often. Sometimes you can get the chain back on without even getting off the bike by switching back to the gear you just left, it's counterintuitive, but it really works!

Thanks folks, for the comments.

I just love how politely and tactfully stated (without really stating it) that dropping the chain was probably due to my inexperience with shifting gears. You gals/guys are jewels.

Mr. Silver, I love the idea of the chain 3rd eye. After installed will my bike also hum "Ohmmmmm" as well as watch my chain?

I shall investigate dropping chains and gears in general. I'm still only using the right shifter only and only up to about 5th gear so far. I'm thinking I'll be 70 before I manage to make it to the left shifter.

Thanks again. As a reclusive and solitary biker it's great to have this community for support.

As for today's ride......I made it up to a 10 mile ride today....which for me is a nice improvement from last week. I also tackled some inclines (had to walk a few) but it was well worth it.

It was worth the dropped chain to be able to get so close to the river and contemplate my navel for a while. The reflections were so surreal that you couldn't tell what was water and what was tree reflections on the water.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...rite/River.jpg

A doe, a very large doe who seemed to be inordinately fascinated by my presence waited patiently for me to grab my camera from my backpack. I was able to get within twenty feet of her and she still kept studying me as if I was an alien who had just landed.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...write/Deer.jpg

After puttering and pedaling around for a couple of hours I was very glad to crawl on the bus and ride the four miles back to a stop near my house. My saddle is wearing a shower cap since rain was threatening. There was another bus passenger who was also wearing the same shower cap. How very odd.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...e/DSCN0738.jpg

My red backpack and rear panniers are sitting by the bus door. I was able to stuff a 7 lb bag of ice and other groceries into the pannier.....not to mention the roast beef sub for supper.

Wow! Thanks for sharing pictures of your bike, and your ride - looks lovely:)

CA

I wouldn't say inexperience is the cause. I think experience can curtail it sometimes, but I've seen very experienced cyclists drop their chain.

Oooh, pretty red bike, oooh... :D

I drop my chain all the time. I usually adjust my own gears and I was a bit sloppy last time and I've been too lazy to do anything about it so if I gear up a bit too vigorously in front I hear a familiar rattle-rattle as the chain falls off the front, hopefully not followed by a clank! as the chain gets stuck on a sticking out bolt head. Most times I can get it back on w/o stopping by carefully backpedalling and then gearing down again.

Notice that the long arm on your rear derailleur provides tension to the chain, and that it can be moved back and forth manually. You'll get a bit oily, but if you drop the chain again you can just push the arm forward a little to give some slack and weasel the chain back on the smallest gear in front (gear down to that gear in front first).

Actually, re-reading that's exactly what madscot said, just with a lot fewer words. :o

Beautiful photos!

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Originally Posted by madscot13

I wouldn't say inexperience is the cause. I think experience can curtail it sometimes, but I've seen very experienced cyclists drop their chain.

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I agree...before the "third eye", I regularly dropped my chain...and sometimes it wasn't even my fault :cool: although the time I bent the chain ring at the Hilly Hundred, it was clearly my fault:eek:

I think it's great what you're doing! But remember, cycling doesn't have to be solitary...

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My saddle is wearing a shower cap since rain was threatening. There was another bus passenger who was also wearing the same shower cap. How very odd.

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:DThat's a classic I will remember for a long time:D:D

Nice piccies!

And at the risk of stating the obvious - because it can be easy to forget when you're trying to work quickly -

keep your fingers out of the area where they can get caught between the chain and the chainring! If you HAVE to touch the part of the chain that's feeding into the chainring, just keep two fingers on the side plates.

I love your photos! Chestnut HILL road, eh? does that tell us something about the terrain in which you are commuting?
Don't be afraid of shifting with the left hand, as a matter of fact, I encourage you to try it, maybe in a school yard or someplace where you feel really safe. Particularly if you are riding in hilly terrain,you might discover that using these other gears can be a real boon.

Mimi just said what I was going to say. If you start using your granny gear (easiest ring on the front/left), you will get up those hills. Practice in a parking lot or other small street and go through all of the gears. You will soon find out what all of the sweet spots are.

You can get the chain back on by quickly getting the front (left) gear into the big ring (hardest gear) and pedaling hard. I have done this a few times, without even unclipping and it works.

It's much more difficult to hurt your bike than you think. Heaven knows I've tried.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Mimi just said what I was going to say. If you start using your granny gear (easiest ring on the front/left), you will get up those hills. Practice in a parking lot or other small street and go through all of the gears. You will soon find out what all of the sweet spots are.

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Wait a minute, Crankin....are you saying that I'm not already using the granny gear?????? And that there are easier gears than what I'm using????

Okay so there is a shifter on the left with three steps and there is a shifter on the right with nine steps. If the indicator line on the left shifter is set all the way to the right, and the indicator line on the right shifter is set all the way to the right, doesn't that mean it's the granny gear?

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Mr. Silver. I think it's great what you're doing! But remember, cycling doesn't have to be solitary...

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This is a serious biking area. I need to build up more stamina before I can keep up with the "beginners" in these groups. The typical "easy" rides average between 10-15 mph for a few hours at a time. I'm almost there but not quite.

I'm not familiar with your shifters, but I looked at the photo of your bike on the bus and it looked to me as if your chain was on the middle gear (in the front) the biggest one is for going the fastest IN THE FRONT and the smallest one in the front is for climbing hills.
In the back, it is the opposite. the biggest gear is for the hardest climbs, and you will move the slowest.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

I'm not familiar with your shifters, but I looked at the photo of your bike on the bus and it looked to me as if your chain was on the middle gear (in the front) the biggest one is for going the fastest IN THE FRONT and the smallest one in the front is for climbing hills.
In the back, it is the opposite. the biggest gear is for the hardest climbs, and you will move the slowest.

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Okay, good. That's what I've been using as my easiest gear. Smallest one on the front and largest one on the rear.

Now then....there is something else I'm confused about. Why are there only two rings on the front and nine on the back if this is supposed to be 27 gears? Shouldn't there be three in front?

From the way you spoke, it sounded like you never moved your front ring to the granny. Sorry. Without knowing the set up of your particular bike, I can't comment, but I am pretty sure you must have a triple on your hybrid!
As I said, experiment with all of the gears in a safe place. You generally can spin your way up those hills in a very low gear combination on a bike like yours. Sometimes new riders tend to "mash" the gears when they are trying to get up hills. Shift to the easy gear on the front before the hill and then shift down on the right as you need to as you go up the hill. There will be less of a load on your chain that way and you will be less apt to drop it.

pardes: I'll apologize for giving bad advice...if you just have two chain rings, the third eye probably won't be helpful.

I checked your model on the Trek site and it looked like it had a triple on the front

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes..._path/fx/76fx/

But that's current model year...and I can't tell from your photo what you have.

yes, that's what i did too (checked the website). If you only have two rings on the front, then yes, you were already in the lowest ring. But if you're feeling like you don't have enough gears, maybe you ought to get a 3rd one? (the bike shop can do this for you)

Thanks that's what I'm up to now. I'm looking at the Shimano Deore XT M770 165mm 4 arm Crank 22-32-44. Although I don't have clue about the 165 mm part. I just want the EASY gears.

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Originally Posted by pardes

Thanks that's what I'm up to now. I'm looking at the Shimano Deore XT M770 165mm 4 arm Crank 22-32-44. Although I don't have clue about the 165 mm part. I just want the EASY gears.

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165 mm is the length of the crank arm. That length would generally be for a rather short rider.

Are there bolt receiver holes on the spider you have now, that would take a 3rd chainring? My bike came with 2 chainrings (like yours). I needed a granny gear, and my shop was able to just bolt a 3rd ring onto my spider. I think the one I bought cost $19 or $20, and the guys didn't charge me labor to add it on.

(might be cheaper than buying an entire crankset, if your spider has the space for it)

Since I only bought the bike two weeks ago, they are going to exchange the compact double for a triple as well as add a larger ring to the back.

Being really nerdy I figured out what the difference would be for getting easy granny gears. Currently my 1st gear is equivalent to 6th gear on a triple. It's going to make a big difference on roads that I've avoided because it nearly killed me to even walk up them.

Here is the geeky, nerdy, anal retentive table.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...aringtable.jpg

Good for them. I suspect that they are replacing your cassette completely. I haven't ever seen a cassette with a single loose ring on the inside. They'll probably give you an 11-34 mtn cassette.

that looks a whole lot nicer!

and good on them for switching out the crankset without giving you grief.

:D I LOVE that gear table :D

Now all you have to do is practice balance at low speed. Once you can ride really, really slow without falling over there's almost no limit to the hills you can tackle.

Great job, Pardes. Now, you can follow all of the advice you were given. I think we all thought you had a triple. Your geekiness has stood you well.

I think my minimum speed is 3mph!

you ARE nerdy. it took a lot of staring for me to partially comprehend your table.

Yes, I'm the poster child for newbie nerdiness. Generating a gear table in Excel has to rank at the top of the chart.

Thanks for all your replies. Now I'm wondering what can be my next nerdy project with the bike.....Hmmmmmm.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

I think my minimum speed is 3mph!

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My lowest speed has been 2.3mph, grinding my way up a very steep hill- feels dangerously close to falling over on one side, but I can do it. :D



Pardes- that is a VERY wide gear range you are getting! :eek: You will be able to handle any hill now ....except maybe those that require going backwards. ;) I'm glad for you!...I know first hand how hard it can be to be a new rider in your 50's and trying to get up hills. :cool:
Great that your LBS is happy to change this for you on your new bike.

Keep in mind that when you have such a wide range there will be more undesireable gear combinations that will result in chain rubbing ("cross-chaining"). Cross chaining is to be avoided, as it results in both premature wear on the chain and cogs, and also increases the likelihood of your chain dropping off and/or jamming in the hub and chipping your spokes and paint. It might be VERY useful to have the LBS guys demonstrate to you about cross chaining with the bike up on a stand before you take it home.

One thing that helped me figure out my gearing was to think first about what front ring I wanted to be in for the riding situation at hand, and then think about fine tuning the back cogs within that front ring range. It also helped me to try to not be in either of the twoo extreme back gears on either side if I wanted to change rings in the front. This thinking is oversimplified and not always applicable, but it got me through the beginning stage of adapting to a big gear range with minimal chain drop and chain crossing problems.

Keep us posted- I love to read about your bike adventures! :p

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Originally Posted by pardes

Yes, I'm the poster child for newbie nerdiness. Generating a gear table in Excel has to rank at the top of the chart.

Thanks for all your replies. Now I'm wondering what can be my next nerdy project with the bike.....Hmmmmmm.

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Bike maintenance?
Adding fenders, lights, reflective stuff to make you more visible?

Good comments about cross gearing, Lisa, but the gearing that I actually think she'll end up with is exactly the same as the majority of mountain bikes, 22-32-44 with an 11-34 cassette so it will get wider than the chart shows.

Unless there is some weird beast out there, cassettes are built on a spider with the largest gears permanently attached. They will not be swapping just the largest cog. The entire cassette will be replaced.

Fantastic! I was surprised they would sell you that bike with a double to begin with. Good for you to have gone there and requested the change.

I hope you will enjoy the new challenges allowed to you by the new gearing! :D

http://www.terrybicycles.com/movies.html

On the Terry site, there is a short video called "Bicycle Gears" that explains the gearing, and the problems with cross-chain that will be very helpful for you as you learn the ins and outs of your triple.