Does My Chain Look Fat in This?

[Hugh Manatee]

I am trying to get to the bottom of my rubbish gear shifting. It is loud in the higher gears when in the small chainring and the chain tries (and often succeeds) in falling off the jockey wheels.

To me the chain looks fat on the cassette. Nothing has to index I just want it to be efficient and quiet!

 

[Slioch]

It does look a bit fat.

If I am counting correctly, it looks like you've got 9x cogs on your cassette. The chain could be a 7 or 8 speed one, in which case a new 9 speed chain will improve things.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

It looks like the right chain to me. How does it try to fall off? Describe the symptoms.

 

[raleighnut]

No but your Hanger is bent judging by that photo. (easy to realign though as it is part of the frame on old steelies.)

 

[Hugh Manatee]

I had a jockey wheels thread a few weeks ago. Basically the chain constantly un shipped itself from the top jockey wheel. This obviously made a hell of a noise. It generally only happened when in the small chainring and the chain went back where it should be once in the big ring.

I replaced the jockey wheels and on my ride on Saturday I had 40 miles of silent running. On Monday it started to do the same thing and un shipped again.

It could well be it is an eight speed chain. The 9 speed cassette is a more recent addition but the problem didn't start the day I put the new wheels on.

I also wondered about the gear hanger. I wasn't aware of bashing it but...

I'll get a picture from the back?

 

[Smurfy]

Can you take a side on picture? The jockey wheel looks much too high, like the mech is not taking up the chain slack in the small chainring small sprocket combination.

 

[swee'pea99]

Can you take a side on picture? The jockey wheel looks much too high, like the mech is not taking up the chain slack in the small chainring small sprocket combination.

Could the chain be too long? If you put it on the big chainring and the biggest sprocket, is there still some slack in the system? Enough so you could take out a couple (or more) links without it being too short? Might be worth a try.