Chain Saga

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Gummo

Senior Member
I'd recently been having trouble with my chain stuttering, slipping off teeth, particularly on the middle chain-ring.

My local repair man said I needed a new chainring and chain, so I sent him the spec for the bike (Giant Escape 0). He fitted them both and said he was 'fairly sure' the issue was sorted.

I've only been able to test the bike today (some days after the repair-man left the back back) but I now have similar issues on all chainrings.

Before I re-engage with the repair-man, I need to know if his having fitted a Shimano chain (114 links), instead of the original KMC X10 (114 links), could be causing the new issues.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Sounds like a job for @Yellow Saddle
 

Tim Hall

Guest
Location
Crawley
No. At a guess it's the cassette (the bunch of sprockets at the back) that needs replacing. These tend to wear quicker than the chain rings and if you let the chain elongate through wear too much they wear to match the elongated chain. Then when you fit a new chain, it all goes to pot, as the new chain doesn't fit the worn cassette.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
It certainly sounds as Tim Hall describes, the rear cassette has had it.
I assume the 'stuttering' is actually slipping, a sudden momentary feeling the drive isn't engaging.
Select a gear at the back you don't usually use so much and try that, if it improves, it's a fairly good indicator the cassette has worn, particularly the often used gears /sprockets.
 
OP
OP
Gummo

Gummo

Senior Member
Thanks for your advice - I'm going to replace the cassette myself - it doesn't look too difficult.

My cassette (Shimano Deore HG62 11-34) isn't widely available. Do you know what I can replace it with to avoid any re-adjustment of the other elements in the drive?
 
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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
You need to buy a cassette with the same number of sprockets as your current cassette, which is 10. Make (provided not Campagnolo) doesn't matter.
From the information you've given the most likely circumstance (as @Tim Hall has said) is that your old chain elongated, started misbehaving (only obvious when you put power through on the middle ring, perhaps), you've now got a new chain which will slip all over the place, on the old cassette.
J E James seems to have one (reduced):
http://www.jejamescycles.com/shiman...MIj9PTwdmf1gIVkYKyCh1TTgFZEAQYBCABEgIDO_D_BwE
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
New chain on old chainrings will also slip. The conventional wisdom is that you must replace the entire transmission if you have allowed the bits to get this worn.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
I'd recently been having trouble with my chain stuttering, slipping off teeth, particularly on the middle chain-ring.
My local repair man . . . fitted [new chainring] . . . test the bike today. . . I now have similar issues on all chainrings.
New chain on old chainrings will also slip.
The OP had a new chainring fitted, at the same time as the chain was replaced (though whether the former was necessary, we'll never know).
 
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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
I now have similar issues on all chainrings.
If he only changed the middle ring it's likely he's getting slip on the other two.
But OP is now getting slip on all three chainrings, including the new middle one. This is very likely a 'worn cassette' issue (as @Tim Hall and @gbb first pointed up, and a replacement cassette will sort it out). I guess an image of the replaced (ie the old) middle chainring would shed light, but the LBS will have ditched that.
 
OP
OP
Gummo

Gummo

Senior Member
One more thing: it seems that replacing the chainrings is advisable too. How do I ID the individual chainrings on my crankset? https://goo.gl/5yQaG4\

This is the old middle chainring:
 

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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
@Yellow Saddle chainring image judgement.
it seems that replacing the chainrings is advisable too
Only if they're worn. My (3) chainrings are originals with 30,000+km on them (anecdata - inner has 2,000 less, replaced for 2 x 1000km hilly rides) and I'm sure there will be others who can boast of their chainrings' extreme longevity.
Most bikes never need their chainrings replacing. It does depend on how you ride and whether you spend most of your time in the middle ring - which maybe you do.
 
OP
OP
Gummo

Gummo

Senior Member
I spent most of my first year on the middle ring - what do you think of the wear on the image?
Reckon I should just replace the cassette and see?
 
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