Repair the bike or buy a new bike?

[Globalti]

The chain is jammed between the frame and the freehub, removing the wheel might free it but the bike is missing the complete cable system for the rear derailleur. If the RD limit screws are out of adjustment the chain will probably drop off the smallest cog again. Luckily the cassette and jockey wheels look not too worn, just filthy dirty.

It's definitely a job for a proper bike shop.

 

[LemonJuice]

The chain is jammed between the frame and the freehub, removing the wheel might free it but the bike is missing the complete cable system for the rear derailleur. If the RD limit screws are out of adjustment the chain will probably drop off the smallest cog again. Luckily the cassette and jockey wheels look not too worn, just filthy dirty.

It's definitely a job for a proper bike shop.

What should I say when I ring up a bike shop and speak to someone?

How much do you think it’s roughly going to cost to get fixed?

 

[si_c]

You need new gear cables and a reindexing probably around £50 including cables. Best to ask first though, usually most bike shops have something like a bronze service which includes all of this and also other things like checking your brakes and wheels are all ok too and all the bolts are tightened up correctly so that might be worth looking at.

Worth bearing in mind is that if you get a bike shop to do it then if it's not quite right then you can take it back for them to sort it out, so you have a little recourse.

 

[LemonJuice]

Should I buy a new chain and new derailleur?

 

[Ajax Bay]

What should I say when I ring up a bike shop and speak to someone?

I have provided the text for this call already (community forgive me for self-quoting):

This is an inexpensive and quick (?10 minute) job for your LBS. Phone them and inquire: https://www.yell.com/s/cycle+shops-middlesbrough.html "Replace gear cable and index rear gears (Make/model of bike)."

How much? £4 for cable and 10 mins work.
Would be excellent if you gave bike a good clean first, as a generous brother. Or better, get him to!

Should I buy a new chain and new derailleur?

Have you read anything I've suggested? No and No.

 

[LemonJuice]

I have provided the text for this call already:

How much? £4 for cable and 10 mins work.
Would be excellent if you gave bike a good clean first, as a generous brother. Or better, get him to!

Have you read anything I've suggested? No and No.

I wasn’t sure if I had posted the photos before you had sent those messages. Sorry.

Because of everything that is going on and he is still going to work, I told him that I’ll sort the bike out for him.

So, am I just overthinking the whole thing and it’s actually a relatively easy thing to sort out for someone who knows what is he doing when it comes to bikes?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Defo overthinking it. What you describe doesn’t sound that hard to sort and the bike really isn’t that old. Bikes can go on and on for decades.

 

[LemonJuice]

I have just cleaned the bike and I think I have found another problem.

The back wheel doesn’t seem to be straight and in the middle of the gap on the frame. Is it because the chain is off the cassette so everything is out of sync?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have just cleaned the bike and I think I have found another problem.

The back wheel doesn’t seem to be straight and in the middle of the gap on the frame. Is it because the chain is off the cassette so everything is out of sync?

Why don’t you loosen the QR and recenter the wheel. Just try it, it’s not going to break anything. A bike really is simple and nothing to be scared of.

 

[keithmac]

View attachment 521746 View attachment 521747

That derailleur hasn't been set up properly from new and if he bought it from Halfords in the first place you've answered your own question their!.

Buying tools shouldn't be seen as "dead money", more of an investment. I still use tools bought nigh on 30 years ago..

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

How has the gear cable gone missing? They don't just evaporate and vanish into thin air of their own accord!
The chain needs to be pulled out from where it is jammed against the stay and placed on the smallest rear sprocket, and the High gear limit screw needs adjusting at the same time so the derailleur mechanism can't move outwards enough to throw the chain off again. That's a five minute job to do and it costs absolutely nothing.
The wheel might have been pulled out of position by the chain suddenly coming off and jamming. The limit screw must have been maladjusted before the gear cable failed, otherwise it would have just gone into top gear but the chain wouldn't have come off. I would guess it was not set up right from new! Unjam the chain, loosen the rear wheel, and set it straight, and re-tighten it.. Give it a spin and see if it runs true or not. If it doesn't then the bike sounds like it has been crashed.

 

[LemonJuice]

How has the gear cable gone missing? They don't just evaporate and vanish into thin air of their own accord!
The chain needs to be pulled out from where it is jammed against the stay and placed on the smallest rear sprocket, and the High gear limit screw needs adjusting at the same time so the derailleur mechanism can't move outwards enough to throw the chain off again. That's a five minute job to do and it costs absolutely nothing.
The wheel might have been pulled out of position by the chain suddenly coming off and jamming. The limit screw must have been maladjusted before the gear cable failed, otherwise it would have just gone into top gear but the chain wouldn't have come off. I would guess it was not set up right from new! Unjam the chain, loosen the rear wheel, and set it straight, and re-tighten it.. Give it a spin and see if it runs true or not. If it doesn't then the bike sounds like it has been crashed.

When I initially made this thread, I wasn’t able to move the wheel at all. I removed the rear wheel and cleaned it using WD40 and then put it back on the bike and now the pedals move forwards and backwards. I tried putting the chain on one of the dogs and pushed the pedals forwards and then the chain went off the cogs and is now stuck between the cog and the frame (as it was before).

I have no idea why there is no gear cable, I can only guess, perhaps my brother tried to fix the bike and got annoyed and snapped it, I really don’t know.

The brake pads and the wheel seem to be on a slight angle.

I don’t want to do anything to the bike in case I make matters worse.

 

[vickster]

Should I buy a new chain and new derailleur?

No. Get the bike shop to supply if actually needed

 

[Globalti]

You can't make it any worse! You've done everything you can, make some calls to some shops tomorrow.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I removed the rear wheel and cleaned it using WD40 and then put it back on the bike and now the pedals move forwards and backwards. I tried putting the chain on one of the cogs and pushed the pedals forwards and then the chain went off the cogs and is now stuck between the cog and the frame (as it was before).
The brake pads and the wheel seem to be on a slight angle.
I don’t want to do anything to the bike in case I make matters worse.

Hang in there; and well done cleaning the bike.
Take off the wheel again and immediately reinstall it, lifting the chain onto the smallest sprocket. Make sure that the two ends of the axle lodge properly in the dropouts (slots pointing open downwards). Open the Quick Release (QR) lever and turn the knob on the other end clockwise till a little off tight (knob one side, lever the other). Fold the lever in which will tighten it all up. Now look and see that the wheel/tyre is centred on the seat tube (diagram in previous post for identification).
As I suggested upthread (in the post with the diagram of a rear derailleur), put the chain on the smallest sprocket (cog) and then, just for now, using a small screwdriver, turn the 'H' screw (see diagram in previous post - marked with an 'H') one turn clockwise. This should stop the chain going off the sprocket when you turn the cranks forward.
I reckon nothing you do will make matters worse; push aside that concern. The only force needed is that to close the QR lever (should leave a 'dent' in your hand.