chain came off after a small jump?

star-trails
star-trails Posts: 68
edited June 2011 in MTB beginners
never attempted any jumps at all on previous bikes , just did my 1st on my scott scale 50 , about 1.5 feet off a rock ledge and chain fell off scratching frame in the process
just wondering if i was doing something wrong , how i land maybe or what gear to use

hope you can help

Comments

  • Dom Martin
    Dom Martin Posts: 20
    try and land rear wheel first but that sort of thing is expected (chain coming off).
    if its an often thing just take it into a halfords and they may fiddle with the derailleurs...
  • FunBus
    FunBus Posts: 394
    they may fiddle with the derailleurs......and make it worse!! Halfords arent well known for their mechanics.

    Usually, unless you're on a really steep descent, middle ring front and rear should be fine. If you're in your little front ring, the chain will be pretty slack, making it bounce more and, potentially come off.

    If it does it more than you'd expect, take a link out of the chain to tighten everything up a bit
  • nwmlarge
    nwmlarge Posts: 778
    sounds a lot like you need to be smoother when landing.
    does it come off when you bunnyhop ?
  • Dom Martin wrote:
    try and land rear wheel first but that sort of thing is expected (chain coming off).
    if its an often thing just take it into a halfords and they may fiddle with the derailleurs...

    Probably the worst advice I've ever read on BR.
  • getonyourbike
    getonyourbike Posts: 2,648
    Dom Martin wrote:
    try and land rear wheel first but that sort of thing is expected (chain coming off).
    if its an often thing just take it into a halfords and they may fiddle with the derailleurs...

    Probably the worst advice I've ever read on BR.
    +1
  • Ryan Jones
    Ryan Jones Posts: 775
    Dom Martin wrote:
    try and land rear wheel first but that sort of thing is expected (chain coming off).
    if its an often thing just take it into a halfords and they may fiddle with the derailleurs...

    Probably the worst advice I've ever read on BR.

    +1 to that !

    Now a 1.5 foot drop is no big deal and you shouldn't drop your chain unless you have not got enough chain tension, what gear are you running? Ensure that your gears are matched front and rear in such a way you use gears like (F-1, R-1,2,3) (F-2, R-4,5,6) (F-3, R-7,8,9) and you should be fine. Them numbers are just a guideline depends on each setup and are not gospel but would ensure a decent chainline and chain tension.
  • getonyourbike
    getonyourbike Posts: 2,648
    Ryan Jones wrote:
    Dom Martin wrote:
    try and land rear wheel first but that sort of thing is expected (chain coming off).
    if its an often thing just take it into a halfords and they may fiddle with the derailleurs...

    Probably the worst advice I've ever read on BR.

    +1 to that !

    Now a 1.5 foot drop is no big deal and you shouldn't drop your chain unless you have not got enough chain tension, what gear are you running? Ensure that your gears are matched front and rear in such a way you use gears like (F-1, R-1,2,3) (F-2, R-4,5,6) (F-3, R-7,8,9) and you should be fine. Them numbers are just a guideline depends on each setup and are not gospel but would ensure a decent chainline and chain tension.
    do you really use those? You're making life very hard for yourself. You'e good to use at the least the 5 largest sprocket on the back with the smallest chainring, you can use the whole cassette with the middle chainring and on the largest chainring you can use at least the 5 smallest sprockets. You're making way too many shifts on the chainrings than needed, which are clunkier and interupt pedaling more and you haven't got all the ratios covered with big jumps between gears. For example when you change from F-2 R-6 to F-3 R-7.
  • Ryan Jones
    Ryan Jones Posts: 775
    I do like to use my chainrings as it's a whole lot easier to drop a chainring when a sudden incline occurs rather than flicking manically to drop a few rear sprokets. I did say that it's not gospel and without gear indicator windows it's hardly like I stick to them exact numbers.

    However for the purpose of understanding why the chain dropped them numbers shouldn't allow for that to happen unless the chain is too long regardless of the technique I've took hardtails off 4 foot drops no problem like that