The wheels on the bus go round and round.....ish

nordle1

Hi there,

I was cleaning the caked mud from my bike today and noticed the freewheel appeared to move up and down 2mm or so when the wheel is spun.
I grabbed the wheel and pushed/pulled and I can't see there is any play / movement.

Is it possible the QR spindal is bent, or the freewheel cassette itself is wharped, or the hub?

I've uploaded a youtube clip

There are other issues too:

After 2 hours on the bike, the chain starts to slip when pressure is increased such as an acscent. I've checked for stuck chain links and it appears ok.
After some more time, a grinding noise emits from the bb when standing on the pedals and driving hard. Freewheeling / spinning with ease does not cause this.

I'm guessing a worn chain, freewheel and bottom bracket.

The bike is 3 years old, sits outside 24/7 and done 1,200 offroad miles with nothing replaced except the rear wheel which is only 6 months old but non-branded from local Raleigh shop.

It's difficult to diagnose when you can't see it, hear it and feel it. But hopefully the vid is of use, a bit.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

steelie600

nordle1 wrote:

Hi there,

I was cleaning the caked mud from my bike today and noticed the freewheel appeared to move up and down 2mm or so when the wheel is spun.
I grabbed the wheel and pushed/pulled and I can't see there is any play / movement.

Is it possible the QR spindal is bent, or the freewheel cassette itself is wharped, or the hub?

I've uploaded a youtube clip

Nope youve bent your axle there sonny jim, although you will have bent the skewer too! The axle is the bit the skewer goes through and supports your weight on the bike. Next......

nordle1 wrote:

There are other issues too:
After 2 hours on the bike, the chain starts to slip when pressure is increased such as an acscent. I've checked for stuck chain links and it appears ok.
After some more time, a grinding noise emits from the bb when standing on the pedals and driving hard. Freewheeling / spinning with ease does not cause this.

I'm guessing a worn chain, freewheel and bottom bracket.

The bike is 3 years old, sits outside 24/7 and done 1,200 offroad miles with nothing replaced except the rear wheel which is only 6 months old but non-branded from local Raleigh shop.

It's difficult to diagnose when you can't see it, hear it and feel it. But hopefully the vid is of use, a bit.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

[/quote]

Both problems are linked, if youve bent your axle, the cassette wont run true and will be slipping in and out of gear!

That'll be £10 please

snotty badger

As above, looks like you've bent something. Sloppy gears is likely to be worn cassette, chain and chainrings. You've had your monies worth though I reckon.

pdw

Some cassette wobble is perfectly normal. Do a youtube search for "cassette wobble" and you'll find plenty of videos similar to yours, although yours look particularly wobbly.

A bent axle won't cause this. Assuming your wheel is spinning true (which it appears to be), the "problem" is between the bit of the freehub that's bolted to the rest of the hub, and the "free" bit of the freehub. Swapping the freehub might get you one that wobbles less, but I think it's unlikely to be the cause of your problems.

Chain and cassette could be worn after that kind of distance if, as you say, it's used off road and kept outside. Slipping under pressure is usually a sign of one or other or both being worn. Chainrings are less likely to be worn, but it's possible.

nordle1

Thanks for the replies

It was a very cheap bike, but I'm quite attached to it now.

Looking at "cassette wobble" on Youtube does seem to show its a common issue, even on brand new equipment.

Time to order a new chain and freewheel.....oh and maybe lose some weight. 16 stone going over 1ft drops on 700c wheels probably not helping.

pdw

You'll probably need a cassette too. As ever, Sheldon is worth a read: http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#wear

supersonic

Is absolutely normal. The freewheel screws onto the hub - nothing to do with the axle. If the threads are cut slightly off square, you get that bit of wobble.