Bike chain help

msmancunia

Would anyone happen to know if there is a step by step instruction guide that is actually easy to understand on how to rethread a chain back on to a bike for someone who went to a "basic" bike maintenance class, got a bit too over-confident, and decided to give their bike the mother of all cleans, including taking the chain off for the first time in two years and then couldn't work out how it went back?

I'm asking for a friend, obviously..... :oops:

Kicks bike and gets out the Swarfega...

FocusZing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsU2nEf2 ... ata_player

It's worth using chain links too, it makes the process much easier.

itboffin

Oh dear i think you need a new bike, for sure to be sure

veronese68

What he said. Either of the above will do although the former is probably cheaper.

msmancunia

Got the chain links, and after taking it on and off so much I'm practically a pro.

I can't get the threading the chain round done - I keep getting mixed up, and although that YouTube clip is ok, I can't see where he goes round the rear derailleur properly. I need one of those pictures which says, "thread round part A, then under sprocket B etc....

walkingbootweather

This is why you need n+1. (so you have at least one spare bike to check against).

Failing that there must be thousands of pictures and tutorials on the interweb showing this e.g. http://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/maintenance/maintenance-chain-checking-and-replacement-part-one.html

nicklouse

have a look at http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... leur-bikes

First.Aspect

Get a picture of what it should look like and copy it.

greg66_tri_v2.0

The picture is what you want. Things to remember

1. Your fingers are going to be filthy at the end of this. And you're not going to be looking at your fingernails with affection for a few days either.

2. From 1 to 2 the chain sits on the small front ring, goes through the front mech and crosses from the outside of hte chainstay to the inside of the chainstay.

3. Wrap the chain over the cassette. Easier if you use a smaller sprocket than a large one.

4. Uncoil the rear mech. It will be all coiled up on itself, like a cat, or the Alien Queen. Find the tab on the rear of the lower jockey wheel and use that to stretch it out.

5. Now thread the chain forwards and over the upper jockey wheel. Beware that the cage around the jockey wheel has a guide "tag" that the chain has to go under (ie it goes between the tag and the jockey wheel). Otherwise once you've closed the chain you'll hear a very irritating clicking, which will be your chain rubbing over the outside of the tab. "Oh f*ck", you'll think as you realise the chain has to be reopened and rethreaded. Don't ask me how I know this. I read it somewhere. Honest.

6. Next thread the chain aroud the back of the lower jockey wheel, again taking care to thread it under the (second) guide tab that's adjacent to the lower jockey wheel. At some point you will have to let go of the rear mech and it will coil back up again like a shy Alien Queen. Don't panic; just take it firmly, uncoil it and call it a bitch. Perhaps while wearing a white vest and totting a flamethrower. That's up to you.

7. Assuming that during this process the other end of the chain hasn't unwound itself from the chainset, you should now have two ends of chain to join around where the number 6 is in the diagram. Easy. Well, easy-ish. except the chain ends keep pulling away from each other becasue of the tension in the rear mech that makes it want to coil up. So the fix is to pick the chain off the small ring at the front and let it fall between the small ring and the frame. Now you can close the chain without needing a third or fourth hand.

As you may be able to tell, I've done this recently.

FocusZing

Pull the derailleur fully down.

You know the chain has to go around the outside of the sprocket to turn it, tension.

so it has to go on the inside of the first derailleur jockey wheel to gain tension

for the same reason it has to go around the outside of the 2nd jockey wheel.

The main thing is to pull the derailleur down, it makes logical sense then.

Make sure you put the chain on the same indexed selected sprocket, chainring.

I use an old spoke bent at right angles at each end to make connecting the chain link easier. Pull the chain quite tight with some play each end of the chain. Insert the ends of the spoke in between the chain links. This leaves lots of loose chain to connect easily.

Hope this makes sense.

Mikey23

Their is an app that I use called Bike Repair if you are into that sort of thing. It's become my bike bible. I used it to do replace my own chain (for me that's a pretty big deal)

Initialised

Take a photo of the rear mech position so you can see what it should be like when you put the chain back on.

veronese68

All good advice above. Greg's description particularly, he is not the only one that has threaded the chain the wrong side of a tag on a derailleur, I'm sure many of us have at least once. The route will be exactly the same as on your mountain bike so you could have that next to you and just copy that. You haven't taken them both off have you?
Tales of Greg's fettling always seem to cheer me up, no idea why.

msmancunia

This is all really useful - the diagram, the hints, (my mountain bike which I forgot I had!) Greg's list etc and I will have a look at that app as it sounds very handy. I think I know what to do now.

However, with all that putting on and taking off and swearing, I think I may have sprained the little rivet that goes into the sram link. So, I am going to put the bike down, and go and get some chocolate from the shop to calm me down. I'll drive in tomorrow (laptop and loads of work to carry) and will get another link from Evans downstairs.

I am determined not to go in there and say "please can you sort my bike out...?

nicklouse

make sure you get the correct quicklink. they are speed specific and some are one use only. (10spd)

good luck.

CiB

Too many words in all the answers so far.

Ignore the rear mech for a mo, picture it in your mind as a fixie where the chain is too long, then factor in the rear mech that has to hold the chain halfway round and underneath the cassette and at the same time tension the bottom side of the chain back from the front ring.

And don't run the chain on top of the lug on the top jockey wheel. None of us have ever done that ever obviously, but you can't be too careful.

fat_tail

if you haven't changed your chain in 2years then this probably a good time to get a new chain.

rjsterry

msmancunia wrote:

This is all really useful - the diagram, the hints, (my mountain bike which I forgot I had!) Greg's list etc and I will have a look at that app as it sounds very handy. I think I know what to do now.

However, with all that putting on and taking off and swearing, I think I may have sprained the little rivet that goes into the sram link. So, I am going to put the bike down, and go and get some chocolate from the shop to calm me down. I'll drive in tomorrow (laptop and loads of work to carry) and will get another link from Evans downstairs.

I am determined not to go in there and say "please can you sort my bike out...?

Get a handful - there the sort of thing that are handy to have a few spares. Also, get some gloves - the general purpose latex or nitrile ones; I think B&Q sell them as decorators' gloves. Much easier than scrubbing the grime out of your hands with swarfega and a nail brush.

Kieran_Burns

Too many words.


Top Right
Bottom Left

That's it.

cyclingprop

All I'll add, is:

- Make sure you put it through the front derailleur
- Feed it through between the jockey wheels and the rear derailleur cage

You'll be fine

Kieran_Burns

Incidentally - if you DO forget about the chain guide on the rear mech like all our friends have... my friend told me that it's sometimes easier to release the lower jockey wheel and rotate the cage out of the way. Apparently.

My friend told me that it's soul destroying to see the chain you've just undone due to one teeny, tiny over-sight unsnake itself from the rear cassette, front derailleur and hang loose like some metal dreadlock.

Apparently.

redvee

How long before msmancunia asks about whips after asking about chains here? :oops:

msmancunia

Redvee - I told you not to mention that on here...have those marks disappeared yet?

Just been to Ye Olde Condescending Cycling Shoppe downstairs and got my chain links - I'll see how I get on tonight.

Kieran_Burns

msmancunia wrote:

Redvee - I told you not to mention that on here...have those marks disappeared yet?

Just been to Ye Olde Condescending Cycling Shoppe downstairs and got my chain links - I'll see how I get on tonight.

I do have a spare chainwhip if you wish to fettle yer cogs.

veronese68

I'm sure there's a joke about Kieran's tool in here somewhere.

Kieran_Burns

Veronese68 wrote:

I'm sure there's a joke about Kieran's tool in here somewhere.

Hey I *was* going to wax lyrical about stripping down and lubing but someone said I keep lowering the tone, so chose not to.












Oh God damn it.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey I *was* going to wax

At that point I felt a little bit of sick in my mouth. Did it get worse after that?

veronese68

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey I *was* going to wax

At that point I felt a little bit of sick in my mouth. Did it get worse after that?

Don't mention wax!!! Any excuse and he'll post THAT picture again.

Kieran_Burns

Veronese68 wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey I *was* going to wax

At that point I felt a little bit of sick in my mouth. Did it get worse after that?

Don't mention wax!!! Any excuse and he'll post THAT picture again.

That was NOT my picture. :shock:

veronese68

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey I *was* going to wax

At that point I felt a little bit of sick in my mouth. Did it get worse after that?

Don't mention wax!!! Any excuse and he'll post THAT picture again.

That was NOT my picture. :shock:

I know, I'm guessing we all know who I mean and which picture. Now delete all these posts before he hears us.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Relax. Unless this thing



is pointing towards us, we'll be fine.