Chain problem

badluck

I went for the first ride on my new bike. 10 minutes into the ride my chain came off and i crashed to the ground. Here is how it ended up. One shop said it looks like it could be due to poor setup. I'm pretty sad about crashing my brand new bike so looking for answers. How likely would cross chaining be the culprite for my chain falling off? I dont think I was cross chaining though. I was riding along on flat, shifted gear, put the power down and it just went from under me.

trailflow

By the looks of it. The chain has fallen in between the last cog and frame. The only explanation for this is a poorly adjusted high limit screw on the rear derailleur.

If the limit screw was set properly,the chain would not be able to fall into the gap.

The chain wrapping over the jockey is likely a result of the chain jamming between the last cog and frame. Then was forced off the jockey wheel.

Did you buy it from a bike shop ? or assemble it yourself ?

badluck

thanks for your input , bought from bike shop and setup by them. This is why i'm asking. Im taking it back to them on Monday and need to know what could have caused this. Sucks so bad to crash a new bike. ruined my new shoes too.

trailflow

Check any of the chain links aren't damaged or the chain isn't twisted.

Has the bike been damage anywhere ? Did you receive any physical injuries ?

This is pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance. What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?

Have you or the other bike shop re-adjusted the limit screw ? If not,the upper jockey wheel should be directly inline with the last cog (vertically). You can use a screwdriver on the high limit screw (the top screw when looking from behind) to move the jockey wheel left and right

It's worth doing a check on every other bolt too.

And also check the low limit screw adjustment. If this is wrong the chain could fall in between the cassette and spokes. Causing even more damage in most cases. Again when setting this, It should be directly inline with fist (biggest cog) and not be able to be pushed futher.

If this is hard to follow there are some youtube videos to guide you.

badluck

trailflow wrote:

Check any of the chain links arent damaged or the chain isn't twisted.

Has the bike been damage anywhere ? Did you receive any physical injuries ?

This a pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance.

What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?

Have you or the other bike shop re-adjusted the limit screw ? If not,the upper jockey wheel should be directly inline with the last cog (virtically). You can use a screwdriver on the high limit screw (the top screw whelooking from behind) to move the jockey wheel left and right

While your at it. Its worth doing a bolt check on every other bolt too.

And also check the low limit adjustment. If this is wrong the chain could fall in between the cassette and spokes. Causing even more damage in most cases. Again when setting this, the upper kockey wheel should not be able to be pushed futher than the centre of the first cog (largest cog)

If this is hard to follow there are some youtube videos to guide you.

I'm not going to name them as they asked me to bring the bike to them and seem helpful in wanting to find out what has happened. They claim nothing like this has happened before.

the rear derailer has been scraped, right side of the handlebar/lever took most the impact and is scraped up. My right keo max 2 pedal is scraped. right fizik shoe brand new scraped up. I can't see any damage to the carbon frame anywhere. Ive not moved the chain out of that gap though as i was going to take the bike as is to them. I landed on my arm and have a reasonably nasty graze along my elbow, grazed my knee and wrist too. Could have been worse damage to me though.

Ive not messed with or adjusted anything since the shop set it up and fitted me for it.

sebbyp

I agree that the most likely cause is the limit screw not being set properly. bit of a shame on a new cervelo frame as the paint is no doubt damaged on the inside of the stay where the chain has bashed it. did it lock up and throw you off? doubt the bike shop will do much other than pop the chain back on and set the limit screw correctly. so they have really done you over as it were. good luck.

badluck

sebbyp wrote:

I agree that the most likely cause is the limit screw not being set properly. bit of a shame on a new cervelo frame as the paint is no doubt damaged on the inside of the stay where the chain has bashed it. did it lock up and throw you off? doubt the bike shop will do much other than pop the chain back on and set the limit screw correctly. so they have really done you over as it were. good luck.

We will see. I mean I'm a beginner especially when it comes to geared road bikes. They were supposed to set it up correctly. If they havent then it must be their fault in some way. Thanks for your input though. The more knowledge the easier i can get to the bottom of this and also work out who's fault it is. It happened so fast that I do think it may have locked up. It was like shift, put power down, bikes gone from under me and ive fallen onto my right side. I'm not sure if it was just the force of me putting my weight down with my right leg and not expecting no resistance that made me fall or if it did lock up. I instantly fell though.

StillGoing

By the looks of that middle image, you are cross chaining. That in itself wouldn't be the cause of the chain dropping off of the outside of the cassette and as others have pointed out, more likely a badly set up H limit on the rear derailleur.

badluck

philthy3 wrote:

By the looks of that middle image, you are cross chaining. That in itself wouldn't be the cause of the chain dropping off of the outside of the cassette and as others have pointed out, more likely a badly set up H limit on the rear derailleur.

thanks, so it looks like it poor setup is to blame. Thats what ive been told by another store and the feedback I'm getting off forums.

ben@31

If it wasn't setup properly. Can you refuse the bike and get a full refund? And maybe something for the pedals and shoes, as it was their avoidable error that caused this?

I was riding along on flat, shifted gear, put the power down and it just went from under me.

Just out of interest, this also happened to me with worn chainrings. However the op said his bike was brand new

Secteur

trailflow wrote:

This is pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance. What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?
.

Has anyone ever in the history of buying new bikes ever received a perfectly set up bike from a bike shop?

Every single time I have bought a bike, or had work done on one it has come back with either parts missing, improperly set up (e.g. One new bike had skewers not greased leading to a week of heartache and several return trips to the shop - such a simple problem with hindsight) or at the very least needing re-indexing properly. And I have used 4 different bike shops over the last few years. Every single time I've had to get the bike on the stand and sort it out.

All my bad experiences made me buy books, spend hours studying online tutorials and joining this forum as well as spending £££ on every tool I could need, so that I could fix / check all aspects of my bike myself before riding to prevent this sort of thing which is all too common it seems.

badluck

Secteur wrote:

trailflow wrote:

This is pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance. What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?
.

Has anyone ever in the history of buying new bikes ever received a perfectly set up bike from a bike shop?

Every single time I have bought a bike, or had work done on one it has come back with either parts missing, improperly set up (e.g. One new bike had skewers not greased leading to a week of heartache and several return trips to the shop - such a simple problem with hindsight) or at the very least needing re-indexing properly. And I have used 4 different bike shops over the last few years. Every single time I've had to get the bike on the stand and sort it out.

All my bad experiences made me buy books, spend hours studying online tutorials and joining this forum as well as spending £££ on every tool I could need, so that I could fix / check all aspects of my bike myself before riding to prevent this sort of thing which is all too common it seems.

I understand what youre saying and ive learnt a lot in my short time in cycling however when you visit a reputable shop and explain that youre new to this and they offer to set it up and get you started, I dont think you'd expect something to go so wrong so fast. Im learning each day but i'd never ride the bike if i sat with my head in books before. Ive learnt from this situation but i still feel it shouldn't have happened.

trailflow

Badluck, What would be your ideal soluion to this or how would they make it right? If im honest i dont think you will receive much your way apart from an apology and a free re-adjustment. Maybe some free vouchers or store credit for the damaged shoes and pedals (at least ask). If the frame is damaged i think returning the bike for a replacement isnt too much to ask either (if a replacement is in store) but will likely be diputed by them if not. Possibly they may offer to just replace any damaged parts.

Secteur wrote:

Has anyone ever in the history of buying new bikes ever received a perfectly set up bike from a bike shop?

Every single time I have bought a bike, or had work done on one it has come back with either parts missing, improperly set up (e.g. One new bike had skewers not greased leading to a week of heartache and several return trips to the shop - such a simple problem with hindsight) or at the very least needing re-indexing properly. And I have used 4 different bike shops over the last few years. Every single time I've had to get the bike on the stand and sort it out.

All my bad experiences made me buy books, spend hours studying online tutorials and joining this forum as well as spending £££ on every tool I could need, so that I could fix / check all aspects of my bike myself before riding to prevent this sort of thing which is all too common it seems.

Depends how reputable the shop is, a basic safey check should be standard practise for every new bike that leaves the shop. Anything that's safety critical like this should certainly be checked no matter what. Some shops will be better than others in this regard.

I would never trust a bike shop to assemble the bike and would always check it over but in the OP's situation here if he has no knowledge of any bike mechanics at all. i suppose you would have no choice but to put your trust into the shop. Atleast until he learns to do it himself and i think the OP has probably gathered that by now.

The derailleur adjustment is really basic stuff you should know how to do so find some time to understand it properly. No need for any long books. Youtube video's are short and fast. No better way to learn than to adjust your own bike with your own tools so invest in some tools if you haven't already. It's much simpler than it looks. At some point you have to accept responsibility for how it's set up.

badluck

I fully get what you're saying but I don't agree that if a reputable bike shop sets a bike up for a realtively new rider than there should be any issue to go out and ride the bike. I was told it had been thoroughly checked and I was fitted for the bike.

Secteur

badluck wrote:

Secteur wrote:

trailflow wrote:

This is pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance. What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?
.

Has anyone ever in the history of buying new bikes ever received a perfectly set up bike from a bike shop?

Every single time I have bought a bike, or had work done on one it has come back with either parts missing, improperly set up (e.g. One new bike had skewers not greased leading to a week of heartache and several return trips to the shop - such a simple problem with hindsight) or at the very least needing re-indexing properly. And I have used 4 different bike shops over the last few years. Every single time I've had to get the bike on the stand and sort it out.

All my bad experiences made me buy books, spend hours studying online tutorials and joining this forum as well as spending £££ on every tool I could need, so that I could fix / check all aspects of my bike myself before riding to prevent this sort of thing which is all too common it seems.

I understand what youre saying and ive learnt a lot in my short time in cycling however when you visit a reputable shop and explain that youre new to this and they offer to set it up and get you started, I dont think you'd expect something to go so wrong so fast. Im learning each day but i'd never ride the bike if i sat with my head in books before. Ive learnt from this situation but i still feel it shouldn't have happened.

I was agreeing with you, and sharing your frustration.

When I was new to cycling and had no knowledge whatsoever, I was never away from the bike shop - from the first day I brought it home I had problems related to poor set up which should never have happened had it been done well. I was back there weekly for the first six weeks. They were all simple things too e.g. the skewers not being greased causing creaking which nearly drove me mad (and the new bike checksheet having the "skewers greased" box ticked - hmmm), gears never being quite set up right meaning they would rub straight away and not index properly - all infuriating things when you dont know anything about bikes, and this is exactly why you buy from a bike shop, so they take care of it all for you, but it was just never the case.

Anyway, after much learning, I do almost everything myself these days, but when I do have to take it to the bike shop I now don't ride it until I have had it on my own bike stand and checked everything over. Eventually you'll get to where I am now (and most other cyclists), but I agree it's poor for the complete novice.

Having said that, even a perfectly set up bike will eventually "drift" out - the gears will need re-indexing, things will need re-greasing etc, so it's worth learning because it will inevitably happen, and it's far better to fix it quickly before your ride than have to go to the bike shop and cancel the days ride.

ANyway, im rambling now!

badluck

Secteur wrote:

badluck wrote:

Secteur wrote:

trailflow wrote:

This is pretty basic set up stuff and very shoddy of them to give you a bike like this. Could be a genuine mistake or could also be a regular occurance. What about naming the bike shop incase this happens to somebody else ?
.

Has anyone ever in the history of buying new bikes ever received a perfectly set up bike from a bike shop?

Every single time I have bought a bike, or had work done on one it has come back with either parts missing, improperly set up (e.g. One new bike had skewers not greased leading to a week of heartache and several return trips to the shop - such a simple problem with hindsight) or at the very least needing re-indexing properly. And I have used 4 different bike shops over the last few years. Every single time I've had to get the bike on the stand and sort it out.

All my bad experiences made me buy books, spend hours studying online tutorials and joining this forum as well as spending £££ on every tool I could need, so that I could fix / check all aspects of my bike myself before riding to prevent this sort of thing which is all too common it seems.

I understand what youre saying and ive learnt a lot in my short time in cycling however when you visit a reputable shop and explain that youre new to this and they offer to set it up and get you started, I dont think you'd expect something to go so wrong so fast. Im learning each day but i'd never ride the bike if i sat with my head in books before. Ive learnt from this situation but i still feel it shouldn't have happened.

I was agreeing with you, and sharing your frustration.

When I was new to cycling and had no knowledge whatsoever, I was never away from the bike shop - from the first day I brought it home I had problems related to poor set up which should never have happened had it been done well. I was back there weekly for the first six weeks. They were all simple things too e.g. the skewers not being greased causing creaking which nearly drove me mad (and the new bike checksheet having the "skewers greased" box ticked - hmmm), gears never being quite set up right meaning they would rub straight away and not index properly - all infuriating things when you dont know anything about bikes, and this is exactly why you buy from a bike shop, so they take care of it all for you, but it was just never the case.

Anyway, after much learning, I do almost everything myself these days, but when I do have to take it to the bike shop I now don't ride it until I have had it on my own bike stand and checked everything over. Eventually you'll get to where I am now (and most other cyclists), but I agree it's poor for the complete novice.

Having said that, even a perfectly set up bike will eventually "drift" out - the gears will need re-indexing, things will need re-greasing etc, so it's worth learning because it will inevitably happen, and it's far better to fix it quickly before your ride than have to go to the bike shop and cancel the days ride.

ANyway, im rambling now!

yeah all valuable info. I plan on learning more and more about maintenance and looking after my bike. The shop seems very professional and claim to have never had an issue like this happen in years so we will see what they say when I take the bike in tomorrow. I am incredibly frustrated as i was so excited to ride my bike and my friend has also bought a bike to ride too. Ive got new wheels coming to and now no bike to put them on until mine is sorted. I can imagine it will knock my confidence now too as ill be frightened to put power down hard as soon as i shift. I hit the floor so fast and hard ha. The shop made me feel very confident about just going out and riding the bike. They knew my situation and knew i was completely new.

AK_jnr

I see you bought a new S3 in the 'show your bike off' section. What happened in the end then?