Help Needed: New Chain? Derailleur? Cassette?

MorganLeeds97

Hi,

I purchased myself a mid eighties peugeot elite as project over summer.

Having an older bike has already brought up some problems, and my ignorant teenage self decided to go buying parts willy nilly without doing much research.

I saw previous posts talking about how the chrome wheels that are stock, are poor when braking, and I found this to be the case. I ended up picking up some cheap alexrims from ebay. After speaker to the seller he said that I needed a 9 or 10 speed cassette but 5 6 7 speed would also be fine with spacers.

I went ahead and bought a 9 speed cassette, disregarding the previous one on the old chromey rear wheel was 5 speed.

After installing the cassette and the wheel to the bicycle, I have a slack chain when it is guided over any cogs but the 3 largest (if that makes sense) and a derailleur that is too close to the gears to allow me to shift to largest cog. Making the ride horrific.

I read something about 9 speed cassettes requiring skinnier chains to allow it to fit between gears, but mine seems fine, I'm not sure if it was changed sometime by the previous owner.

The bike is obviously not designed for a 9 speed cassette.

My question is: what is the cheapest fix for my skint student wallet please? Should I just buy a 5 speed and whack a load of spacers in? Is a new shorter chain needed? or would a more suited derailleur be better?

The 9 speed cassette is 12-25t? My front driver gear has 52 teeth on the largest cog and 42 on the smaller?

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Cheers in advance

http://imgur.com/a/iVbUb

simon_masterson

From the picture, it looks like you haven't put the chain through the derailleur correctly and it's too long. It probably isn't a 9 speed chain either, which you will want.

As for cassettes, do you understand the difference between cassettes and freewheels? You have a cassette hub, so you're limited to 7+ speed cassettes. You would need spacers to get a Shimano 7 speed cassette on, yes.

sandyballs

As above, that is the worst chain thread job I have ever seen, you should be proud :shock:

Confirm that the chain is 9 speed and the google how to check chain length, I usually put the chain around big front and big rear WITHOUT going through the derailleur at the back and where the chain meets when pulled tight add a further 2 links.

After that thread the chain through the derailleur properly and then check your gears, I am assuming due to age you have down tube shifters that are not indexed.

If in doubt Google 'Sheldon Brown' and read his extensive web page.

Good luck

keef66

Yep, have a google for the various methods of determining the correct chain length. I use the same as mentioned above; big chainring / big sprocket but not through the mech then + a link (inner plus outer) That looks like it's been fitted straight from the packet rather than being cut to the correct length. Do you have a chain tool? Also easier if you join the chain with a KMC Missing Link or similar.

fenix

TBH I'd sell on the new bits and just get a newer secondhand bike that works. trying to update an old bike is going to be massively expensive.

photonic69

It also looks like the RD springs are shot and not pulling back any of the slack either. You'll need to overhaul the RD and source new springs (possibly). Best bet is to go to a local (good) bike shop and source a replacement RD. That would be a direct mount without a hanger too which are more difficult to source. Also with direct mount it's possible the RD won't be aligned when you install a new one making shifting poor. Best get a bike shop to source, fit and align the RD. You'll save time and frustration this way.

keef66

PhotoNic69 wrote:

It also looks like the RD springs are shot and not pulling back any of the slack either. You'll need to overhaul the RD and source new springs (possibly). Best bet is to go to a local (good) bike shop and source a replacement RD. That would be a direct mount without a hanger too which are more difficult to source. Also with direct mount it's possible the RD won't be aligned when you install a new one making shifting poor. Best get a bike shop to source, fit and align the RD. You'll save time and frustration this way.

I think the springs are OK but it's just that the chain's miles too long so the RD is folded right back on itself. I think in the pic the lower pulley is higher / further back than the upper.

photonic69

keef66 wrote:

I think the springs are OK but it's just that the chain's miles too long so the RD is folded right back on itself. I think in the pic the lower pulley is higher / further back than the upper.

Ah yes, my mistake! Not as bad a mistake as the OP who has threaded that chain completely wrong!! :?

Maybe if he threads it correctly then half of his issues would be solved.

AK_jnr

If you imagine the RD in the correct position it would take up a lot of that slack. I personally think the RD is shot.

t4tomo

AK_jnr wrote:

If you imagine the RD in the correct position it would take up a lot of that slack. I personally think the RD is shot.

If you imagine the Chain was threaded through the RD properly, then you probably wouldn't imagine the RD was shot. Once the chain is thread correctly, it won't work as its too wide so the OP will need to correctly thread a 9 SPD chain through the derailleur and hopefully get it to the right length. Of course the step of threading the incorrect chain correctly through the RD is entirely optional.

OP do you have any mates who "know about going bikes" as that might be the quickest route

AK_jnr

Just zoomed in and you're all right, yes my bad.