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Do You Road Bike?

Wear on cassettes is pretty simple, if it skips replace it. If teeth are broken off, refer to "does it skip". If there's wear marks, refer to "does it skip". Cassettes see some pretty extreme wear, as long as the chain doesn't jump off when it's all adjusted correctly you're fine.
As for getting that last cog off by a notch, it happens to all of us. As long as you notice the issue and correct it, it's all good.
 
Cassettes and chains on a bicycle wear similarly to a moto, however bike chains are cheap so one school of thought is to replace the chain early (like every 800 - 1000 miles) to spare the other bits for longer. Alternatively you can just wear out the chain and cogs / rings and replace everything at once, this makes less sense if your front chain rings would require replacing the whole crank. On my mountain bike I'd do the chain once a year or so depending on how much I was riding, on the road bike, 1000 miles or so.
 
Since my above message re:"retightening" the cassette lockring, I Did one ride, -> test-ride was good :thumbup

I think I don't have any skipping. Even if it's 1600 mi +
Also I've measured the chain with a ruler. The pins of the chain-links hit 12" precisely--I was surprised there seems to be not even a hair of "wearing down"!

Finally, I did the above cassette disassembly, mostly to tighten the hub/axle because my whole rear wheel was wobbly. So now it feels OK. :thumbup

next things: I may clean "the guide wheels" As shown here :

[YOUTUBE]zeb80OeL_pM[/YOUTUBE]

And.. I may go to the axle again.. maybe check/replace the bearings, because.. I think it rotates a bit rough, esp in "3rd gear, middle chainring".. but the above guide wheels cleaning may help for that! It happens more while pedaling, actually. :dunno
 
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N4teTheGreat said:
Cassettes and chains on a bicycle wear similarly to a moto, however bike chains are cheap so one school of thought is to replace the chain early (like every 800 - 1000 miles) to spare the other bits for longer. Alternatively you can just wear out the chain and cogs / rings and replace everything at once, this makes less sense if your front chain rings would require replacing the whole crank. On my mountain bike I'd do the chain once a year or so depending on how much I was riding, on the road bike, 1000 miles or so.
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I'm going to come right out and say that's a terrible way to do it on a bike. Measure the chain elongation and replace as needed. I average 2k-4k miles on chains that see a lot of dirt and 6k+ on road chains. Replaced at the correct time you'll get multiple chains per cassette and chainring set. I've seen numbers up to 15k miles for a cassette and 50k for a chainring set. Chains are cheap those other things aren't. My Dura Ace chains are about $45 ea. My cassettes cost between $120 and $450 and my chainrings are about $160 a set.
There is no standard mileage expectation, it's different for everyone based on their shifting style, their weight, how's much they climb and how clean things are. That's why there are established ways to measure a chain. The best tools will account for roller and flank wear, but a simple ruler is better than nothing. 1/16" at 12" is a new chain, 1/8" at 12" is probably a new cassette. Chainrings are based on slip and shifting.
 
Indexed-shifting has increased wear and tear on drivetrain. People now don't unlink load with shifting-action. In old days with friction-shifters, you used to have to let up on pedal-pressure to get clean shift. Then re-apply load.

Nowadays, you shift regardless of pedaling loads. You can shift under full load going uphill out-of-saddle. Applying load when chain is not straight really wears it out quickly. As well as chews up corners of sprocket teeths.
 
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I have an odd issue on one of my bikes. It's a Marin bike but with pretty low-end components. The underlying issue for me is that I can't get the front derailleur to shift down to the smallest cog reliably. I can easily shift to cog 2 or 3, but the smallest only shifts down sometimes, and the easiest way to shift it down is to go from 3 down to 1 so it throws the chain over rapidly.

So I'm not sure at this point whether this would be the lower limit screw that needs a bit of adjusting or even maybe the spring? The worst part about dealing with the FD is I can get it to shift perfectly when up on the stand, but on the road it's not nearly as good. I did check my chain and it's within spec.
 
well since you know what the lower limit screw is AND it shifts worse during pedaling, then it's probably bent crank-wheels/bent crankarms/crankaxle. :D which is a worse problem


but simply adjust the lower limit screw EVEN lower and try again under pedaling.


What year is your Marin bike? My 2005 Marin bike still shifted fine in 10 years but had 1-level-up components. Then they stole it. In case your Marin bike is white, I hope it's not you that stole it?? :D
 
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If I read that right, you have three rings up front, correct?

If it was working fine and developed this issue over time, it may not be the limit screw. (Give it a try anyway, but it might not help, and could make it worse by dumping the chain off the ring, inboard.) Another thing to check is to make sure it's not too high over the rings, but again, if it was working fine before, that's probably not it.

If you haven't replaced your chain in a while, it may be worn out to the point that it is too loose laterally to respond the right way to an attempted shift. Either that or your front derailleur is bent or worn out. (Front derailleur cage should be parallel to the rings, but can sometimes get canted out over time. They be bent back in a way that encourages better downshifting, but it's easy to go too far and end up with a derailleur that rubs on one ring or another.)
 
AbsolutEnduser said:
well since you know what the lower limit screw is AND it shifts worse during pedaling, then it's probably bent crank-wheels/bent crankarms/crankaxle. :D which is a worse problem


but simply adjust the lower limit screw EVEN lower and try again under pedaling.


What year is your Marin bike? My 2005 Marin bike still shifted fine in 10 years but had 1-level-up components. Then they stole it. In case your Marin bike is white, I hope it's not you that stole it?? :D
Click to expand...

I also suspected a worn shift cable, so I replaced it and at the same time reset the limit screws. It's perfect up on the stand, garbage out in the street.

I think it's a 2012ish and it's matte black so definitely not stolen from you :laughing 3x7 with garbage Tourney FD and Altus RD which is ok. Has mechanical disc brakes which are nice for street riding.

Not really sure how to test for a bent crank. Looks fine up on the stand. I'll try backing the lower limit by another quarter turn and see if that helps, hopefully the chain won't fall off.

I have a good gravel bike but this one is for around-town riding with the fam.
 
Matty D said:
If you haven't replaced your chain in a while, it may be worn out to the point that it is too loose laterally to respond the right way to an attempted shift. Either that or your front derailleur is bent or worn out. (Front derailleur cage should be parallel to the rings, but can sometimes get canted out over time. They be bent back in a way that encourages better downshifting, but it's easy to go too far and end up with a derailleur that rubs on one ring or another.)
Click to expand...

Lateral wear is interesting and a possibility. Never changed the chain but I do check the wear with a Park Tool CC3.2 and it's within spec. It shifted ok before but the chain would rub too much on the FD, so I actually fixed the alignment so its parallel to the big cog. No more rub and it's perfect in 2 and 3, it's just the small cog that's causing me grief right now.

Thanks for all the help - I think here is my game plan:
1) back off another quarter turn on the lower limit, pray that it shifts fine without throwing the chain off and fixes everything

2) check FD for bends (looks ok to me?) - possibly replace the whole part with Shimano 105 instead.

3) replace the chain

4) check crank for bends. Not 100% sure how to do this and really don't want to replace the crank - seems like a PITA and not sure I have the right tools.
 
since I suggested this..
"checking the crank(shaft)" is probably the last last resort... and yeah that's why, because it's hard

I'd visually check the crank-set/crank-wheels whether they wobble left-right, while you're pedaling, while you're on the bike, on a flat ground! You can just look

otherwise, I have no idea of course :dunno, but since you say "it's fine on the stand".. :dunno
 
Since you mentioned changing the cable, be sure to release the tension before you adjust the limit screw. Otherwise backing off the limit screw won't do anything (unless the cable has stretched and is already loose). The derailleur will only move further inward if the cable is loose enough.

Changing the angle of front derailleur could definitely contribute as well. You can usually "trim" out any derailleur rub with cable tension via a barrel adjuster, you should not need to change the position.

Front derailleurs can be finicky and related issues are tricky to diagnose based only on words. A decent shop mechanic could probably get it sorted super quick.
 
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I have a deep appreciation for bicycle mechanics. Understanding how this all works is just half the puzzle, you really need to get a good feel for the bike and then know exactly how much to adjust. I have no problem doing a top end engine rebuild on a motorcycle but this bicycle issue has me stumped!

Anyway, the cable tension is good since I can easily see the mech moving when I adjust the limit screw. Im at the point now where it's at the lowest possible setting before throwing the chain off. I can shift to the small cog when I'm in the lowest gear on the rear but not when I'm on the biggest one..

Will need to do some more playing around. Maybe I just need a new chain. If that doesn't work out I'll throw in the towel and take it to the LBS.

I have another issue also where the rear brake sometimes rubs, almost as if the axle isn't straight in the rear but it sure seems like it's in all the way. No idea on that one either.
 
A rear disc brake that "sometimes" rubs can also be a few different things. First make sure the rear axle is tight. Then check to make sure the rear wheel bearings aren't loose. Then check to make sure the brake caliper is tight and properly aligned. Then make sure the brake rotor is also tight and reasonably straight. Lastly, check for frame cracks/breaks.

If all of that checks out, you might just be getting frame flex under your massive leg power!
 
Getting front derailleurs to shift reliably is often a black art. You'll want to check that the derailleur itself is properly lined up with the rings and sits not more than a few mm above the big ring teeth. If there's grime in the pivots / spring those could be resisting the pulling movement making it harder to drop to the small ring as well. The cage can also get bent / worn. On older bikes I'd sometimes tweak the cage slightly to make it narrower so it starts pulling the chain sooner, but that can cause clearance issues and noise in some cases. A worn chain isn't as likely to impact shifting in the front as it will in the rear, also, just like a moto, if that chain is pretty worn, it may have taken the cassette with it so replace with caution.
 
Matty D said:
..s can also be a few different things. First make sure the rear axle is tight. Then check to make sure the rear wheel bearings aren't loose. ..!
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I actually have a problem with that. My rear wheel was a little too loose, I could feel it by hand when I lift the rear of the bike and shake the wheel left and right.

so I took it off again.. changed all the bearings.. and after a few tries it's no longer loose. But now I'm wondering if it's not too tight.

The way to check.. if I roll the wheel by hand= inertia, is it supposed to roll back/forth a little bit or not? E.g. see this video @8:52
Mine doesn't! It kinds stops sloowwly and "freezes"--but I tested it only "on the bike" and not flat like this guy.


Also : I found a "pitting" on one of the cones of my rear axle. Just how does that happen! :x
Anyway, have to try to find a new axle/ go to REI, or they do it.. right? There are actually two different pittings on the same cone.
 

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Pitted cones are from riding with an axle that's either too tight or too loose. On a quick release axle you actually want a little play when off the bike and it should disappear when the QR is tightened up on the bike. The compression of the skewer needs to be taken into consideration. It takes some trial and error until you get a feel for it.
Very few shops will actually stock what you need, they will either need to order it or recommend you simply replace the wheel. Depending on the wheel, it can sometimes be cheaper/better deal to just junk it and start over.
 
A few possibilities regarding the reluctant-to-shift-to-small ring:

1. Check the crankset and chainrings for tightness and condition of rings
2. Goes without saying, but is the chain lubed?
3. This last one is surprisingly common: bad shift cable, bad housing, or (esp.) sticky energy drink dribbled from bottles to under-bottom bracket guide where the cables are exposed
 
rcb78 said:
Pitted cones are from riding with an axle that's either too tight or too loose. On a quick release axle you actually want a little play when off the bike and it should disappear when the QR is tightened up on the bike. The compression of the skewer needs to be taken into consideration. It takes some trial and error until you get a feel for it.
Very few shops will actually stock what you need, they will either need to order it or recommend you simply replace the wheel. Depending on the wheel, it can sometimes be cheaper/better deal to just junk it and start over.
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Thanks. The bike is an REI road/hybrid with "MTB like gearing" (for the .. city commuting reason obviously) . Therefore I may try to just call them and ask to buy an axle or check about fixing.

"It" is weird. Why did I notice that rear wheel was loose in the first place? After 1-3 years of use (I forgot) I adjusted it once already.....

...This week is the second time ever I'm adjusting it. And as I said, found the pitting-marks and maybe I made it a smidge too tight.

PM-d you a link to a vid where I push the rear wheel by hand. And it like "freezes" slowly
 
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