Chain hop

hmsolomon

I have a 4 yr old Gary Fisher Sugar 2 soft tail. On the stand, it shifts perfectly. Under load it doesn't at all. Also, when I back pedal, the chain hops down 2 to 3 gears. Any ideas?

Duckwah

First thought is a worn chain or rear cassette. Have they been replaced recently? Has one but not the other been replaced?

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Don Stevenson

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Octogen Fitness

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hmsolomon

I'd like to think it's a wear problem. I don't ride enough. The bike may have 70 hours of mtn bike riding in it - max. The reverse pedal chain movement is very strange - the chain is angled so much from the front to the rear that it makes sense that it would skip. It could be the chain has become less flexible. I keep it clean and lubed.

Scotty_Dog

So why not shift to a gear combination that lessens the angle?

Go here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html and be sure to read the section titled: Chainline and Criss-Cross Gears.

Also, the only time you should pedal in reverse is when you are applying lube to your chain.

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"There is alot of blather here that does not float the hooey barge." boudreaux 11/22/2005

hmsolomon

I've read that Sheldon Brown piece. This nagging problem happens in the mid front chain ring and 3rd gear in the rear - middle to middle. It skips under load and when I do back pedal, as when remounting and positioning the pedals for a hill. It slides down several gears, just as the line of the chain from rear to front would suggest.

I have another bike with similar gearing and it will not hop gears when backpedalng. I did wreck on the last ride when this problem started. So the bike may have a bent rear deraler hanger! I'll check tonight.

Thanks for the ideas.