chain issues, and crowded handlebar bell suggestions?

[Michele Woods]

This is my first post and it is rather nerve racking!. I'm a novelist
commuter of 9 months. I ride a department store bought box-MTB (I am a
student and this was bought for me as a teenager) tweaked for the occasion.
The bike is an 18 speed (shimano) MTB, and is about 10 years old but was
hardly ridden before this year (it had probably done less than 20miles).

I have two problems. Firstly, I have just discovered it is illegal to ride
without a bell fitted to your bike in my state (and it was driving me nuts
not having one anyway). Unfortunately, the way my bike was designed, there
is literally no where I can put a standard bike-bell (yet it came with a
bell in the box, go figure).

Between the grips, brakes, shifters and the centre part of the bar where it
gets thicker toward the center (standard bell doesn't fit around it) there
just isn't anywhere to put it. The front brake cable (they are centre pull
brakes) runs down through the centre of the horizontal part of the stem so
mounting it on the stem itself interferes with the brake cable and clips the
top bar of the frame when cornering. Additionally, this is where the switch
is for my lights (these are on a T shaped plate fixed to the bolt of the
handlebar so they are not taking up any space on the bar itself - they
wouldn't fit).

Is there another way of fixing a bell to the bike without the (useless)
standard bell U-bits (Now I'm getting all technical) to overcome this
problem? I would prefer it to be practical as I believe in common sense
cycling. The handlebars are already quite wide (~23 inches)

The second problem and probably more serious is a chain issue. The chain
does two things. Firstly, sometimes on the forward pedal the chain becomes
jammed on the chainring requiring a little back pedalling and gently coming
forward again. It happens when not changing gears and regardless of how much
load is on it.

The other chain problem is sometimes when pedalling (whether under load or
not) the chain slips off the teeth of the front sprockets. On the forward
pedal the crankshaft and chainring just spins around for a couple of laps
before the chain re-engages with the teeth of the sprockets. I suspect the
two problems are related.

I haven't made any changes to the bike that resulted in the chain issue. It
just happened out of the blue one day.

If you need any other specifications (or clarification of my poor
description and terminology), let me know.

Thanks in advance

Michelle

 

[[email protected]]

I would guess the chain is rusted or otherwise not as flexible as it
ought to be from sitting for so many years. The symptoms you describe
are often from a worn-out chain or chainrings, but if the bike is
hardly used, that would be unlikely. Try lubing up the chain a bit.
With the bike stationary, pedal backwrds with you hand and see if the
chain goes smoothly through the rear derailleur. If it snags, that
shoulg guide you to where the chain is stiff. If it is you mihjt be
able to wiggle it loose, but maybe it needs to be replaced. Or a tooth
on the chainring could be damaged. Inspect them.

As for bells, most I've seen around here aren't more than 1" across and
should be able to fit just about anywhere. A big kids' one might be
more difficult.

Joseph

 

[dvt]

Michele Woods wrote:
> Is there another way of fixing a bell to the bike without the (useless)
> standard bell U-bits (Now I'm getting all technical) to overcome this
> problem?

It's hard to imagine you can't find open space on the handlebar if the
bike is still stock. But here are two options, both of which cost extra $$$.

Extra handlebar space can be had with an Excess Access or SpaceBar. Go
to http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/lighting/shimano.html to find
photos; the photos are a long ways down the page, so keep scrolling. $20
for one of these.

Or you could get some MTB bar ends and mount the bell on there. Sheldon
to the rescue again, here's a photo:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/handlebars.html#barends. Again, about
$20.

> The second problem and probably more serious is a chain issue. The chain
> does two things. Firstly, sometimes on the forward pedal the chain becomes
> jammed on the chainring requiring a little back pedalling and gently coming
> forward again. It happens when not changing gears and regardless of how much
> load is on it.
>
> The other chain problem is sometimes when pedalling (whether under load or
> not) the chain slips off the teeth of the front sprockets.

Try a little oil and look for a stiff link as Joseph mentioned. A new
chain should cost $10-25, so it's easy to spend more effort on the chain
than it's worth.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

 

[maxo]

mount the bell on the stem.

 

[dvt]

maxo wrote:
> mount the bell on the stem.
>
From the OP:

> The front brake cable (they are centre pull
> brakes) runs down through the centre of the horizontal part of the
stem so
> mounting it on the stem itself interferes with the brake cable and
clips the
> top bar of the frame when cornering. Additionally, this is where the
switch
> is for my lights (these are on a T shaped plate fixed to the bolt of the
> handlebar so they are not taking up any space on the bar itself - they
> wouldn't fit).

I don't know how the stem-mounted stuff "clips the top bar of the frame
when cornering." She must be turning really sharp or she has an
odd-shaped bike. At any rate, she says the stem is unavailable for
mounting a bell.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu