problem with rear derailleur



valvan

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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ok so recently ive been having trouble with my rear derailleur whenever i pedal the bike always acts likes its shifting gears except in the two lowest gears and whenever i have it in those gears i get a ticking sound. i took the bike into the shop last weekend and got everything lubed and a few of the chain link were stiff and those are now fixed. when i took it in then it happened every 3-4 pedal rotation now its every pedal rotation.
i have index shifters if that matters.
anyone know what might be wrong and is this something i might be able to fix on my own?
 
A worn chain/rear cassette will sometimes feel as though the derailer is skipping. Look at the cassette and see if the gears are pointed vice squared-off.

If it is the derailer then here are the procedures for adjusting. Derailer Adjustment-How To

P.S. You can see a picture of a rear cassette on Sheldon's website to compare to yours, if your cassette is worn it's best to buy a chain when buying a new cassette.
 
BTW, I copied this from the above link, it supports what I said about the derailer usually not cause of skipping.




Skipping/Autoshifting

Do your pedals sometims jump forward when you pedal extra hard? This is a common complaint, especially when a rider stands up to pedal. Indeed, this dangerous condition is one very good reason for remaining in the saddle and spinning in your lower gears, rather than standing up and pumping in a higher gear.
Although jumping/skipping/autoshifting is often blamed on the derailer, it is only very rarely the result of a derailer malfunction.
This jumping may be one of two totally unrelated problems: skipping or autoshifting. The first step in troubleshooting this problem is to determine whether the problem is simple skipping or autoshifting.
  • Skipping involves the chain jumping over the tops of the sprocket teeth under load. After the chain jumps, it remains on the same sprocket. This is usually caused by wear to the chain and/or the sprockets. This is most likely to happen on the smaller rear sprockets, especially if they are used in conjunction with the small chainwheel in front. This issue is addressed in considerable detail in my article on Chain Wear.
    A form of skipping, not necessarily under load, sometimes also results from stiff links.