derailer problems

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WildAlaskan

New Member
Sep 30, 2010
578
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alaska
so i guess this is the best place for this post

i have a bike im building today took it for a ride the rear derailer was sliping 2 times every rotation but only on 5 to 8 the low gears were just fine

heres the setup
a new chain
a 8 speed cassette
a three speed crank
and a 8 speed rapid fire ****fer i should also mention i put this bike together from just a frame so i cant just put the old part back on ohh and everything is emaculantly clean i and seams to be functio9ng perfectly the deraler is smooth the gears on cassete are like new and the chain is new the crank is great shape also but im sure the problem is in the derailer or chain size or whatever

i just dont understand when i put it on a bike stand and ran it thru the rear gears it shifted up and down thru each gear with out any problems clicking or sticking but as soon as i pedal i get slipping or something even with the littlest amount of pedal pressure slipiing im not sure if its trying to dersil up or down

this is what im thinkng maybe the derailer and shifter arent lining up properly or maybe the shifter and cassete are off or possibly the chain is wrong size for rear cassete

i am stumped i hope someone has some input i really want to put a jackshaft setup on this bike but with bad shifting i cant
 
Last edited:

MotoMagz

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2010
1,817
1,154
113
Michigan
Couple of things it might be. Is the new chain an 8 speed? Are the shifter and deraileur compatable?
 

WildAlaskan

New Member
Sep 30, 2010
578
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0
alaska
yeah see i dont know if the shifter and derailer are compatable but i dont see why not the derailer simply moves from tension maybe the shifter and cassette are not compatable or it may be a wrong chain i dont know how to check ill go to the bike shop later in the week and pick some brains probly start with a new chain since i have a old bike that could use a nice new chain
 

Ghost0

New Member
Mar 7, 2008
763
1
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Bellingham, WA
Not all gear clusters and shifters are compatible. Some have different spacing. This is why maybe your first few gears work but it progressively gets worse. As you suggest it is probably not the derailleur. So my guess is that your rapid fire shifter is not compatible with your gear cluster. I am sure your bike shop can get you pointed in the right direction.
 

ocscully

New Member
Jan 6, 2008
373
1
0
Orange County, CA
Here is a link to Sheldon Browns article on chains and sprockets. Chain Maintenance It sounds to me that what you have done is installed a new chain and are still using the old rear cassette/freewheel, and the cogs are worn out, and no longer mesh properly with the pitch of the new chain. This is a very common problem when replacing chains. If you wait to long to replace your chains, once you finally do you also need to replace the rear cogs, and in extreme cases the front chain rings as well. Scroll down to the bottom of the article to read and see photos/illustrations of chain wear. The skipping is always more pronounced on the smaller dia. cogs. You will find that it is cheaper to replace the whole cog stack/freewheel than to just replace the cogs that are skipping.

ocscully
 

WildAlaskan

New Member
Sep 30, 2010
578
0
0
alaska
so i pretty much built this bike from used parts for virtually nothing but it took hours of digging thru stacks of used parts looking for nice components the only new parts on this bike are all new bearings in head set botton bracket and hubs

well i guess ill go back to the co-op and digg around and try different shifters and see if that works i really like the current design very smooth out of the way and in great shape thats why i chose it

if i have some cash ill try a 8 speed next

the cogs on the cassette look great so if a chain and shifter dont work ill try a cassette

im sure the derailer is fine but if everything else dont work that will be the last thing to try

ill let you guys know what works and what doesnt

heres a few pics of the bike it really rides nice and smooth in the gears that work and the brakes are awesome easy rear skids
 

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