What happens if bike chain is loose?

A loose bike chain can cause poor shifting, chain skipping, chain dropping, or accelerated drivetrain wear. Luckily it is usually an easy fix! To find out whether your chain is too long take a look at it from the side with your eyes being level with the chain.

Should a bike chain be loose or tight?

It should be tight enough that it only allows you to move it up and down about one inch. If it is sagging or much looser than that, you need to tighten that chain up. Chains often loosen when a bike does not have a derailleur.

What does a loose chain feel like?

Another symptom of a loose chain on a motorcycle is a chain tug, a tugging feeling you feel when the bike keeps steady RPMs in a lower gear, which is another symptom of a loose chain.

Can a loose chain cause power loss?

A tight chain and a loose chain will both lead to problems. A tight chain will increase friction on the chain and sprockets, leading to greater power loss in the drive train and excessive wear.

Is a tighter chain better?

If you run your chain over tight, you'll wear down your drivetrain and bearings super fast. If you have your chain too loose, you'll find yourself pedaling squares rather than circles and possibly having the chain fly off.

Fixing A Sagging Bike Chain

What causes bike chain loose?

A motorcycle chain that keeps getting loose is usually caused by the rear axle or chain tensioning bolts not being tight enough. It can also be cause by a new chain not being worn in enough, worn down sprocket teeth, having too tight of a tension, or having the wrong size of chain installed.

Can a loose chain cause vibration?

Re: Chain/sprocket wear causing excessive vibrations? Chain getting tight then loose then tight then loose means time for new chain and sprockets. Excessive noise or vibrations indicate time for new chain and sprockets. Things like this indicate time to replace the chain and sprockets.

How do you fix a loose bike chain?

Loosen the rear axle and then pull back on the rear tire to make the chain tighter. Make sure the chain isn't too tight or too loose, then tighten the rear tire again. With the right tools, you can also tighten a bike chain in Naples, FL for a multi-chain bike.

Why does my chain slip when I pedal hard?

The chain could be slipping due to natural weakening of the chain. Over time, the chain will stretch out and a loose chain means more slipping when pedaling hard. The chain could also be slipping if your cogs are word down. The cogs/crank also wear over time and can leave the chain with not much to "grab" on to.

How tight should a chain be on a fixed gear bike?

It should be tight as it can be without binding. If the chain is too loose, it can fall off, which is quite dangerous on a fixed gear. Set the rear axle so that the chain pulls taut at the tightest part of the cranks' rotation. One at a time, loosen up each of the stack bolts, and tighten it back just finger tight.

Why does my chain go slack when I stop pedaling?

If your chain is getting slack on top when you stop pedalling or backpedal, then the problem is in your freehub (or freewheel, whichever you have), a dirty freehub will cause all the problems you've listed, even on a brand new bike.

Does a loose motorcycle chain make noise?

This is because the engine power is not constant but slightly pulsating, which causes the chain to oscillate between being loose and tight. In another words, the front sprocket continuously tightens and loosens the chain, which results in a slapping and rattling noise.

What if your motorcycle chain is too tight?

When a motorcycle chain is too tight, it'll put stress on several components of the bike and cause the sprockets to wear faster, make the engine work harder, and cause the suspension to be tight and uncomfortable. Ultimately, a tight chain on a motorcycle may break leaving you with no power.

Why do my bicycle gears slip?

Most of the time, a skipping chain is caused by cable stretch. In the first half dozen rides on a new bike your shift cables stretch the most. They can also stretch over time as you ride. Hippley explains, “It takes cable tension to open a derailleur, which shifts your chain between gears.

How tight should your chain be on a mountain bike?

Fixed gear: You want the chain to be pretty tight. It's no fun feeling that extra-loose section of the crank rotation every so often. It just feels "off." Bad chainline: If your chainline is pretty bad, you can use a 1/8" chain (if your ring and cog are 3/32"), and you should tighten up the chain a bit.

How do I know if my bike chain is too long?

Do a simple check on your bike by shifting the chain to the big chainring and the biggest cassette cog; then, push on the end of the derailleur cage (pushing forward) to see how much it will move forward. If it moves just a little, then you're good. If it moves a lot, then you've got too much chain.

What happens if your bike chain is too short?

If the chain is too short, this shift is difficult to make and the derailleur cage is stretched out and almost parallel to the chainstay. If the chain is really short, then you might not even be able to shift into the largest cog.

How tight should my chain be on a single speed?

Chain Tension

There should be approximately one half inch of movement in the chain up and down at a point half way between the front and rear sprockets. To change the tension loosen one of the axle-nuts and move the wheel forward or backward slightly and snug it up again.