# Chain skipping teeth



## ej63090 (Aug 18, 2011)

Under heavy load, no matter what chainring I am in the chain will seem to skip a tooth. Nothing seems abnormally worn. I am also about 240 and squat 500lbs plus. I'm wondering if I am just too much for the drivetrain or I possibly have an issue. I'll post some pictures when get a chance. Bike is 2011 Giant Revel 0.
Here are the specs.
Shifters	SRAM X.5, Trigger
Front Derailleur	Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur	SRAM X.5
Brakes	Avid BB5 Disc
Brake Levers	Tektro Alloy, 2 Finger
Cassette	SRAM PG830 11x32, 8-Speed
Chain	KMC Z72
Crankset	Shimano Acera M361, 22/32/42
Bottom Bracket	Shimano Cartridge

It has nothing to do with the shifting as I mostly will ride SS or shift very seldomly.


----------



## crclawn (Sep 26, 2010)

In your post it says at the end you ride single speed, but you list sram 5 front and rear deraillure. If that is the case, I would check to see if you have a bent or stiff chain link:

How to Loosen a Stiff Chain Link - Bicycle Tutor Video


----------



## broz (Feb 3, 2007)

when this has happened to me it has turned out to be a stuck link. go through the entire chain and verify that each link moves smothly. also, with the bike in a stand, you should be able to determine the section of chain that is skipping.


----------



## ej63090 (Aug 18, 2011)

I meant riding using a single speed but not converted. Ill go through the chain and see.


----------



## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Have you?*

Have you replaced any drive train parts or are they all stock?

What gears do you typically ride in? For example, middle in front/small in back, etc.


----------



## ej63090 (Aug 18, 2011)

All stock. Usually 2x8/6/4. When I first started I was using 1x8 regularly, but found out that was not good for the drivetrain.


----------



## shamethellama (Aug 21, 2011)

My guess is that the skipping is a result of you riding in one gear a lot. Normally (with people who actually shift gears )each cog of the entire cassette will wear along with the chain. The wearing process will be slow and won't really affect performance until the chain and cassette become really worn. _However_, if you stay in one gear a lot, then the chain will wear into that cog and vice versa (the cog will wear back into the chain ad infinitum). This will wear out the chain faster, and when you try to ride in any other cogs, it will skip due to the cogs being worn less than the chain. The chain and cogs will not mesh.

I think you need a new chain and cassette. You may need a new chainring or two as well if it seems to be skipping in the front.

Good luck.


----------



## ej63090 (Aug 18, 2011)

The bike is only 2 months or so. I probably have around 200 miles on the bike.


----------



## Ansible (Jan 30, 2004)

Derailer adjustment might be needed, even though you're only in one gear at a time. Perhaps the rear derailer is set so that its kind of between gears?

Most of the time for me when I get random chain skipping its sticky cables, meaning the derailer doesn't move to its proper spot or sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. With a new bike I'd think that the cables would be in good shape, but maybe there's some wierd cable routing problem that's causing friction.


----------



## Larry_K (Jul 10, 2010)

I'd go with a bent hanger being a likely culprit but can easily be cable tension if it feels like it's skipping/jumping across the board. I sometimes have to adjust mine about once a month or so in the spring and fall (small branches on trail after storms, etc..). It doesn't really take much of a hit to knock it out of alignment if it hits "just" right.

It's a quick check at a bike shop but I went ahead and got the Park Tool hanger alignment tool ($50 I think) just so I can check it whenever shifting doesn't feel smooth or if it just doesn't sound normal under load. If you take it into your local shop to get it checked out make sure to ask them to check it. It should really be one of the first things to check if there's a shifting problem IMO, but since it involves removing the rear derailleur it gets skipped a lot of the time. It can be bent enough to cause horrible shifting but if you "eyeball" it you'll think it's perfectly straight.

Larry


----------



## ej63090 (Aug 18, 2011)

I think I found the culprit. The whole time I was looking at the sharp teeth that I failed to see that there was a broken tooth. I also neglected to see that it was in the 8th gear only. My bike is still under the 60 day warranty so I may bring it back to the dealer.


----------



## buttons (Nov 9, 2011)

same problem with old bike. sprocket had broken tooth and some were worn down. check both back/front. might need to replace the most commonly used sprocket rings.


----------

