mcallaghan

So I'm a bit frustrated.

I think my LBS thinks I am mentally challenged.

Been riding again for the first time in years. The chain ring has some sort of issue but the LBS does not believe me. They say nothing is wrong with it, have taken a look at it and ran it through the gears.

Every time I ride it, though, especially in the easier gears under pressure (IE climbing) I get ghost shifting/clicking and chain slip, where all resistance disappears for a small portion of the turn. If I am standing, this causes me to almost fall over since there is suddenly no resistance. The sound makes me cringe as well, I feel like something might be chipping/grinding whenever it does this. No rhyme or reason to the noises. Sometimes it will happen straight out of a dead stop, or right after changing gears, or in the middle of a steady pace. I am not often in my big ring, just my 2nd ring, so can't really attest to if it happens in the big ring.

Thoughts? I would take it to another LBS, but I don't own a car and my LBS is in walking distance.

dsaul

Sounds like a bad freehub or worn cassette. It is more likely to be the freehub that is slipping, since you didn't mention recently putting on a new chain. The shop would not be able to replicate that problem in the stand. They would have to actually ride the bike to feel the freehub skip.

trailangel

Freewheel or Freehub? Does it really shift to a different gear or is it just slipping??

How do you know it's the chain slipping. Maybe you need to flush your Freewheel or Freehub with some WD40..... maybe it's got old dried grease and doesn't engage properly. Can't really tell from my laptop.

mcallaghan

I haven't ridden the bike in years. Its at least 16 - 20 years old now (the Titanium Merlin Road in my profile).

I've moved to UT recently and dusted off the cobebs since the terrain here is much flatter, elevation much lower than where I was living in CO. Starting to put some miles on it. But before I rode it, I took it to the LBS to have them do a full tuneup. I would have expected them to look at or at least give it a bit of clean during the process. They recommended the new chain as well so I had them put one on.

The noise happens right down next to my feet, which is how I know its the front chain ring and not the rear derailleur. I've even leaned over as best I could to listen for it too to confirm it. It ghost-shifts in the sense that it sounds like its shifting gears, but its not (only 2 rings on the front and the pedaling neither gets easier nor harder after the noise). I am not really sure if its the chain rubbing against the shifter or what actually causes the noise. Its more like the semi-grinding noise it makes when I do actually shift gears as I am pedaling. Then other tips its just makes the 'click' noise like I am changing gears which is when the tension drops for a half second or so and I free spin for that same period.

I am thinking about calling another LBS and see if they can take a look at it for me - I have a friend with a car in town so hopefully he can give me a ride and save me an Uber home.

fietsbob

now hyperglide tooth type are everywhere, the engineers made them eager to shift.. ghost shifting can be a side effect..

mcallaghan

My bike and all its components are circa 2000 - 2003, which is around the time I purchased the bike. I don't think I have changed a single component on the bike since I got it (other than the chain/tires/handlebar tape). I also believe the issue existed the last time I had ridden the bike a handful of years ago.

Guessing I should call around and see who else is nearby that can look at it.

70sSanO

If you are rotating half a turn, slipping, it is most likely the freehub body. It can seem like a click and a slight slip that is coming from the crank; almost like the chain isn’t seated, but that much rotation can’t be a loose cassette, or even a crank problem as you would be dropping a chain.

I agree with others that it is the pawls in the freehub body intermittently not engaging.

John

Miele Man

Can you borrow a rear wheel from a friend and ride with it for a bit? If the problem goes away, then it's either the freehub/freewheel or the cogs are worn.

Cheers

mcallaghan

Turns out it was 'sticky gears'.

New Mechanic said same thing - gears turn fine in the stand, 'test riding' up/down the street was fine. So he WD-40 the hoods and lubed up some of the cables....and it fixed it! He explained that those older shifters could get 'sticky' so it was probably getting stuck between gears when shifting, which was causing all those problems.

I only took it out for a 5 mile spin and no chainring issues/shifting. Fingers crossed.

I have noticed a new noise...like a stone stuck in a tire...that sort of consistency. Haven't noticed anything stuck to the tire, but had ridden through a road-repaving area that had lots of tiny asphalt pebbles everywhere. Not sure if something bounced up and got lodged somewhere but it sounds like a wheel.