Chain fell off mid pack
 

Hey guys, my chain on my single speed had been falling off recently, so I reduced the slack by moving my back wheel a bit. Today I was in the middle of the pack on a group ride, and my chain fell off, I went over to the side and started yelling "stopping, stopping." Pretty darn embarrassed, I'm trying not to get a reputation for a sketchy rider and this doesn't help my case. Should I take the bike to a bike shop before riding it in the group again? Should I apologize on the facebook group for the mechanical? Have any of you dealt with people who have mechanicals like this, how sketchy is it/how do I build my rep back besides just not having it happen again. Sorry for the blog post lol

Gold chain or silver?

Did your wheel move in the dropouts?

Did any cars drive over the chain after it fell off? Or could you put it back on?

The fact that you got out of the way and warned everybody should help your cred. Bikes have problems sometimes and if you're trying to get it sorted, that's all others can ask. That said, it's pretty unusual for a ss to drop the chain, no?
Just don't be that guy who always has problems.

He had 2 spares. :innocent:

gold

Sup Larry! Did anyone stop while you fixed the chain? If they did you may be OK at least until the next incident.:twitchy: Your chain shouldn't be falling off.

If your chain is falling off on any kind of regular basis, there's something really wrong with your setup. I ride a singlespeed MTB on some pretty technical terrain, and things get banged around a lot. I have had my chain drop zero times. Proper chain tension and good chainring-cog alignment are highly important details in proper SS setup.

Single speed, not a fixed hub? If you don't know how to fix it, yes absolutely take it to a shop. Stuff can happen on group rides, which is the reason that our group has admission standards. One can't just show up and ride. If you're worried about rep, get your bike fixed and explain/show what happened and the fix to the ride leader. Don't worry about the rest of the group - they'll be OK after a a few perfect rides. Mechanicals happen.

Guess i'm taking it to the shop, don't like putting money into such a cheap bike (150$) but this can't keep happening. This is a self policing drop ride with no leader, but I don't wanna grind peoples gears too much you feel? Especially because showing up on a single speed is kinda clownish

I feel

Narrow-wide rings aren't used on road single speed, nor on mtb single speeds.

Thanks! I'll edit my post. Just for 1X then?

Exactly, narrow-wide and the clutch derailleurs are what keeps the chain on. :thumb:

This is some kind of wayward harmonic convergence.

You may not want a rep as a sketchy ride partner, but if your chain has fallen off multiple times lately, I hate to tell you: You're a sketchy ride partner.

people only saw it once lol that's what matters.

So, they're unaware of the pattern and may not give you the space that would be a good idea? That's potentially even worse.

yup

Its impossible, and yet it is a common issue.

In a single speed setup, a properly tensioned chain should not be falling off. I'd check these: 1) Chain condition - replace it if stretched, 2) Chain rings and cog for any anomalies like bent teeth. Some chainrings have "features" for better shifting; however it's not likely that they would cause a chain drop. 3) proper alignment - is your rear wheel co-planer with the frame centerline? This is done by properly mounting your wheel. Is the chainline right? This may require a different bottom bracket spindle, though respacing the hub may do the trick (but this may require re-dishing the wheel) 4) Frame alignment - If your rear triangle is offset you'll have problems. Check with either an alignment gauge or use the string test. 5)Frame flex - if your chain drops occur when applying a lot of pedal pressure it may mean that your frame is flexing to the point that mis-alignment occurs.

Good luck, mate. I hope you figure it out.

yesterday there was a dude on a fixie LOL. He chilled in the back though so its cool, this group is pretty lax with the rules.

A video is worth a million words. Show us how much chain slack you have. It's possible that your rear wheel is slipping as you tighten the nut. In that case, you need better nuts and possibly chain tensioners.