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I am experiencing an issue with my bike and I don't really know how to describe it sense I know so little about bikes. I have been riding a mongoose mountain bike to work since January and thought I would run it into the ground before i get a decent bike. So far, it has held up nicely.
Just today, I noticed that when I am peddling, it feels like my feet change dominance. What I mean by that, is my right foot is the main one providing force and while I am peddling it "jumps" (for lack of a better term) and then my left foot is the one providing the force. It is like the chain is skipping. I looked at the cogs and I don't see missing teeth.
I have shifted through all the gears to see if that would fix it, but it is happening with every gear.
Is there a term for this? I know I described it poorly.
I’m a tinkerer and @life is a hell ride is a former mechanic I believe.
I would make sure when you shift the chain arrives on the gear you want. If the tension is off the derailleur can move as you pedal.
Do you shift both the front and back gear at the same time?
I tend to leave the chain in the middle chain ring and just shift the back. For commuting a 7 gear bike is sufficient.
I actually like single speed for everything but I live in a flat area.
Hell Ride or one of the other expert mechanics can probably tell you how to trouble shoot but I tend to just work around issues.
Great question. It happens even when I am not changing gears. I usually don't change gears on the way to work, since it is slightly downhill.
It doesn't take me out of the same gear I am in, it just skips ahead for a brief moment.
hey there.
so based off what you’re saying i’ve inferred a few things. riding a bike “into the ground” is slightly different than using a car into the ground because bike parts all have different wear rates- meaning you’ll have to piecemeal replace parts as they wear out even if you eventually wanna just get a new bike all together.
if you’ve been riding it into the ground it’s safe to assume you haven’t been doing preventative maintenance on your drivetrain (cleaning, lubing etc.). not a judgement on you just trying to get a full differential.
since you’ve been riding since january i’m assuming you’ve hit inclement weather (or the remains of inclement weather)- my guess is your chain and/or drivetrain is worn and causing the chain to slightly “skiff” and take a second to line up with the teeth on the chainring (chains stretch over time due to the force and oxidization etc will stiffen the links), hence the skipping feeling.
also, for my sake, take your crank arm (either one) and try to move it laterally. if there’s play in it at all your bottom bracket is probably pretty harshed too which only adds to your issue (harder to line up with the chain if your cranks are wobbling side to side).
a new chain + install was around 20-25$ when i was at a shop. lemme know if this helps or if i’m wayyyyy off