candidly, i am a rookie, so please be kind.
i bought this bike off of craigslist for $100- looking for an easy commuting bike, nothing crazy, technical, or fancy.
it's a freewheel bike, so the back wheel has most likely been changed from its original. on the body of the bike there is NO indication of any gear shifters, yet the back wheel has multiple spots for the chain to go, there's also no derailleur. the chain keeps slipping mid ride which requires me to manually re-set the chain. if i pedal a little harder than usual, the chain slips and i have to start over.
did i mess up real bad buying this bike? is the chain too large? i don't know where to start. i have a newer trek bike that i could salvage for gear shifting parts, too.
looking for a little guidance for how i can begin riding this bike without expecting a chain slip every .5 mile.
thanks in advance!
clueless chicago biker.
by slylizard72
11 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/o4gr8e55tvcf1.png?width=798&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf87c10772e70fb3114cd49e998f51cd9396cd04
Loosen this nut (you’ll probably need to do it on the other side—left side). Then, pull the rear wheel back to add tension to the chain while keeping the wheel straight. Once the chain is under proper tension and the wheel is aligned, tighten the axle nuts again.
edit: its a cool bike btw!
Looks like the previous owner tried to hack this bike into something like a single-speed. The chain is probably hopping to the other gears because the chain tension and chain line are all over the place. You could make this a lot better by getting a cheap rear derailleur and an extra length of chain (make sure they’re both compatible with your existing chain). Should be easy to source if you have a used bike shop or co-op nearby. Wrap the chain through the derailleur as necessary, choose the cog you want it to stay on, then use the limit screws to lock it in place. This will ensure consistent chain placement and tension. You could add a shifter in the future if you wanted to take advantage of the other gears while riding.
Edit: looking at the frame more closely, it doesn’t seem to have a derailleur hanger. That might rule out the above for now. That chain has a ton of slack in it, so try loosening the rear wheel axle, pull it back so the chain is tight and then re-secure the rear wheel, making sure it’s aligned straight with the frame.
That is a multi-speed bike that someone has done a cheap single-speed conversion to. It looks like it had a clamp-on band on the downtube (the frame tube that goes diagonally downward from the front to the pedals) for shifters like [these](https://pedalstreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/how-to-use-downtube-shifters-092122-2.jpg). That has been removed, along with the derailleurs which would shift the chain from ring to ring. That bike should actually have two; one at the rear wheel but also one on the seat tube (the frame tube that runs vertically from the pedals up to the seat) to shift between two rings at the front.
You have sliding dropouts so you should be able to add chain tension by loosening the rear axle and pulling the wheel backwards, then re-tightening the axle. The may fix your problem, however if that sprocket is worn under the chain, it will still slip. It’s impossible to tell from the pictures you’ve shared.
If you want to add the ability to shift gears back to this bike you will definitely need:
* Downtube shifters (on a clamp-on band)
* Rear derailleur compatible with the shifters
* Cable for the rear derailleur
And you may want to add:
* New double chain rings at the front (which may require new cranks as well)
* Front derailleur compatible with the shifters (clamp-on type)
* Cable for the front derailleur
I’d also recommend getting a local bike shop to give it a look over for safety purposes. That’s always a wise move when you buy a second hand bike of unknown service history. Good luck and happy riding!
I think someone took advantage of your lack of experience. It looks like a single speed bike from the handlebars and lack of deraileurs and places to attach shifters, But it has a multi speed rear wheel. I’d suggest taking it to a shop and see what they can do to guide you.
I would get a shimano nexus rear hub/wheel if it fits and call ot a day. You said you wanted to commute. It will have less gears (3/4 speeds are cheap. More gears more$) but they are easy to find parts for and are still made. I run one on my everyday bike, I love the way gearshifts feel
Plus having a single speed “look” while having gears is pretty rad
Remove the cassette and put on a single speed cog and get a new single speed chain you should be good to go
Go find a different bike, DO NOT sink more money into this Turd of a bike. Chain could move to another cog for a number of reasons, but definitely looking at that rear quick release trying to keep the wheel is the right spot under the full lid of the chains. I’ve also definitely seen this happen and turns out the axle is broken and you might not see that till you completely remove the rear wheel.
As others have said, I think someone took advantage of your inexperience. The bike itself maybe ok, but probably needs some work to keep from skipping gears. Taking it to a shop would be a 1st step to knowing. Might just need a chain and single-speed rear freewheel. That might not be too expensive, maybe with shop labor rates be under $100? However if you wanted working gears – you’re looking at potentially a lot more.
Friction shifters and almost any cheap modern derailleur. You can probably find everything you need at your local co-op. I think these frames are cool as hell, so if you throw a couple bucks at it, you’ll still come out ahead.
Fit a chain tug on the right dropout and get rid of the washer. The quick release isn’t tightening up enough which is why the axle keeps moving forward. A tug prevents this by using the back of the dropout as an anchor.
My suggestion is to work to get the rear wheel without all the extra gears and bolt it on instead of quick release. With proper tension, it will be a reliable singlespeed. Chicago is relatively flat so 2:1 ratio on a 27” wheel is usually good. ( making a wheel size assumption).
But sweet deal and a nice old lugged frame, I love to save them at the Co-Op.