losing weight thanks to mountain biking!

I just want to say thank you to mountain bikes-- I have lost 33 lbs
since February, a large part from mountain biking. As the pounds come
off, it is easier and more fun to ride more, easier to pedal up
inclines and hills. Discovered new trails, bought a bike carrier for
my car that has helped me get out and about more, and I bike 12 blocks
downhill to a coffee shop (Caribou, Canal Park, Duluth MN USA) each
morning now, forcing me to bike uphild those 12 blocks again (steep
hill, so I zig zag coming home).

Had some problems today biking home-- chain kept sounding like it was
slipping gear every few seconds (but it was not slipping gears), I
thought I messed it up from the weight (me) on the pedals standing up
biking uphill, took a chance and bought a bike allen wrench set, carb
cleaner, spray white grease and cleaned and lubed the chain and rear
derailer good, that seemed to have fixed it (knock on wood!)-- could
have been something that simple (a dirty chain) causing that??? (the
bike is about 3 years old and has never been cleaned, tuned, or lubed
since the day I bought it).

Beowulf wrote:
stuff deleted

Had some problems today biking home-- chain kept sounding like it was
slipping gear every few seconds (but it was not slipping gears), I
thought I messed it up from the weight (me) on the pedals standing up
biking uphill, took a chance and bought a bike allen wrench set, carb
cleaner, spray white grease and cleaned and lubed the chain and rear
derailer good, that seemed to have fixed it (knock on wood!)-- could
have been something that simple (a dirty chain) causing that??? (the
bike is about 3 years old and has never been cleaned, tuned, or lubed
since the day I bought it).


after 3 years of use, you are likely due for a new chain and cassette.
it's normal, parts wear out. worn out chain and cassettes shows up as
skipping under load and phantom shifting.

do the cog teeth look at point or hooked, instead of like normal cogs-
especially on the front chainring you use the most or in the middle
ranges on the rear cluster?

also- you can measure wear on the chain- in a new chain the is one link
per inch- so 12 2 piece segments per foot. 1% elongation (sometimes
called stretch, even though the links are loose not stretched)means the
chain definitely needs to be replaced. if it's over 1% then the cassette
is likely ruined too.

assuming you don't have a special tool- measure 12 complete links- line
up on rivet in the middle of an inch mark- if the rivet in the end of
the 12th link is more than 1/16" past the inch mark, then the chain
should be replaced. if it is more than 1/8" past, then you likely have
extensive cassette wear.

see:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

mg

Marc wrote:
...
after 3 years of use, you are likely due for a new chain and cassette.
it's normal, parts wear out. worn out chain and cassettes shows up as
skipping under load and phantom shifting.
....
assuming you don't have a special tool- measure 12 complete links- line
up on rivet in the middle of an inch mark- if the rivet in the end of
the 12th link is more than 1/16" past the inch mark, then the chain
should be replaced. if it is more than 1/8" past, then you likely have
extensive cassette wear.
...

Thank you for the tips, I will check on it all when I get home (at a
Caribou coffee shop now on my laptop).

On 17 Aug 2006 13:25:44 -0700, "Beowulf" wrote:

I just want to say thank you to mountain bikes-- I have lost 33 lbs
since February, a large part from mountain biking. As the pounds come
off, it is easier and more fun to ride more, easier to pedal up
inclines and hills. Discovered new trails, bought a bike carrier for
my car that has helped me get out and about more, and I bike 12 blocks
downhill to a coffee shop (Caribou, Canal Park, Duluth MN USA) each
morning now, forcing me to bike uphild those 12 blocks again (steep
hill, so I zig zag coming home).

Congrats on the weight loss. Mountain biking is part of a life
change, you want to play hard, which makes you lose weight. I wish I
had the same success you have.



Had some problems today biking home-- chain kept sounding like it was
slipping gear every few seconds (but it was not slipping gears), I
thought I messed it up from the weight (me) on the pedals standing up
biking uphill, took a chance and bought a bike allen wrench set, carb
cleaner, spray white grease and cleaned and lubed the chain and rear
derailer good, that seemed to have fixed it (knock on wood!)-- could
have been something that simple (a dirty chain) causing that??? (the
bike is about 3 years old and has never been cleaned, tuned, or lubed
since the day I bought it).

I see from the other replies you have been informed about stretched
chains and stuck links.

Please keep us informed what happened.

later,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com