How To Fix Skipped E-Bike Chain | KBO Bike
You can hear from any cyclist that an e-bike chain skipping is one of the most depressing things to happen to a biker. Still, the e-Bike is a healthy exercise and has had more people become or return to biking. Skipping bike chains can be a frustrating issue for everyone. It occurs at times when it is most inconvenient and also requiring instant attention. The chain of an electric bike, unlike electric moped, it is the bicycle’s life. If you are experiencing this problem, it is essential to understand why it is happening before you conclude what needs to be done to fix your skipping bike chain.
Bike chains can either be very simple or veery complex, depending on the performance level of such a bike. KBO bikes are quality and high-performance electric bikes. Understanding the complete anatomy of your bike and its chain is essential if you want to fix any problems with the bike. It is critical if the chain is skipping and giving you serious problems. The makeup of a bike chain consists of a set of links that are interconnected. The chain link fits accurately over the small teeth on a chainring that attaches to the bike’s pedal. The chainrings of a bike typically spin while pedaling. This spinning then put the chain in motion, ultimately making the wheel spin also. Other essential components of e-bikes that have multiple gears are the front and rear derailleurs. The derailleurs are a gearing system through which the chain of the bike passes.
It’s imperative to distinguish the type of chain skipping that you are experiencing. Doing this first will save you time in fixing it. However, it is unfortunate that when a bike chain skips, it usually brings along numerous problems and solutions. Once this happens, just trying random solutions won’t help you. It won’t take you anywhere at all. Nonetheless, a good number of the problems are easy and inexpensive problems to fix.
Having gone over the basics of an e-bike chain, we can go ahead to find out the reasons the chain of your bike skips and then see the steps you can take to fix it.
REASONS WHY YOUR BIKE CHAIN SKIPS
It is not an easy task to diagnose why your electric bike chain keeps skipping. But when you understand what causes your bike chain to skip, you will be able to narrow the spectrum of your investigation, and maybe then you can swiftly fix the problem. Below are the most common reasons why your bike chains may skip.
1. Improper Gear Shifting
Improper gear shifting does not have much to do with your bike quality, but it is closely related to how you ride your bike. Bike Gears in a bike help you to ride easier on different types of terrain. Nonetheless, when the gear shifters are changed incorrectly, it can lead to your bike chain skipping. You ought to have a good understanding of the appropriate protocol for shifting between gears for the model of your e-bike. Doing this will help you to ensure that you are taking care of your bike chain.
Chain skipping gears happens all the time, and there are many reasons for that. In this case, the chain looks like it moves on the next cog, but it doesn’t. As such, it skips between two gears frequently. Most gear-skipping problems are associated with a derailleur and can be detected during mid-gear shifting. Though there are situations where a bad derailleur adjustment is not the cause of gear skipping but an improper chain line. In such a situation, it would look like the chain only falls out of the larger cogs. It usually happens when you are pedaling backward.
2. Bad cable Adjustment
Even the best quality gear shifter cables will stretch a little in a matter of time. The stretching is not usually much but enough to mess with your derailleur adjustment. There are times that you can experience two things, even for just one full gear. You could be missing one gear if your cable is too tight or loose. Additionally, you can have a situation where the chain feels like it is consistently trying to shift into gear, but it can’t. When these happen, they result in skipping on the cog and make the bike difficult to ride.
The cable can be adjusted by going to the lowest cog and then adjusting the cable tension until it shifts to the 2nd cog with no problems. You can further fine-tune this by checking if the chain and the cogs next to it are parallel to each other. You can keep doing this till you get an excellent shifting performance. Some limit-screws block the derailleur from pulling the chain out of cogs. These screws should be checked. Not adjusting the screws can get your chain stuck, thereby destroying your derailleur.
Sometimes, adjusting the tension on the cable does not make any difference.
Cables usually rust over time, and this is normal. Removing them regularly and applying some chain oil usually prevents them from getting stuck again, especially if it is done often. However, if they get stuck, you can do this with chain oil to make them move a bit better. Although this won’t give you the perfect outcomes, it will surely get your bike working well until you can purchase new cables change them.
3. Bicycle Chain Skips Over Teeth
There is a much severe problem, and this is when a chain begins to skip over teeth. This means that the chain won’t fit in the cog. The chain skips over teeth anytime there is pressure applied on the pedals. This is common when the bike is riding uphill because the chain is tightened the most during this period. The pedals will start to drop when stepped on, and riding uphill will be near impossible. Another danger is that you might get hurt or even fall from the bike when this happens.
4. Damaged Parts
When there is damage to the bike chain, chainring, or derailleur, the bike chain can easily be affected and begins to skip. It is very crucial to always inspect these parts of your bike. Particularly anything and everything that comes in contact with the bike chain—so that you can diagnose the problem or possibly rule it out.
5. Chain Length
Bike chains are very specific in length according to each bike model. Having a bike chain that is either too tight or too long would make the bike chain slip from the chainring easily.
STEPS TO FIX SKIPPING CHAINS
Some people see fixing a skipping bike chain as a tedious task. It even appears like one that should be left for a professional to do. Nonetheless, if your bike chain always slips, you can always follow a step-by-step guide that can help you identify the problem with your bike chain and fixing it. If you do this effectively, you can rest assured that your bike chain will not skip anymore. Below are six easy steps that you can follow to fix your skipping bike chains.
Step 1:
When your bike is parked, begin to pedal your bike manually while carefully shifting the gears. Get your chain on the smallest ring in the rear and one of the largest rings in the front. Doing this will allow you to inspect and replace the chain, if necessary. When you are in this position, try shifting the gear again. If you do this and your chain still fails to shift, you will probably need to apply more tension to the bike chain.
Step 2:
You should now take a look at the back of your derailleur. There you will see a small part of it, through which the cable is passing to get to the derailleur. That small part is the barrel adjuster. You should twist that part away from you.
Step 3:
After you have done that, return to the shifter. While still maintaining the bike in that stationary position, try shifting again. At this point, you should be able to shift the gear to the smallest ring in the cassette. If you are still unable to do so, you will require even more tension on the chain. Then return to the barrel adjuster and twist it all the way more.
Step 4:
If the skipping does not stop after the first three steps, then you have to inspect the chain more, very carefully. Look for any imperfections. Check if the chain looks rusty, old and worn, too loose, or too tight. All these are the things that could influence the ability of the chain to perform its function. You might need to replace the chain or the cassette if you find defects in them.
Step 5:
Possibly, the cable might need to be tightened or loosened. Check the derailleur once more and look for the end of the cable. Be sure the cable is held in place by a small part that looks just like a bolt. This bolt is what needs to be adjusted to affect the tightening or loosening of the cable. At this point, try shifting again to check if the chain is still skipping.
Step 6:
If the skipping persists after trying all the steps above, locate the limiting screw on top of the derailleur. It is often tagged with the letter. ‘H’ If this screw is too tight, it will stop the chain from shifting to the smallest ring, thereby causing your chain skipping problem. Try to loosen the limiting screw and then shift the gear again. You should be able to shift your gear properly without your bike chain skipping.
Although bike chain skipping can be a nagging problem, it can be resolved by first identifying the cause of the problem. Then analyze gear shifting tendencies, check the damaged parts, check the chainage, and even the length of the chain. Once you have diagnosed the problem, follow the steps above to get back to riding as soon as possible.
