Help - new to bike maintenance

[full_chat]

Just ridden to work, had to stop half way due to a clonking noise, investigated and my chain seems very slack, far more so than it was last week when I washed the bike, so:
Am I safe to ride home tonight (it seemed ok on the rest of the way to work with no undue noises)?
Can I easily remedy this (either now with the onboard tool kit or at home)?
Why has it gone so slack all of a sudden?
I know it's difficult to diagnose without seeing the bike but just weighing up my options now as I'd like to get home in one journey later!
Thanks all,
Chris

[Steve_T]

Sounds like your chain is on its way out. Time for a new one and some new sprockets. You can adjust it, you'll need a paddock stand and some basic tools + a torque wrench, but I'd expect it to go slack again quite quickly and possibly have a tight spot or two.

[rsv gone!]

I take it you lubed the chain after you washed it?

[Conian]

You can get home, just take it steady and use nice smooth acceleration, no Moto GP flying starts.

You don't NEED a paddock stand to adjust a chain, a centre stand is the ideal solution, a paddock stand is handy.

I find that wedging a claw hammer under my swing arm (right side) lifts the wheel up high enough to allow it to spin/move for chain lubing and adjusting.

Have you never adjusted a chain before?

[full_chat]

Chain was lubed after washing, I have washed it dozens of times before with no issues. Maybe it's this wet weather and salt on the roads?

I've never adjusted the chain before, up until quite recently I've been doing a low mileage but since getting back from work overseas in the summer I've been using the bike for a 50 mile commute most days.

I do have the owners manual and a Haynes so they should give me some pointers, no centre stand though so now might be the time to invest in a paddock stand.

Cheers for the replies so far

[dern]

Without wishing to sound funny or anything if honestly think the chain has stretched considerably in a week and you can't see any reason for it then do yourself a favour and take it to a bike shop. Chains don't just stretch by an inch or more overnight... they can't. There's no bearings inside of the links and there's nothing else in there that could break down which would give the chain room to stretch. Another alternative therefore is that the sprockets have suddenly moved closer together and the only way that's going to happen would be if the bearing suddenly failed but if they went that badly you wouldn't be able to ride it and it would be completely obvious. The other way that this could happen is that the rear wheel adjusters have come loose and the wheel has moved towards the front of the bike but again they would be completely obvious and the bike would be nigh on unrideable. This leaves the most likely cause which is that it was just as loose the last time you washed the bike and you didn't notice. Chains clunk when you get very bad tight spots. If I had tight spots that bad and a very loose chain I'd be careful on it.

If you just want to adjust the chain then on each side you'll probably have some kind of screw which can push the wheel backwards away from the engine and this screw will be locked in place with a lock nut. Loosen the lock nuts off and then move the wheel back using the screws until the chain has the right play in it and tighten up the locknut. If you undo each side screw by the same amount (ie count the number of spanner arcs you do and do the same on the other side) the wheel will stay in the same alignment as it is now. You can do this on the side stand.

Good luck,

Mark

Edited by dern on Thursday 6th December 10:39

[phillvr6]

full_chat said:

now might be the time to invest in a paddock stand.

Get yourself an Abba Stand...Invaluable.