Why does my derailleur click

Hairline cracks in carbon frames can be especially hard to find. Could not find anything wrong. The noise was less, but still there. The guy rode the bike one time after we gave it back to him, and the head tube separated from the top tube after he rode over a speedbump. Cracks can be hard to find with the naked eye. Of course, not every shop has that ability, but some companies that repair carbon frames also offer frame inspections, like Ruckus Composites in Portland, Oregon.

Bikes and Gear. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Are Wider Tires Always Faster? Amy Wolff. Component: Chain Noise: Squeaking, Rattling. Related Story. Wipe down the grit off the seatpost. Apply grease or fiber grip and reinsert the seatpost. Muc-Off amazon. High Performance Bicycle Grease. Park Tool amazon. Adjustable Torque Driver Nm. No wonder, then, that so many bicycle maintenance issues come down to chain integrity.

There are many reasons why your chain might be making noise, jumping around, or causing excessive vibration. Yeah, this is probably the reason.

Chains stretch over time , which causes them to move around more, both horizontally and laterally. In the shop, we use something called a chain wear tool to check for this; it measures the gap between your links. This chain wear tool by Park Tools is good and inexpensive. Note : a squeaky, clicking chain can also be caused by not regularly oiling your chain. So oil your chain! A misaligned chain is another common woe. It happens easily: your spacers might be poorly placed, you might have the wrong sized wheels, sprockets or chainrings.

Or this is common your rear wheel might not be centered. Ideally, your chain should have a nice, straight path from rear sprocket to chainring. On geared bikes, derailleurs push and pull the chain into gear.

A poorly adjusted derailleur is an incredibly common reason for chain clicking and jumping. Most shifters and derailleurs use a cable to adjust the gears.

However, if that cable is too tight or too loose, the chain will want to jump out of gear. Shifter-derailleur balance is a fine art, so I recommend bringing it to your local bike shop for adjustment.

Components like sprockets and chain rings do wear out. Unfortunately, replacement is your only real option here. Other bits and pieces that can wear out are: sprockets, derailleurs, shifters, and cranksets. Once broken or worn down, no amount of adjustment will fix the problem. When your bike chain gets dry and rusty, moving the bike becomes harder.

Most times, this is the reason why the bike chain keeps clicking and making an obnoxious noise. A new chain fits perfectly in the sprocket so you do not hear a thing.

But over time, the gap widens and you can hear the chain clatter around as you pedal. Apart from that, a worn-out chain can damage your chainrings and sprockets as well. Your chain may be misaligned because of poor placement of spacers, wrong sized wheels, chainrings or sprockets, or the rear wheel might not be centered.

In an ideal situation, the chain works with a straight path from rear sprocket to chain ring. Chains have a little flex so there is some grace involved, but it can wear down other components as well, if it gets too far. This causes the chain to click and jump. On geared bikes, the derailleurs are responsible for pushing and pulling the chain into gear.

When it is poorly adjusted, the chain keeps clicking and jumping. Most derailleurs and shifters depend on a cable for adjusting the gear. This can make the chain jump out of gear if the cable is too tight or too loose. Even if you have a worn-out shifter cable, it can be fixed with a tune-up.

However, shifter-derailleur balance is not an easy task, so you must take your bicycle to a local bike shop for adjustment.

Some of the components on your bicycle might be damaged and fixing it costs a few bucks. This includes worn-out chainrings or sprockets. You need to switch to replacement when a chainring gets to the point where it cannot fully grip the chain anymore. Some other parts that can potentially wear out are derailleurs, sprockets, shifters, and cranksets.

There is no quick fix if any of these are broken or worn-out.