Bike Chain slipping on sprockets

[1AngryTaxPayer]

If you need a chain breaker go by a shop and have them undo the freewheel/cassette. Replace both the chain and cassette at the same time. Replace the chain rings if they are worn. My advice is get a chain breaker and learn how to use it. Bike shops are expensive.

Bike nashbar has good prices.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by wankel7

Unless you are turning the wrenches yourself on a bike that old it will be very very easy to have a labor / parts bill that exceeds the value of the bike.

If it is as old as you say the bike maybe worth less than $50. Which is about 1.5 hours of shop labor.

I would look at the freewheel also it could be slipping.

So what if the repair is more than the value of the bike if it were for sale? Replacing the bike would cost hundreds.

Diamondback made good bicycles. This one is probably perfectly OK and just needs a bit of a tune-up.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

97? Most likely, you will need a new chain, cassette and a large chainring - unless it is a triple, then you'll need middle chainring.

It will be a triple. 18 speed mountain bikes of this age were triple chainrings, six cogs in the rear, probably a freewheel (not a freehub/cassette).

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

It will be a triple. 18 speed mountain bikes of this age were triple chainrings, six cogs in the rear, probably a freewheel (not a freehub/cassette).

Oh duh! lol I haven's installed a freewheel since my 84 Peugeot which was 6 speed. My first MTB was considerably newer, IIRC it was a 2002, 9-spd, so my knowledge on older mtb gruppos is seriously lacking. I have been replacing cassettes on my older bikes. I just consider it a general rule, or the most likely to have to change triple versus double. I have both. This last year I just replaced chains, cassettes and chainrings on both my Serotta and Tommasini road bikes. Fortunately not my Tandem - that will be few chains. Last year's HHH was not to much fun since I had just replaced my chain right before the ride and didn't test to see if the cassette was still good, well it was worn out as well. So I put on the new cassette when I got back home and didn't check the large chainring, which was seriously shark-finned, so I still had problems.

Now, when the sales are going on, I always pick up a new chain or cassette, just to have for when the old ones start showing wear.

Being in Central Texas, do you do Hell Week?

[Lamplight]

Unless it's a pretty low end model, being a 97 it could very easily have a cassette, and most likely a 7 speed (8 speed if it's a nicer one). My first mountain bike was a 1993 entry level Mongoose and even it came with a 7 speed cassette.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Lamplight

Unless it's a pretty low end model, being a 97 it could very easily have a cassette, and most likely a 7 speed (8 speed if it's a nicer one). My first mountain bike was a 1993 entry level Mongoose and even it came with a 7 speed cassette.

If you read the original post it said the bike was 18 speed. That means it could not have a 7 speed cassette.

Yes it could have a cassette. Or a freewheel. But it has to be six cogs.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

Oh duh! lol I haven's installed a freewheel since my 84 Peugeot which was 6 speed. My first MTB was considerably newer, IIRC it was a 2002, 9-spd, so my knowledge on older mtb gruppos is seriously lacking. I have been replacing cassettes on my older bikes. I just consider it a general rule, or the most likely to have to change triple versus double. I have both. This last year I just replaced chains, cassettes and chainrings on both my Serotta and Tommasini road bikes. Fortunately not my Tandem - that will be few chains. Last year's HHH was not to much fun since I had just replaced my chain right before the ride and didn't test to see if the cassette was still good, well it was worn out as well. So I put on the new cassette when I got back home and didn't check the large chainring, which was seriously shark-finned, so I still had problems.

Now, when the sales are going on, I always pick up a new chain or cassette, just to have for when the old ones start showing wear.

Being in Central Texas, do you do Hell Week?

I don't ride much at all anymore. But I used to ride quite a bit. Love working on bikes!

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I don't ride much at all anymore. But I used to ride quite a bit. Love working on bikes!

So do I, but the tools can be so task specific (chain whip) and expensive, that it is hard to justify purchasing some of them when Richardson Bike Mart essentially backs up to my alley. As often as I change out cassettes, I need to get all the tools to do that.

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

If you read the original post it said the bike was 18 speed. That means it could not have a 7 speed cassette.

Yes it could have a cassette. Or a freewheel. But it has to be six cogs.

Ah, I didn't see that detail. Probably a freewheel, then.