A Bent Chain Problem

Stuart Sacks is bending chain after only a few rides on a regular basis and this is costing him money and worry. He wants to know if it is a chain ring problem and how to check it

Question:

My chains keep getting bent after only a few rides. Is this a chain ring problem?

Hi Stuart,

I would guess not, but you need to check a couple of things, first slip the chain off the chain rings and sit it out of the way on the top of the bottom bracket being careful not to scratch the frame. Then spin the cranks while looking down on the chain rings and see if they are nice and flat and not weaving from side to side as they spin.

Next you need to look at the teeth of the chain rings, check if any of the teeth are sticking out or in, they should be in line. If all is straight then you should take a good look at the cassette and make sure that none of the sprockets are damaged or not bent and that the teeth are good.

If you are changing sharply from one gear across many gears this can put a lot of sideways stress on the chain and should be avoided. Also never use the outside chain wheel and the inside cassette sprocket or the other way the inside chain wheel and the outside sprocket as this twists the chain too much and will damage it. Are you using the correct chain for your cassette, you should always use a 9 speed chain on a 9 speed cassette and never try a 10 speed or 8 speed on a 9 speed etc.

TOP TIP: Never use the gears that cause the chain to cross from large chain wheel to small sprocket or small chain wheel to large sprocket.