broke my chain on the first day... now what?

[ogfeez]

It was my first day on a dirt trail (3rd day riding total) rather than the road and some occasional grass, and i was going up hill (shifted down before i got to the hill) and the gear i guess didn't change gears completely and i heard one of the loudest clunk noises ever and kinda fell of the pedals to a standing position. got my feet back on the pedal after i hand cranked it so it would finish changing gears then i continued pedaling up hill. rode about 15ft and the crank just locked up! looked down and the chain got "sucked up" in between the crank and the frame. Tried pulling it out and as i was pulling it out saw one of the links (2 on each side i guess?) on the chain popped off which is what made the chain skinny enough to get sucked up there. so i got it yanked back to normal and decide i've gotta ride it back to the cabin i was staying at. It gets stuck again, i yank it out again, and try and ride one more time. Go up this minor hill, and as i'm in mid pedal *SNAP!!!!!**** my knee slams into the shifter slices it open and my chain is a snapped. So my question is what the heck do i do now? Can i take it back to the shop i got it from and get a new chain under warranty? is it the shop paying for it or Cannondale? or Me? and there is a fair sized chunk of paint missing from my frame do i attempted to paint over that to avoid any kin d of other issues. I know aluminum is hard to rust, but anything?

[LeeMcGough]

If you are getting chain-suck that often, I suspect that your front derailleur is not set up properly. The "low" limit screw is not set right, and your derailleur is letting the chain go more inboard than it should. If the bike was built up for you at the shop, and you didn't mess with it at all, then I think you have a legitimate beef. In addition, the front derailleur might not be properly positioned. The shop should replace the chain for you, and set the shifting up properly, if they would like to keep you as a customer, that is. Is your bike a full suspension model? They are more susceptible to chain suck, and front derailleur setup is critical, as the wheelbase length changes somewhat during suspension travel, leaving you with a slacker chain at times. You may also have a bit too much chain. This, again, is especially a problem on full squish bikes.

[Mister Chow]

"Chain Suck" typically refers to a specific situation where the chain "sticks" to the small chainring and gets pulled around into the chainstay. This is usually caused by messy conditions and a worn chainring.

A misadjusted front derailleur typically just drops your chain. If you keep ghost pedalling with no drive it's possible to pull the dangling chain into the chainstay.

IMHO it sounds like you bent a link of your chain, or had a bad link. The bent link likely got hung up on your small ring and got pulled around into your frame. As soon as it bent, it was only a matter of time before it broke.

Since it was a new bike and it was a Cannondale, I assume you bought it from a Local Bike Shop. The shop should replace the chain and check for any bent teeth on your chainrings. Anything after that is up to them and you.

[ogfeez]

the bike is a cannondale f5 and i bought it brand new the way it is. So i should feel confident in calling them and asking for them to take a look at it and more than likely replacing my chain?

[althegud1srtakn]

don't call them, bring your bike to the shop in person. over the phone people are reluctant to agree to do things for you, especially if it's going to cost them. but when they're talking to someone face to face they're generally nicer about it, as long as you're nice about it.

sounds like your FD's lower limit was not set right, and the whole thing may have just been installed improperly. if their customer service is half decent they'll give you a new chain and re-adjust things so this doesn't happen again. as far as the paint goes you're probably SOL.

[Nick Verstain]

If they try to get out of setting things straight, just tell them the Dirt Rag Forum is anxious to hear how this problem was resolved. But they should take care of it without a hassle.

[BIL]

You may want to carry a chain tool and a spare Sram quick link. You can shorten the chain (you wont be able to use all of the gears) and be able to ride out of the woods.

[ogfeez]

Yeah i thought about just showing up with it like someone said, but just called them because they were real cool in the store even after i bought it so i figured it would turn out for the better. They said it happens and to call before hand to bring it in and they'd replace it. So goooo World Cup Ski and Cycle! btw Bil...... your sig is freaking hilarious. and i'm investing in some more tools this week.

[davkatreb]

I had a similar problem with this old Gary Fisher. Shitcanned the shifty bits and I ain't looked back.