[hardrock_kid]

OK, here are my questions....these just stem from my ride today....as I was wondering why these things are happening and how to fix them:

1) When taking the bike over a sweet jump, the front slams down and it feels like it is hitting the rim. The tires are pumped up pretty hard...is this the front shoxs fault...how do you adjust the front to be stiffer. My bike is a Hardrock comp disc 05'

2) My chain hits the metal piece on the front derailleur, how can I quiet it down without interfering with the action of the equipment? It would be nice to have a nice quiet bike, Im sick of all the rattling of the chain.

Thanks guys!

 

[nachomc]

1. Two things here. Have you adjusted the sag (by adjusting the preload on your shock)? There should be a knob on the top of one of the stanchions, probably the right side, that will modify the preload of the spring in the fork. What you want to do is put a zip tie around the stanchion of the fork, put the zip tie to the bottom of the stanchion, sit on the bike (don't bounce around) while it is stationary, get off and measure how far up the zip-tie is from the bottom of the stanchion. You want about 1/4". This is called the sag. If you have more than 1/4" the preload is too soft and could be causing the bottoming. Secondly, if the preload isn't your issue, how much do you weigh? You could simply be too heavy for the spring in the fork. You could fix this by ordering a more heavy-duty spring from the fork manufacturer.

2. Two things here also. First, make sure you have your chain in the large chainring. You want the slack in the chain to be taken up by having it over the taller gears to prevent the chain from banging around on your chainstay. The second thing is to get a chainstay protector. I think you should do this anyway, especially because the Lizard Skin chainstay protectors are excellent and run about $11.

 

[fred-da-trog]

............
2) My chain hits the metal piece on the front derailleur, how can I quiet it down without interfering with the action of the equipment? It would be nice to have a nice quiet bike, Im sick of all the rattling of the chain.

Thanks guys!

If your noise is from the chain rubbing on the front derailer cage, it could be from crosschaining or out of adjustment.

I'm slow and lazy on the keypad. All you need to know here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/ Click on "Gears & Drivetrain"

 

[cooldudethatate]

it means your botoming out get a shock pump or go to your local bike shop and check out the recomendded pressure for your fork a bike shop will let you do it for free.

 

[nachomc]

it means your botoming out get a shock pump or go to your local bike shop and check out the recomendded pressure for your fork a bike shop will let you do it for free.

The hardrock doesn't have an air-sprung fork, so a shock pump isn't going to do much for him.

 

[ricocpa]

You want the slack in the chain to be taken up by having it over the taller gears to prevent the chain from banging around on your chainstay. The second thing is to get a chainstay protector. I think you should do this anyway, especially because the Lizard Skin chainstay protectors are excellent and run about $11.

Also, if you have an old bike tire or grips you can zip tie them to the frame also.

Here is a link to the LizardSkins that nachomc mentioned above.

http://lizardskins.com/products/?type=mountain&product_line=chainstays&PHPSESSID=e66d071528df582f7e0e37f96552a6ad

 

[hardrock_kid]

thanks guys for all of your help. However, the chain is not rubbing on the derailer cage, it is bouncing off of it creating noise when ever there is a bump or excessive shaking of the frame.

I have to get my front brake fixed at the bike shop, so I will just ask them what the hell is going on.

Thanks for all of your help guys.

 

[nachomc]

thanks guys for all of your help. However, the chain is not rubbing on the derailer cage, it is bouncing off of it creating noise when ever there is a bump or excessive shaking of the frame.

I have to get my front brake fixed at the bike shop, so I will just ask them what the hell is going on.

Thanks for all of your help guys.

I'm not understanding how it's bouncing off the derailleur cage. It really does sound like you're getting chain slap, which is where the chain will bounce off the chainstay over bumpy terrain (basically chainslap is when the chain does what you're describing over the type of terrain you describe).

 

[JonathanGennick]

It really does sound like you're getting chain slap, which is where the chain will bounce off the chainstay over bumpy terrain (basically chainslap is when the chain does what you're describing over the type of terrain you describe).

Hard to see chain slap while your busy riding. If you want to get an idea of what's happening when you ride, just pick the back end of your bike up about 8-12 inches, and then drop it back onto the hard ground. Watch what happens w/the chain and rear derailler.

 

[hardrock_kid]

I have done the drop trick several times, and have narrowed it down to the chain hitting the derailer cage. I am bringing it in today, so they will tell me what is going on. Maybe the chain is too loose? It is sagging to much, or the cage is out of place? Could be any # of things.