keeps going round ...never seen the likes..

[gmcn1965]

hello people,
hello from snowy crawley - 12 inches here at the mo' and pretty exciting on my pushie!
it's actually easier to go through the fresh snow - a big buzz for a 45 year old, haha!!
but last night i went to get the bike from the station and coming back the chain was spinning with no movement at the back wheel.
i have never experienced this before - does it mean i need a new derailleur??
i also have a bit of a prob with an old chain slipping, but this is new .
any advice pls peeps?
george

 

[2Loose]

Sounds like your freehub is frozen so that the pawls are not springing out to grip the wheel hub.
I would guess a warm up will see it right as rain...

 

[gmcn1965]

freehubs and pawls? i used to think i knew summat...can you explain what i might need to do if it persists, 2loose?

 

[PpPete]

New freehub required (or new freehweel if not a cassette type) In theory can be dis-assembled and regreased, in practice not worth doing.

 

[biggs682]

could always wait and see it unfreezes

 

[gbb]

Because of the cold, as 2losse says, the freehub will be frozen. Chances are, once it frees, it'll be ok...can you get anything warm on it ? warm water...pee (Zinns roadbike maintenance book suggested it, not me )

If the chains been slipping, chances are it was the same thing. One of my bikes had a sticky freehub, especially when starting off. It went through a phase then stopped. 3 years later, it had never recurred.

 

[gbb]

BTW George, if its not obvious, the freehub is the ratchet mechanism that sits on your back wheel and the cassette slides onto it.
On older bikes, it may have a freewheel, particually if its a 7 speed or less. On those, the pawls are built into the gear cluster itself. The same principle applies though, the pawls (ratchets) get stuck.

 

[briank]

You know how when you back pedal - bike stationary - there's a clicking or ticking sound? That's the freewheel working. Try it now. If there's no sound at all, it's frozen.

 

[gmcn1965]

thanks all ,
especially gbb - never in my life have i had somebody suggest to me that i can repair summat by pissing on it - charming!!
haha !!! i'm off to the local fetish club now, a club for lonely pushbikes with a secret bent,,,,
thanks again, all,
george