Rear Mech Sounds Loud and Ratchety...

[Maz]

My rear mech sounds really ratchety of late.
We all 'know' our bikes and the sounds they make when 'unhealthy'.
It sounds really clanky to me when I turn the crank/pedals. Any suggestions? Possibly clean the chain - roads been mucky lately. What about the cable adjuster on the rear mech? The loud CLANK is my phone smacking the spokes, btw...

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[Gerry Attrick]

What are you doing to your bike recently Maz? OK, I know, riding it!

It is difficult to be certain from the vid, but just try unscrewing the cable adjuster behind the mech by no more than half a turn. Does that improve things or not?

 

[Maz]

What are you doing to your bike recently Maz? OK, I know, riding it!

It is difficult to be certain from the vid, but just try unscrewing the cable adjuster behind the mech by no more than half a turn. Does that improve things or not?

I think it's screaming out for some TLC. This evening I was on the 70-dual carriageway when I changed from small to big chainring and the chain decided to come off. Had to get on the grass verge sharpish to put the chain back on.

I dunno, Gerry. I did put the cable adjuster through its full range anti/clockwise. At the full anticlockwise position the ratchety sound was god-awful and the chain skipped a bit. The adjuster is now at its 'quietest' position, which is not all that quiet.

I need to clean the crap off the chain for starters.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

A mucky chain/mech/cassette will sound rattly. Give all a good clean and lube and see how that goes. Hope you haven't lost the original mech setting!

If you still have problems, post back.

 

[fixedfixer]

+1 to above.

1) check for wear in chain/sprockets and those pesky little jockey wheels on the rear mech. Slight play in the top jockey is ok but a worn jockey that wobbles all over the place will never line up the chain with the corect sprocket.
2) Good clean (I mean so it looks like new)
3) check the cable to the rear mech is free moving. If not lube or replace.

Now Google for Indexing your make of gears - there is a difference between campag and shimano as to which sprockets are used for the fine tune with that adjuster on the rear derailleur. You said you'd twiddled the adjuster from one extreme to the other so it is almost certainly no longer indexed correctly. Adjust by only one click (or 1/8th of a turn) at a time on the adjuster - it is that fine an adjustment that you're making.

 

[asterix]

I think it's screaming out for some TLC. This evening I was on the 70-dual carriageway when I changed from small to big chainring and the chain decided to come off. Had to get on the grass verge sharpish to put the chain back on.

I dunno, Gerry. I did put the cable adjuster through its full range anti/clockwise. At the full anticlockwise position the ratchety sound was god-awful and the chain skipped a bit. The adjuster is now at its 'quietest' position, which is not all that quiet.

I need to clean the crap off the chain for starters.

With care it is possible to get the chain back on whilst still cycling. Just move the front mech carefully inwards whilst slowly pedalling with no force on the cranks. Easier in daylight without traffic of course.

And you probably have a load of crudd on the jockey wheels, just for starters.