Wear's the problem?
Wear's the problem?
Dave Reid
Er, no. The top gear on your bike should be able to take ‘heavy load’ without complaint. Top road sprinters such as Mark Cavendish use their highest gears, apply a very heavy load to the transmission, and would not be best pleased to find it skipping midway through the final gallop. Furthermore, the smallest sprocket generally gets little use and should wear slowly. Finally, it is unlikely you have worn out a chain in 300 miles. The most likely culprit for the symptoms you describe is poor rear derailleur adjustment. Look at the outside throw screw first – it’s typically marked with an H.
Richard Hallett
Cycle’s Technical Editor
This Q&A was published in 'Cycle' the magazine for members of Cycling UK. To contact the experts, email your technical, health, legal or policy questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cycle Q&A, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ