Bike chain that keeps popping

[Perkascene]

Flip the bike upside down onto it's handlebars. Loosen the nuts on the axle so it moves freely in the dropouts. Pull back on the wheel so the chain gets as tight as you can get it. Once it's tight, re-tighten the nuts on the axle. Chain should have tension, problem should be solved. If that doesn't work, you can get chain tensioners.

http://www.danscomp.com/products.php...hainTensioners

[JCWohlschlag]

As well as making sure the chain has proper tension, check to make sure both the chainwheel (front sprocket) and the freewheel (rear ratcheting sprocket) don’t have any bent or worn teeth. Examine the chain itself to make sure that none of the inner link plates are bent or kinked. Also make sure the chain is oriented correctly; some chains use link plates that are notched deeper on (what is supposed to be) the inside of the chain, and I have seen some of these become a pain in the ass if someone reverses it so the deeper notches are on the outside.

[Bmarshall91]

COULD IT BE A BLOWN GASKET? hahahaha...

sorry couldn't resist! IANABE (I am not a bicycle expert.) sorry!

[ehidle]

There are a few things that can cause the chain to jump off of a single-speed bike.

1) The chain is too loose - a loose chain can easily jump off of either the chainring in the front or the sprocket in the rear

2) The chain is worn - A worn out chain will pop up and off of a gear because, over time, chains stretch out and the links become too long to fit properly around the gears.

3) The chainrings/sprockets are worn - this is commonly called "Chain Suck." It's when the chainring in the front gets so worn that the gear teeth become slightly concave in the front, and hold the chain links captive. Eventually the chain links snap out of the teeth, and that can cause the chain to literally fly off the chainring

4) The rear wheel is not straight - if the wheel is not straight, the rear sprocket will not line up properly with the chainring. The chainring and sprocket should be coplanar - meaning they are not only lined up in the same direction, but do not have any side to side offset relative to each other.

#4 is your most likely culprit I think. Just loosen the bolts on either side (BMX bike typically do not have quick-release skewers) and realign the wheel, then carefully tighten the bolts. When you tighten them, they can have the tendency to walk along the dropout, causing the wheel to go out of alignment again. You might have to hold the wheel steady as you tighten the bolts.

[shefearsnothing]

Ok you guys um...did I mention that I probably know more about plumbing then I do about bikes? (and you don't want to know how much we've paid plumbers over the years. LOL) I will pass this info on to my husband and my son and maybe one of them can figure it out. Thank you for all the info.

BTW, if it makes ANY difference at all or helps with diffinitive (sp?) diagnosis, he said it is coming off in the back first.

Thanks again.

[ehidle]

BTW, if it makes ANY difference at all or helps with diffinitive (sp?) diagnosis, he said it is coming off in the back first.

Thanks again.

Also points to #4 - rear wheel is misaligned.

It's a piece of cake to fix...

[Exbiker]

Loose chain, or not aligned, or kinked chain and last messed up teeth on either front or rear sprocket. Anyway it an easy fix.

[xXWildPonyXx]

some advice that is frequently given out about stubborn woman on this forum might also work here. But, have you tried hitting it?

[shefearsnothing]

No I have not tried hitting it. I try to do those things in private because that's not one of those coping skills I want my kids to learn from me.

[tdyoung58]

it's a bmx style bike. does that help? pops as in comes off...sorry, this feels like the truck all over again. I wasn't using the bike I swear!!!

Just bring it by my house, I'll take care of it for ya

You can have tea with "A" while I'm wasting 4 minutes doing it... LOL