Even with approved riding practices and routine maintenance, the gears of the mountain bike will slowly deteriorate due to chain shifting. If your chain begins to slip, the teeth of your rear cassette sprockets may be worn or damaged. To determine the condition of your gears, remove the cogset from the rear wheel of the mountain bike. According to MTB Tips, the mountain bike is equipped with a quick-release lever that allows you to easily remove the rear wheel from the corresponding dropouts.
Step 1
Lift the seat post of your mountain bike into the clamp of a repair stand. Lower the clamp arm to secure the mountain bike in place. Rotate your pedals forward while shifting the chain to the smallest sprocket.
Step 2
Unhook the brake cable if your bike features rim brakes. Lift the quick-release lever located in the center of the rear wheel. Pull the wheel axle from the rear dropouts of the mountain bike.
Step 3
Lift the chain from the smallest sprocket. Pull the gear cluster off the center of the rear MTB wheel. Examine the cogs at the middle of the cassette as you use these most frequently.
Step 4
Measure the spacing of the cog teeth with a tape measure to conclude if they've been stretched. Identify cog teeth that feature a hooked shape as these could cause the MTB chain to skip. Wrap a new chain around the smallest sprocket to test the wear.
Step 5
Repeat the process with each of the sprockets located in the gear cluster. Replace the cog if the new chain does not fit flat against the teeth.
Things You'll Need
- Repair stand
- Measuring tape
- New chain
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