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my bike pedals itself???

Sep 26, 2005
51
0
Concord, CA
whenever i take my feet off, the cranks keep rotating and this prvents me from doing no-footers and stuff. it feels like the thing that allows me to pedal backwards (drawing a blank on what thats called right now) it feels like it is too tight like if i were to pedal backwards, the whole bike would go backwards. i've tried loosening the chain, and tightening the chain, but that doesnt work. what should i do. please help me. thanx
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
before you go buyin another hub, consiter these other 2 possiblitys:
-your chain needs to be lubed
-or you need to have a bit less chain tention.
 
Sep 26, 2005
51
0
Concord, CA
what does wonky mean?
i havent lubed my chain in a while, i'll try that, but i dont see how that would make the freewheel looser
i've de-tensioned ( :think: ) my chain quite a bit, and it hasnt changed. i had to change my tube, so i took off the wheel and i tried to spin the freewheel with my hand and it felt very tight. would like wd-40 or something make it tighter? thanx
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
sublime_mx_311 said:
what does wonky mean?
i havent lubed my chain in a while, i'll try that, but i dont see how that would make the freewheel looser
i've de-tensioned ( :think: ) my chain quite a bit, and it hasnt changed. i had to change my tube, so i took off the wheel and i tried to spin the freewheel with my hand and it felt very tight. would like wd-40 or something make it tighter? thanx
Wonky could mean dirty or it could mean broken. Either take it apart and clean and relube it or take it to the shop if you don't feel comfortable getting in there.

Basically you just need to de-wonk (unwonkify?) your hub.
 
Sep 26, 2005
51
0
Concord, CA
Tenchiro said:
Wonky could mean dirty or it could mean broken. Either take it apart and clean and relube it or take it to the shop if you don't feel comfortable getting in there.

Basically you just need to de-wonk (unwonkify?) your hub.
i know this is gonna sound REALLY noobish, but how do you get the freewheel off the hub? :o:
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
For a BMX I am not sure, but for cassette hubs there is a lockring that you need to remove with one of these;



What brand hub do you have?
 

bomberboy11

Monkey
Jul 15, 2005
665
0
At a computer...duh
"Wonky" would indeed be the word - I'm going to keep that one by the way.

My old XT hub developed this same problem. While lubing up the chain would help, it does have to do with the freewheel, and it's usually just large amounts of dirt that has been worked into it. If you can feel a lot of friction in the drivetrain when you're pedaling, it could be that your hub bearings are shot and becoming slightly eccentric and pushing into the hub body (rare, but it happens, especially with cheaper hubs with higher tolerances in their machining).
 

MDBullit

Monkey
Sep 8, 2004
273
0
Bethesda, MD
if you have a freewheel, drip chain lube into the holes you'll see on the sides. Drip some in until it overflows, then spin it a few times to work it in, repeat until the freewheel won't take in any more lube.
 

black noise

Turbo Monkey
Dec 31, 2004
1,032
0
Santa Cruz
You know: I wonky, you wonky, he/she/it wonky, wonkology: the study of wonky! It's common knowledge.

Anyways, if you have a BMX or a singlespeed this is kinda normal. I've always noticed it on BMX bikes and singlespeed mtbs, maybe it's something about the singlespeed hubs. I guess the freewheel is a little tight so it doesn't coast as freely.
 

proanti1

Chimp
Sep 24, 2005
61
0
you guys dont really seem to know bmx too well...

the "holes" on the side are not for oil, you cant even drip oil in them, they are so you can rebuild your freewheel. tighten your crank or chain so your crank cant spin super freely, but still smoothly, if your freewheel dosnt slip, than dont replace it. if you have a cassette and its locking and binding, you need a new cassette body, the cassette tool pictured above is for a mtb or road cassette, bmx cassettes use a spanner wrench to take off a large nut like thing. dont answer if you dont knod your shi+, all you do is confuse the kid.