Clicking noise in low gears?

wuzziwig

I've a clicking noise on my bike when I go into the lowest gears on the rear cog (probably the bottom 3). It's driving me mad. I've left the bike into my LBS and they tightened the cables and checked that the derailleur wasn't bent or damaged. It was sorted for a few spins but it started again on Monday. The lower gears were also slipping a lot when changing into them. I've actually sold the bike to a friend of mine so I'd like to get it sorted before handing it over. Any ideas what could be causing it?

WillyFXP

wuzziwig wrote: »

I've a clicking noise on my bike when I go into the lowest gears on the rear cog (probably the bottom 3). It's driving me mad. I've left the bike into my LBS and they tightened the cables and checked that the derailleur wasn't bent or damaged. It was sorted for a few spins but it started again on Monday. The lower gears were also slipping a lot when changing into them. I've actually sold the bike to a friend of mine so I'd like to get it sorted before handing it over. Any ideas what could be causing it?

What groupset is on the bike? Some Shimano levers have a trim function for the front derailleur to stop the chain rubbing when on small front ring and lower rear cogs. You push in one click, that slightly moves the front derailleur out but doesn't change up to the big chainring, just moves it away from the chain. Not sure if other groupsets have this function.

If that's not the issue then it just sounds like a badly adjusted rear derailleur.

diomed

Try this
Using the gear levers on the handlebars put the chain on the big chainwheel at the front, then put the chain on the middle cassette on the rear (if you have 8 sprockets on the rear put it on 4 or 5).
Hold the bike off the ground and turn the pedals. It probably sounds rattly at the cassette. Turn the small black adjusting knob that is on the small black curved cable that goes into the derailleur a quarter turn one way. Does the noise go away when you turn the pedals? If the noise is less turn it another quarter turn again until the noise is gone. If the noise was getting louder do quarter turns in the opposite direction until the noise goes.
If the nose is gone try moving the chain onto adjacent sprockets, turn the pedals and see if the noise is gone. Adjust again if needed.

This "chain slipping across the rear cassettes" happens a lot with new bikes as the gear change cable stretches in the first 100 km with use (or if a new cable was fitted).

wuzziwig

WillyFXP, I didn't know TBH. So I had to google and it says Shimano Claris. I'm not too well up on bike components!!

Diomed, thanks for that. I'll try it later and see if that sorts it.

The bike isn't new. It's over a year old and has plenty mileage in it.

ETA this is the bike I have: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/avail.5/14849/66157/

codrulz

I had the same issue and found that the reason for the clicking was due to the chain not being perfectly aligned, this video explains it well and shows you how to fix the issue. http://youtu.be/Bbk5RcH0bbQ