The gears on my bike keep slipping, and it's really annoying me. About every two feet, it sounds like the chain is changing gears (though I'm not), the pedals slip, and my foot falls off the pedal. It used to happen just going up hills, now it's happening all the time. And if it's relevant to why this is happening, when I push the pedals backwards, they no longer catch and stay when I let go--they fall forward. I really know nothing about bikes, so I'm not sure if I'm explaining this right. Help? I love biking, but this is really getting on my nerves.
2013-09-21T19:06:14Z
The bike used to be my younger sister's; she crashed it into a tree about ten years ago and never rode it again. Not sure if that has anything to do with this problem.
2013-09-22T15:32:10Z
The details are vague because, as stated above, I know nothing about bikes. All I know is when you push the pedals, it goes forward. When you brake, it stops. This is the problem to the best of my ability to describe it. If I could describe it better, I'd know what was going on and could fix it without asking online for help.
OldHippie2013-09-22T07:00:23Z
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Have you tried adjusting the cable tension on the rear derailleur? Simply find the barrel nut adjuster & turn counter-clockwise a turn or two at a time until the gears shift smoothly again. See link from Park Tool.
Your description of the problem is pretty vague. There are several things that could be going on with your bike. It could be a simple derailleur adjustment, It could be your freewheel or cassette body going bad, or it could be chain and cassette wear. Or for that matter it could be something else if your bike has internal hub gearing. Like many people asking questions here, you provide NO details about your bike, the make, model, or even what type of bike it is. With so little information, your best course is to either add a lot more information about the bike or take it to a bike shop and have it looked at by a competent bike mechanic
Sounds like the pawls inside the cassette are not working. Take the bike and lean it up against a tree or something. Take some WD-40 and spay it at the inside of the cassette not the chain. Pedal backwards slowly and spay some more. It should do the trick. Do not use WD-40 on the chain it will remove the lube. You want to wipe the chain dry with a clean rag and lube it with a chain oil.
Sounds like your derailleur needs adjusting....either the cable tension or the high/low screws. The description of the problem is vague like the others said so it isnt easy to say. I'd say take it to your local bike shop, tell them the problem, and they can tune your real derailleur in 2-5 minutes for just a few bucks.
Well, your admission that you don't know anything about bikes is commendable. Even some answerers on here fit that description yet the still peddle their solutions.
Take the bike to a shop. They can determine the problem in a few minutes and offer you options.
Don't worry, they won't bite... not more than once.