Let’s hear it for the top three skips: to My Lou, the queue, and work for the day. Noticeably absent is a skipping bike chain. That spells trouble. When your bike chain starts to skip, you could have problems switching gears and navigating your two-wheel chariot. 

The good news is that even though a skipping bike chain is annoying, you don’t have to be a mechanic or even a seasoned cyclist to make it right. Here are some tips for what to do when your bike chain skips:

Why Do Bicycle Chains Skip?

When your bike chain skips between gears while you’re riding, or shifts twice instead of once when you try to change gears, the most common culprit is a loose cable. Your bike cables naturally stretch over time. Most stretching happens within the first few rides after you install a new cable, but older cables stretch too far. That’s when the trouble begins. 

Without enough cable tension to properly regulate your derailleur (the part of your bike that shifts the chain from one sprocket to the next), your chain will begin to skip. 

Common Fixes for Skipping Chains

The most typical recommendation for fixing a skipping chain is to add tension to the rear derailleur. However, there may be times when you have to either shorten the chain by removing a link or swapping out the shifter cable altogether. It’s also possible that the cable is too tight. You should begin with the least intrusive repair attempt first (adding tension) and only replace parts if that doesn’t work. We’d hate to see you throw away some perfectly good cables when a 10-minute tension adjustment would have done the trick. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Put your bike in park and manually pedal forward using your hand or foot until the derailleur has been adjusted down into the smallest cog. You’ll want to double-check the shifter at this point. Press the shifter once to see if the chain moves up a gear. If nothing happens, you need more tension. 
2. Now you want to turn your barrel adjuster all the way in by twisting it away from you. Not sure where to find it? The barrel adjuster is a small part situated on the backside of your derailleur. Your cable passes through it on the way to the gear shifter. 
3. Check the shifter again to see if the chain will automatically shift to the smallest ring in the cassette. If not, keep adjusting the barrel adjuster to add tension until the bike starts shifting as it should. If this works, you’ve found the sweet spot. 
4. If you still can’t shift without skipping, visually inspect the cable. If there is too much slack, you may need to add tension. On the other hand, if it’s too tight, you could need to remove some tension. Your cable is kind of like Goldilocks.
5. Manually adjust the cable as needed. You will physically see the point where the cable exits the derailleur. There will be a tightening mechanism at the exit point (it probably looks like a bolt). Loosen it and pull the cable out to add more tension, or push it in a little bit to offer more slack. Adjust the tension as needed until your bike can successfully change gears without skipping. 
6. Check the limiting screw if you still can’t get the bike to switch gears without skipping. The limiting screw is on the top of the derailleur. Look for the screw with an “H,” which indicates that it is for the high gear (not all bikes will be labeled this way, but many are). Loosening this screw may allow the chain to reach the smallest cog and switch gears properly. 

While these steps will resolve most chain skipping issues, it is also possible that your chain itself is too stretched or that it’s just too long. You may be able to fix the problem by removing a few excess links. Or you might want to see if the entire chain has seen better days. Remember: every part of your bike, including the cable, will need to be replaced from time to time. It’s better to replace them as needed than risk a serious accident from riding on old parts. 

How to Fix a Skipping Bike Chain: New Section to Add

When Adjusting the Cable Does Not Stop the Skipping

The steps above fix skipping caused by a loose shifter cable. If your chain still skips, especially when you pedal hard or on a single speed bike, the cause is usually somewhere else in the drivetrain. Use the checks below to find it before you replace any parts.

Why Does My Bike Chain Skip When I Pedal Hard?

If the chain shifts well but jumps when you stand on the pedals, climb a hill or accelerate, suspect wear. As a chain wears, its pins and rollers loosen and the chain becomes slightly longer. Over time the teeth on the cassette and chainring wear down too, so the worn chain no longer sits properly and slips under load. Adjusting the cable will not fix this. Check whether the skipping happens only in the gears you use most, which points to a worn cog. A dirty or dry chain can cause similar symptoms, so clean and lube it first. If the chain skips once every pedal revolution, look for a stiff link that does not flex as it passes through the derailleur. A new chain on a badly worn cassette may still skip, so you may need to replace both.

How to Tell If a Bike Chain Is Stretched

A chain does not truly stretch like rubber, but wear makes it longer. There are two easy ways to check. First, use a chain wear checker, an inexpensive tool that slips into the links and shows how worn the chain is. Follow the instructions for your drivetrain, and replace the chain when the tool says it has reached its limit. Second, use a ruler. Line up the zero mark with the center of one pin, then look at the pin near the 12-inch mark. On a new chain it lines up almost exactly. If it sits about 1/16 inch past the mark, the chain is starting to wear. At about 1/8 inch, replace it. You can also try lifting the chain away from the front chainring. If it pulls far enough to show a clear gap, it is likely worn. Replacing a worn chain early protects the more expensive cassette and chainring.

Single Speed Bike Chain Skipping

Cruisers with one speed and many three-speed bikes with an internal hub have no derailleur, so cable tension is not the cause. On these bikes, skipping usually comes from a chain that is too loose or too tight, a wheel that is not straight in the frame, a worn chain and cog, or a stiff link. Look at how the chain runs from the front chainring to the rear cog. It should run in a straight line without rubbing the frame. A chain that jumps off or skips under a hard push is often too loose. A chain that feels stiff or makes a grinding noise is often too tight and wearing quickly. If the chain still skips after you correct the tension, replace the chain, and replace the rear cog too if its teeth look hooked or pointed. On a single speed bike the chain and cog wear together.

Chain Tension on a Single Speed Bike

A correctly tensioned single speed chain has a little up-and-down play, roughly half an inch in the middle of the chain run, and it should not feel tight at any point as you turn the crank. To adjust it, loosen the rear axle nuts, move the wheel back in the dropouts to tighten the chain or forward to loosen it, and keep the wheel centered in the frame. If your bike has a chain tensioner, follow its instructions instead. Tighten the axle nuts firmly, then spin the crank to check for tight spots. On a coaster brake bike, re-attach the brake arm clamp afterward. Our guide to how to tighten a chain on a single speed bike walks through each step. Need parts? Browse our parts and accessories.Single Speed Bike Chain Skipping

Once your bike chain is fixed and skip-free, you’re ready to hit the trails again. Join our Journey Club to uncover biking locations around the world and connect with other cyclists.