My rear wheel locked up on a bridge downtown and I almost went over the side

I was crossing the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland last Tuesday when my chain jammed between the cassette and spokes. Pedal just stopped moving mid stride and I had to fishtail to the railing to keep from tipping. Turns out a loose spoke had bent inward and grabbed the chain. Took me 20 minutes on the bridge path with a multitool to pry it loose and true the wheel enough to roll. Anyone else ever have a wheel suddenly seize up like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_wilson15d ago

That chain jammed between the cassette and spokes" is exactly what happened to me last year on a busy street. I started carrying a tiny spoke wrench on my keychain after that, it's saved me twice since then. Also check your derailleur limit screws if you haven't, a slightly bent hanger can let the chain wander into the spokes too.

angela89014d ago

Three times now I've had a chain jam and a spoke wrench wouldn't have helped at all because the chain was twisted so bad it took a pair of pliers and ten minutes of sweating to get it out. I think people oversell those little tools, they only work if the jam is super mild.