Chain or rear freewheel/cassette/axle slipping?

[the other Steve Dennis]

Hi All

Time for me to show my ignorance around simple technical matters - anyone able to help, before I head to the LBS to embarrass myself.

Basically it's my wife's very old mtb clunker which we use when riding with our daughter. It has been mistreated for years. Last year I cleaned it up and may have put a new chain on it and all was well. But on the last few rides the chain has been slipping - seriously. When you start riding you can be spinning the cranks for way too long before the chain picks up any tension and starts turning the rear axle. It's ok whilst riding and changing gears but every time you freewheel or stop it just loses all tension. The rear derailleur jockey pulley stays in the 'wrong position'.

I think if it was caused by the chain or worn cogs the the chain would still pull the axle and ocassionally skip. This seems to be more about the jockey pulley or the cassette itself. Any thoughts?

To be honest I haven't attempted anything yet and cleaning may well work wonders but I thought I might get some gentle pointers in the right direction.
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I need to embrace the thought of being the guy who has takes a beaten up clunker into the LBS and says "Fix this and I will not apologise about it's neglect - blame my wife!"
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Thanks all

Steve

[Phil H]

I had this happen on my cheap MTB. Cr@p in the freehub (do not ask "How often do I have to do that?) stopped the thing engaging properly. I put a new freehub on and all was well.

If you don't have the tools (cassette removal tool, suitable spanners for bearings) or don't feel like adjusting bearings, I would've though the LBS wouldn't charge much - it only took me 15 minutes and I don't know what I'm doing.

[Alex S]

If its a freewheel its unlikely to be the wheel, so obvious choice is to get a new freewheel (£20 parts, negligible labour cost)
if its a cassette, its unlikely to be the cassette, so obvious choice is to get a new freehub body (around £25 part + labour ~£15-£20) or new wheel.

Cassettes attach by slipping over a freehub body (google for pics), identified by having a lock-ring. A freewheel is one big block with all the cogs that screws onto the wheel. Cheap bikes (<£200) normally have freewheels rather than cassettes.

[the other Steve Dennis]

You know I still haven't looked at the bike since posting this - but it is an old cheap one so until I look I concur that it will be a freewheel and will head over to the LBS soon - the cheapo one not the snazzy racer ones.

Thanks for your advice guys - very helpful.

Cheers,

Steve