Why is a derailed chain dangerous?
A derailed chain can be dangerous under conditions such as the aforementioned downhill rider; the chain became offline without the riders knowledge – he applies power to the pedals and due to the chain not having any resistance, the rider is typically ejected off the bike. A derailed chain can also cause major damage by jumping between the cassette body and the spokes, thereby sometimes effectively locking the wheel from any forward movement and the rider again being ejected off the bike. [ Back to top ] Q-08 What is chaingrowth? Within the context of the bicycle drivetrain, no physical chaingrowth takes place; the term merely implies that under certain circumstances the distance between the rear cassette and main chain ring up front can change. One example is the use of derailer based drivetrains combined with rear suspensions. This problem is further exaggerated by having multiple gears in the front and at the rear wheel; a slack chain will cause problems as it will no longer allow f
