Onza-Nick
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Posts posted by Onza-Nick
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Soooooo another update. Went out for a ride the other day and the problem remains
In fact it seems to have gotten worse!
The chain coming slack doesn't seem to be happenning anymore but the loud bang when doing pedal kicks and the skipping seems to be happenning more frequently now. I actually think it may have been 2 separate problems, the chain coming loose was down to the rear wheel and the sprocket which seems to have been rectified, but I think the skipping and noise it makes is a problem with the FFW. I've been reading more about the stock Zoot freewheels and this also seems to be quite a common problem. When I rotate the crank backwards it also feels like something is grinding as I can feel some resistance.
Any ideas what I can try next? Should I remove and strip down the freewheel and see what it looks like? Any guides anywhere on how to do this for an FFW?
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So just thought I would post a quick update on my rear sprocket troubles. Tried a number of things to try and get it of but it was so tightly jammed on there it just wouldn't budge. With no access to a bench vice, in the end I went with the suggestion from monkeyseemonkeydo and got someone handy with an angle grinder to go at it.
Worked away at the metal on both sides a bit at a time until almost through to the thread. This freed it up enough to get it moving with a hammer. Was a bit worried about damaging the threads on the hub so I wouldn't recommend doing it this way but it came off pretty unscathed.
Took delivery of my new Trialtech sprocket today which is a direct replacement and went on without any trouble. Haven't had a chance to get out for a ride yet but i'm pretty confident this should solve the problems I was having.
Just wanted to say thanks for all the help getting this problem sorted!
Nick
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Thanks for linking the vid! Problem is i'm living in a flat at the moment and don't have access to a workbench or vice. Is there any other ghetto method to get the sprocket off? Tried with a chain whip but think that's a lost cause with it screwed on so tight. If all else fails i'll have to get the local bike shop to do it but i'd rather manage it myself if I can.
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Well I feel pretty stupid now
Managed to get the rear wheel off today and this is what I found:
As you suggested Mark the contact points of the hub spacers are pretty clogged up which can't help much with them gripping the frame. However whats more worrying is I seem to be missing 3 teeth from the sprocket! Don't know why I didn't check that before.
So looks like I need to get a new rear sprocket. Any ideas how I get this one off and any suggestions on a good replacement?
Nick
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15 hours ago, Swoofty said:
I've got an '09 or '10 Zoot, the black and green one. It lives at my Mother-in-laws house in Germany so I only ride it for a month every other year or so, but I've had the same problems. It's still got the stock freewheel, which feels fine. It does have a bit of precession, but no worse than I've seen in lots of other bikes. I switched to more burly chain tugs just like you, but it didn't fully solve the problem. What I've finally decided is it's the chain trying to climb over a tooth and then slamming back into the trough because the whole rear frame is flexing during a good pedal kick. I'm sure you could film it with a higher speed camera and see it, but I'm fairly certain that's what it really is. I love how light my Zoot is, but that weight comes at a price. Even the newer Zoot Pro frames were pretty lightly built. I plan on replacing my Zoot next trip to Germany. If you figure something else out, let me know too. Otherwise I'll pass my Zoot on to a kid.
Exact same bike (mines also black and green) and same problem by the sounds of it! I also live in Germany but I can't imagine that has anything to do with it
Do you also get the KLANG noise when it happens and is the chain slack afterwards?
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On 07/02/2019 at 11:37 AM, Mark W said:
If the chain is tight, you hear this noise and then it's slack, the only cause of that will be the rear wheel. The position of your rear wheel is what dictates chain tension, so it's going to involve that.
If the chain is going loose, then your best option is to take your back wheel out, take the axle bolts and washers off and give everything a good clean. If it's been slipping in the past you might have bits of paint and metal built up on the end of the hub spacers which will stop them gripping the frame as effectively. The big thing though is to make sure you've got plenty of grease in the axle threads and on your axle bolts. Dry bolts will often feel like they're torqued up quite a lot before they really are, so putting that bit of grease on will help you get a lot more torque through them which should hold them in place. If your old tugs broke, that will usually be from the wheel shifting, so it would suggest this is a likely cause. The wheel suddenly shifting can sometimes make a noise too, incidentally.
For the freewheel, if you've got something like GT-85 you can flush the freewheel out to help perk it up a bit. Just point the tip of the nozzle into the gap between the outer shell and the centre section of the freewheel (this will be easiest with the bike upside down, and you being on the non-drive side of the bike), and as you slowly rotate the cranks backwards start spraying into it. If you've got any dirt or similar in the freewheel this can help get some of it out. From memory, the Tensile freewheels on the Zoot come with some grease in them which will slow down engagement a bit too and make them more prone to skips (as well as being a magnet for dirt/grit) - the GT-85 will help reduce the 'stickiness' of that grease a bit as well.
The chain is deffinately slack after it happens as that's why I assumed it was something to do with the weak chain tugs to begin with cos I kept having to adjust them. The problem with the old tugs was that the threaded part and the washer section where the axle bolt passes through were 2 seperate pieces, the threads kept bending where they join the washer. However these new tugs are 1 piece but it's still happenning so I guess they wern't the root cause in that case.
If I get time at the weekend i'll take the rear wheel off and have a look.
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On 07/02/2019 at 9:26 AM, Archie H said:
Stick your phone against a wall and film the drivetrain as you jump on the front pedal. Then you should be able to see what is messing up, if not, post it on here and I’m sure someone will spot what’s up. Even if you think it is the freewheel it’s worth checking to avoid wasting money on parts you don’t need.
I'll see if I can do this at the weekend if I have time and the weather isn't too bad.
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It's pretty much standard as far as I know and from what I gather the freewheel is at the front on the zoot.. This would make sense given it feels like it is slipping at the crank. I don't know what type it is through. Is there a guide somewhere about how remove and service a freewheel?
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Thanks for the response. It’s the slack chain that also made me think the rear wheel is moving but I don’t see how, especially with the new tugs. The noise it makes is also really loud which I don’t think the rear wheel would do. If it’s the freewheel is there anything I can do to fit it. Take it apart and clean it maybe or will something need replacing?
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So i've been experiencing this annoying problem for a while with my Onza Zoot which usually happens when i'm doing pedal kicks. Sometimes when I kick hard enough, rather than jumping forward there is a loud KLANG noise coming from the chain somewhere and afterwards my chain is slack. At first I thought it was something to do with the crappy chain tug bolts bending under load letting the wheel slip but i've just switched to some Gusset Kojak tugs I bought from Tarty after reading a recommendation on here and it's still doing it so it can't be that. It occured to me when it happened again the other day that it feels like it's happenning at the crank, when I put the power down maybe the crank slips but the chain doesn't move. Could that be happenning or is it something else? I don't know enough about the bike yet to understand what is happenning just from the way it feels. It's really annoying and doesn't give me any confidence in attempting moves at the moment.
So what could it be and how do I fix it?
Help appreciated!
Nick
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20 hours ago, Adam@TartyBikes said:
I've been getting a few 'niggles' like this recently (pretty much the same age as you) and after visiting a physio found it was down to muscle imbalances (either one group, or one side weaker than the other). This meant the ligaments and tendons were taking too much load. Could be worth investigating!
I actually thought I was pretty fit before starting trials, used to run a lot and do strength training on a regular basis but maybe I have some imbalances or weaknesses I wasn’t aware of. I also never really thought about my age as a factor before, maybe I need a reality check on that
18 hours ago, Lucky_Stickman said:I have been suffering with and similar thing ( now 40 ) , with pain in forearm , elbow , wrists and palm of my hand near little finger on left hand and wrist, forearm and elbow on right . I have had since beginning of October. Its taking ages to heal up but slowly getting better still going to the docs soon though.
Sounds uncomfortable, hope you see some improvement soon! What did the doc say was the cause, also tendon damage or something else? Sounds like these types of injuries don’t have a specific recovery time, can be the same for ages then heal up overnight. Have you carried on riding with the pain?
17 hours ago, Ali C said:I think the pain could be from just the body not being used to the strain and being shocked by it...Also take a look at your bike setup, it could be that your body doesn't like your bar position/angles...have a play with the tilt and even look at getting some flatter raked bars if need be.
I hope this is true and it isn’t a persistent problem that will prevent me from progressing with trials as I have been really enjoying it so far. Been watching your vlog while off the bike and it’s just been making me want to get back riding asap! With regards to bar position, what should I try to help with rear hops and pedal kicks, tilting forward or back?
16 hours ago, Lucky124 said:The nearest club is Stadtlohn http://www.trial-club.de/ with a distance from around 70km. An alternative would be looking for a motorcycle trials club or finding other riders who ride alone on facebook. I know there are clubs and riders in the Netherlands but I have no contact.
Thanks for the heads up. Just checked and Stadtlohn is 50km away from me so about an hours drive, not too bad. Are you based in Germany?
16 hours ago, Swoofty said:In addition to what Ali said, check if your grips are too hard or your front tire too high psi. Usually those will affect wrists more than elbows though. And when you do go out riding while it still hurts, don't be afraid to take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. I knew an older group of windsurfers who called them selves 'Team Advil', I understand them now very well. Good luck!
I’ve read a lot of stuff online about things to try, keep it warm, keep it cool, different stretches etc so it seems like it is more trial and error than anything else. I went out for a run last night and wore my sports bandage which has an adjustable pressure strap just to support it a bit. When I got back home it did feel noticeably better so I think there is something to keeping pressure on it. I’m going to try wearing the strap for a couple of days all the time and see if it helps. Will give the doorknob stretch a try as well. Any grips you would recommend? I wear gloves while riding so haven’t given grips much thought, just running the Zoot stock ones. PSI I run around 45 I think. Is it ok to carry on riding while it still hurts, won’t this just make it worse? I plan to always wear the bandage from now on anyway so if it’s not gonna make it worse i’d rather get back out there before the weather gets any worse.
7 hours ago, Shadytree said:If it is tennis elbow get a flexbar. They use them in physical therapy. Works great.
Will look into this thanks!
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Great stuff! Didn’t know that much about Akrigg other than the name so it’s nice to get caught up.
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I live in Emmerich, closest city in Germany is Kleve and in Holland is Arnhem. But I don’t mind throwing the bike in the back of the car and driving a bit if necessary.
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Hey guys
Been lurking here for a while so thought I would finally come say hi and to ask for some advice.
Recently bought myself a used Onza Zoot off ebay in good condition and have been having fun playing around on it over the summer working on the basics. Other than a rear brake booster it is completely stock as far as I know. I'm 34 and coming from an XC / enduro background but dabled in trials in my teens although never really got very far, however its something i've always been curious about and seem to have really caught the bug second time round. Firstly i'm just wondering if there is anyone near me who may be up for a meet? I'm from UK but now live in west Germany close to the Dutch border. Or maybe i'm better off asking in a German forum if anyone can recommend one?
Second question is a health one. I recently started working on rear wheel hops and pedal kicks and seem to have developed a problem with my right elbow from repetition. From what I gather online it is most likely tennis elbow i.e tendonitis. I've read that the only real solution is to stay of the bike and rest it as well as do regular stretching exercises until it heals. I think I must have had the problem for about a month already, I bought myself a sports bandage to wear while I ride but that doesn't seem to have helped with the pain. So i've been off the bike for about a week now and have been doing the stretches like I said but so far it does't feel much different. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem and has any other suggestions? If I don't feel any improvement this week it's off to the doc's I think. Also is there anything on the bike I could change to reduce strain on the tendon, changing the brakes maybe?
Cheers
Nick
Crank slipping on my Zoot?
in Beginners Trials Chat
Posted
So I finally got round to having a look at my freewheel. Ended up removing the crank from the bike and removing the lockring. Was pretty messy inside to I took the whole thing apart and soaked everything in wd40 to get rid of all the small bits of metal and other crap. Once it was all cleaned up I could see that a number of the engagement points on the cog have been quite well worn down so I tried to restore the worst ones using a file to regain some surface area. Regreased the bearings and put the whole thing back together. Went for a ride and I think it is actually worse now than it was before so it seems like all that effort was a lost cause.
I guess my only option now is to replace the thing. Does anyone know the exact model of the stock freewheel on the Zoot? It's made by Tensile but other than that I don't have much to go on. Is it possible to buy replacement parts for freewheels as it's really just the cog with the engagement points that needs replacing I think? Or can anyone recommend a low cost replacement that would be a direct swap?
Thanks
Nick