Kinking chain?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by wolter
I'm relatively new to cycling, so this may seem like an easy one to most here ...

My chain kinks when back pedaling. It just started doing this today. Any ideas why?

Thanks

Corosion, or tight link(s).
You can try to flex the chain sideways by the "kinK" and in fact this flexing can also help work in some oil.
However, there may be sufficient damage that it may be time for a new chain.

There are two options I can think of.

If you took apart the chain recently and used a chain ponse (Dutch word) tool in order to fit it together there can be a kink while pedaling backward. This is due to the obstruction of the chain running through the sprocket and derailleur. Remedy: find the place of the kink and bend the chain strongly in two directions sideways.

The other option is that something in eigther your sprocket wheel or your derailleur is obstructing the chain from running through without too much friction. Maybe your sprocket wheel is stuck?

Check if you have this problem on all gears. I might be over looking other options.

Regards, Frank.

Thank you all for the ideas.

I found the problem, after shining some good light on the subject. The chain itself was damaged.

So, I replaced it (and the cassette too) and all works fine! The "flex the chain sideways" technique helped to loosen the tight link after installing. I learned quite a bit by installing both the chain and cassette myself -- it was much easier than I had thought.

Again, thank you all!