It happened to me yesterday during a bike ride and I don't know if I need to take it to a mechanic or if it's something I can fix myself. Does anyone know what it means when the chain skips on the sprockets?
The chain skipping on the sprockets usually means either the rear derailleur isn't adjusted properly or the chain is worn out. If this is the first time it's happening, it's probably the derailleur that needs some tweaking. Check if the rear shifter is bent (you can tell pretty easily, just see if it's straight compared to the wheel) or if it got knocked. If it's bent, that's not a DIY fix, take it to a mechanic. If everything's straight, the problem could be the cable adjustment or tension.
For a quick check you can try this: put the bike on a stand, shift to a middle gear and pedal without sitting on it. If it keeps skipping, especially in certain gears, it's almost definitely the derailleur. If it only skips in certain positions (like all the way to the right or all the way to the left), then it's the limit screws that need adjusting. Those are adjusted with the small screws on the derailleur, but if you've never done it before it's easy to mess things up. A worn chain instead has stretched links and you can see it when you look at it up close.
Honestly, if you've never messed with a derailleur, my advice is to take it to a mechanic. It costs like 20-30 euros for an adjustment and the risk of screwing everything up is high if you don't know what you're doing. Me, with 9 years of experience (even though mostly with animals, not bikes!) I know that mechanical adjustments need the right eye for detail. If it's just a matter of a worn chain though, that one you can actually change pretty easily if you have the right tool for it.
A chain that keeps slipping usually means either it's loose, or the sprockets are worn out or clogged with grease and dirt. If it's just loose, you can tighten it yourself with a wrench on the rear wheel axle - just keep it tight but not too much, it should be able to flex a little. But if the sprockets are damaged or the chain keeps slipping constantly, then you need to go to a mechanic because you might need to replace it, but in the meantime try cleaning the chain and sprockets really well with a rag and some degreaser, sometimes it's just dirt causing the problem.
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