Chain kink (help)

So, just swapped out my rear tire... and found this absolute mess...

Kind of like this, except there's only one...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oqHWdXqFvs...0/DSC02549.JPG

Any advice? I'm all ears.😁

So, did your chain snap or something?

I ran into the exact same headache once, though that was back when I was riding those cheap bikes from Walmart ($167—honestly, I have no idea why I went with the budget ones).
Anyway, try widening that loop (the "knot") just a bit so it’s larger; that should help loosen things up. Before you do that, though, slide the rear derailleur—you know, the tensioner—forward to give the chain some extra slack.
If that doesn't do the trick, maybe pull the wheel off and try widening that knot again. Since everything is squeezed so tight right now, you basically need to create some breathing room between the links.

Basically, you flipped the chain. You put the front section where the back should be, so everything’s pointing the wrong way. It's a mess. Honestly, just grab a chain breaker from Harbor Freight and do it right—take it apart and reassemble it properly.

Take the tire off and try again.... just make sure you don't misalign the chain this time

thanks for the input, everyone

been grinding on this Gordian knot crap for two hours now,,big loops, small loops... all of it... and the only thing I’ve managed to do is get some damn paint all over my face and hands...

honestly feels like my only option left is to just break the chain..

So you couldn't even get it untangled after taking the wheel off?
Keep at it, man. You’ve gotta make it happen. It shouldn't be that hard to unknot once you get in there—just don't be afraid to put some muscle into it.

I honestly have no clue how this even happened.
I was stripping down the chain, popping off the wheel, putting everything back together—no issues at all, zero experience required... I just don't get how things could have gone so sideways. 🤷

My motorcycle chains used to get all tangled up, but I could always sort it out in a few minutes.

My cat has wandered off for a few days before, but she always makes her way back home. I know it’s totally off-topic, but I just wanted to share that with you guys

hahaha what a clown 😁

Call up a buddy who knows his way around a bike—doesn't even have to be a pro mechanic. He’ll have it fixed up in two minutes flat. Then just buy him a beer, and everyone walks away happy. 😉

goldenhawk8 said:Just call up a buddy who knows his way around a bike—doesn't even have to be a pro mechanic—and he'll probably have it fixed in two minutes. Then you just grab him a beer and everyone's happy. 😉

Nah, you don't need to worry about it, it'll fix itself

I’m fairly certain you don't actually need to go through the hassle of stripping the chain down. I ran into a nearly identical headache once after taking a pretty nasty spill off my bike. I ended up lugging it over to a buddy of mine, and he managed to sort the whole thing out in what felt like thirty seconds flat. Since I was mostly focused on nursing my bruised ego and scrapes, I didn't pay much attention to his exact technique, but if I recall correctly, he just somehow maneuvered the chain over the pedal arm. At the end of the day, my point is that unless you enjoy unnecessary labor, there's no need to dismantle the chain; for anyone who actually knows their way around a wrench, this kind of issue is basically child's play. 😁