You'd have thought the bike shop might have told him

[Pale Rider]

A roadie approached our group - including @annedonnelly - as we were about to say our goodbyes in Blyth today.

Nice guy, he asked for our help to understand how to change gears on his Trek bike on which he had literally just covered his first mile.

We all ride flat bar bikes, apart from Steve who was on his CX.

It has a different group set, and in any event he claims only limited understanding of the shifters.

So our well of roadie gear shifting expertise was not deep.

The Trek had, I think Sora, but it certainly had a little button on the combined brake and gear shifter.

Our combined advice, which I think was about right, was to shove the brake lever across to get to a bigger cog - front or back - and press the little button to get to a smaller cog.

Right or not, the thought which occurred was why didn't the bike shop tell him?

I've seen my local bike shop hand over new bikes and they don't usually say very much, partly because most customers are not interested in the ins and outs, or already know them.

What is your experience of new bike hand overs?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Many ladies in my group don't know how to use their gears.
Ime lbs will not tell you unless you ask.
For years I was riding a bso staying in the same gear.
When I bought a new hybrid (21 gears) from my local bike shop I had to go back to ask him how the gears work.
More useful would be a leaflet with an explanation about tyre pressure and basic bike maintenance imo, the gears one can experiment with to find out the workings.

 

[themosquitoking]

Yeah, that sounds like Sora and 2013 or earlier too. i've only had one new bike handover experience so far and they told me how to change gears, clip in and out and do other things that weren't quite so immediately essential to gettting me home in one bit.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Not quite the same, but when I went to pick up the Jaguar XKR we bought a few years ago (sold it after about 4), I had to ask how to release handbrake (SWMBO had test-driven it, I hadn't)

No, it wasn't electronic, but a 'Fly-Off', as I believe the expression is (as it was between the seat & the door-sill, so it dropped enough not to hinder ingress/egress)

 

[Pale Rider]

Many ladies in my group don't know how to use their gears.
Ime lbs will not tell you unless you ask.
For years I was riding a bso staying in the same gear.
When I bought a new hybrid (21 gears) from my local bike shop I had to go back to ask him how the gears work.
More useful would be a leaflet with an explanation about tyre pressure and basic bike maintenance imo, the gears one can experiment with to find out the workings.

Good idea - a hand over leaflet would be a nice touch.

Yeah, that sounds like Sora and 2013 or earlier too. i've only had one new bike handover experience so far and they told me how to change gears, clip in and out and do other things that weren't quite so immediately essential to gettting me home in one bit.

I suppose he may have bought the bike online.

That could fit if the groupset - and the bike - is 2013.

 

[HLaB]

When I bought my first drop bar bike the shop told me how my campag shifted, I never had to ask.

 

[Saluki]

When I got my first modern roadie the LBS showed me how to use the gears and to feather the gear if I was in little rear cog and little front chain ring - but not to make a habit of it.
When I got my PX, the chap asked if I knew how to use the gears and said he was happy to show me, if not.

 

[ufkacbln]

My wife didn't understand gears from day one

They are not intuitive

However she copes with a Rohloff

I have connected it like an accelerator

Forward for faster, back for slower

 

[summerdays]

When I bought mine the LBS did tell me, but I didn't really take it in, it took a further month or so to get a vague understanding. I think getting a bike is a bit like getting a baby.... There are lots of people giving you some conflicting information, and that somehow you muddle through and get there in the end.

 

[Pale Rider]

When I bought mine the LBS did tell me, but I didn't really take it in, it took a further month or so to get a vague understanding. I think getting a bike is a bit like getting a baby.... There are lots of people giving you some conflicting information, and that somehow you muddle through and get there in the end.

I have limited experience of babies, but that sounds about right.

Once you've had one, you know a lot better the next time.

 

[summerdays]

I have limited experience of babies, but that sounds about right.

Once you've had one, you know a lot better the next time.

Except the next one isn't quite identical and so you have to unlearn and relearn some bits! And they both cost you more than you thought as you forgot to allow for maintenance in your calculations!

 

[DaveReading]

I suppose he may have bought the bike online.

I bought my tourer online a few years ago and I had never had a bike with shifters on the bars, let alone STIs. I was on the point of phoning the supplier to ask how to get the chain onto the larger cogs when I the penny droppped.

 

[stephec]

I have limited experience of babies, but that sounds about right.

Once you've had one, you know a lot better the next time.

I remember when our first baby came home.

All the parents and friends left leaving us alone with it, you look down at the baby, look up at each other, and think WTF are we supposed to do now?

You get the hang of it in the end though.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I remember when our first baby came home.

All the parents and friends left leaving us alone with it, you look down at the baby, look up at each other, and think WTF are we supposed to do now?

You get the hang of it in the end though.

Endurance cycling might be good training.

 

[Tojo]

I would ask anyone who picked a new up bike from me if they were familiar with the workings, or would like me to run through it with them, I have serviced and repaired a good number of bikes and a lot for mates, and even though I know they are experienced cyclists I still get a few bits of advice into them, usually I get their interest by telling them that if they take on what I say their components will last longer, therefore less hand in pocket as some of them have rode their bikes to the point of near destruction...