Another Newbie! Problem with gears

[Liveaxle]

Hello everyone, I'm just getting into road riding after several (very!) intermitttent years mountain biking, I've now got a Scott S60 Speedster, trouble is I've b*gg*r*d the gears up!,I was getting a bit of a noise in one of the top gears so had a go at adjusting the front derailleur which made everything ten times worse (can't even get onto the top front ring and the rear is jumping as it moves up to the largest gear) I've found a couple of online guides one from Bob Sheldon and another from Etape TV which are quite helpful, Could anybody advise me on how to sort it out or recomend any othe online guides or should I give up and take it to a LBS (time & money's a bit short though!) I just can'yt wait to get out on it tis frustrating when the roads are dry.

 

[Oldlegs]

Front derailleurs can be a real sod to get right - much harder than the rear because the chain is under tension. Here is another online guide http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75 that worked for me.
Cheers
Steve

 

[woohoo]

Front derailleurs can be a real sod to get right - much harder than the rear because the chain is under tension. Here is another online guide http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75 that worked for me.
Cheers
Steve

Agreed. It took me ages to get my compact chainset to drop reliably to the smaller ring without coming off and jamming between the ring and the frame. I only got it completely right after I bought a workshop stand (why oh why didn't I do this earlier) and could adjust the settings "on the fly". Moving the adjusting screws and then trying it out on the road (repeat several times ) just didn't work for me.

 

[frog]

(can't even get onto the top front ring and the rear is jumping as it moves up to the largest gear)

I might be reading this wrong but it sounds like you are trying to get a gear which is not recommended, ie Big ring at the front and big gear on the back. If thats the case then the bike will complain a bit.

The problem with derailleur gears is you might have 21 but in reality you loose the one at each end of the list because of the impossible angles you put the chain through. Also, you duplicate a few in the middle as well.

I used to have a Shimano Sora and that had no adjuster at all. I had to buy a 'third hand' which is a cable tensioner so I could take up the slack in the cable before I nipped it up with the locking nut. Mine cost me £22 which I thought was a bit steep

 

[RedBike]

Dry roads?

It's absolutely bucketing it down here.

 

[Liveaxle]

Front derailleurs can be a real sod to get right - much harder than the rear because the chain is under tension. Here is another online guide http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75 that worked for me.
Cheers
Steve

Thanks for that Steve quite detailed, I'll have a careful read at home in the garage on the laptop with the bike in front of me, I've got it hung up on a stand so at laest don't have to ride it to adjust!

Frog....sorry didn't explain myself properly! The back set is missing every other gear is it moves from the smallest up to the largest, Would I be right in saying that a 24 speed set up means about 18 usable gears?!

 

[Liveaxle]

Dry roads?

It's absolutely bucketing it down here.

Sorry.....cracking day down here


Thanks for your reply's chaps, I've been lurking for a while and was sure this was one of the friendlier more helpful forums

 

[swee'pea99]

http://bicycletutor.com/
is another site well worth checking out for all things DIY

 

[frog]

The back set is missing every other gear is it moves from the smallest up to the largest,

So thats two gears at a time for one push of the changer? The Sora I had could do that. It's a 'feature' rather than a cock up . Don't be so harsh with the lever and you should move up one at a time.

Would I be right in saying that a 24 speed set up means about 18 usable gears?!

Good estimate! You loose either end so that's down to 22. Most off the peg bikes come with the same size triple on the front (50 something, 40 something and 30 something) and the back is a cassette which comes in about 4 or 5 ranges depending on what market the bike is pitched at. In a couple of places up the range you'd have to change up on the front and down on the back to keep the mathamatically correct sequence going. In reality no one does that (watch this space for caustic rebutal ). Over time you get a feel for the gears and very few of us ever use the full set. (watch this etc). When I had 24 gears I think I used 9.

If you ever want to make an opinion on weather someone is a cyclist or a person on a bike have a look at the gears. If it goes from small front to small rear sprocket when they park up then you know the bike is owned by someone who doesn't know how to use their gears

Having lit a blue touch paper I'll now retire to a safe distance Bonfire Night comes early around these parts.

 

[Liveaxle]

So thats two gears at a time for one push of the changer? The Sora I had could do that. It's a 'feature' rather than a cock up . Don't be so harsh with the lever and you should move up one at a time

ooops , I didn't actually notice that problem on the road, it wasn't til it was on the rack when I was 'playing' that I noticed, After faffing around again this evening and still not getting it right, I think I'm probably going to take it to the bike shop and get them to set it up this time, I hate to admit defeat as I like to think I'm fairly mechanicaly minded Oh well will have to pump up the tyres on the old wreck

 

[Liveaxle]

Well.. got fed up trying to get it right so went down to my LBS, he did the job while I waited £10 all in including a new cable, Spot on friendly service, And he'll now get the order for my pedals and shoes when i've saved up a bit more.... Barlows Cycles, Trinity Street, St Austell