compact gears

[markharry66]

I realise i could and will probably end up doing this myself, I am also a dinosaur when it comes to bikes just moved from a triple cassette to double cassette on 8 speed road bike, The local bikes shops near me are to say the least rubbish in both customer service and the service they offer. I recently took my giant defy in for new wheel, cassette and chain, usual stuff not open before 9am, not open at weekends, can only drop off before 6am I get people have a life.

Since work has been done the chain is hitting the cage at the front while its in the highest cog, I paid to have gears indexed I realise not all the gear would be usable but this is happening from the 5th gear onwards while its not effecting the overall running of the bike its slightly annoying, having spoke to the person who did work for me it was explained to me that not all gears will be usable on 8 speed similar to triple gears where the last few gear and top gear are non usable in the top cog. Just wondered if this was the case as I am not used to compact gears.

 

[Jameshow]

Change your bike shop!!

Yes you wouldn't use all the gears on each of the chainrings. It's called cross chaining and it's not good for the drive train.
Also it's logical. You use the small chain ring with the bigger cogs on the cassette and the big chain ring on the smaller cogs in the cassette.

Look at a few youtube videos to see how it works / adjust it. Park tools ones are good.

 

[Ian H]

I have two bikes with triples, two with doubles (but none of yer 'compact' nonsense), and a fixed-wheel (which makes anything I say about gears suspect). I also do my own maintenance.

 

[cyberknight]

I run 8 speed double for commuting and although cross chaining is not the best i can get all gear combinations with minimal rub , sounds like the bike shop are a bunch of ninnies and you need to find a better class of spanner monkey .

 

[Binky]

If able do your own maintenance, I do as I actually quite enjoy a fettle and it's of course way cheaper and more convenient. Plenty of videos on Youtube with how to do guides, Park Tool as others have said and GCN are OK for some things as well.

End of day it's a bicycle not an F1 car so most simple tasks can be done with a bit of time and practise.

 

[Big John]

End of day it's a bicycle not an F1 car so most simple tasks can be done with a bit of time and practise.

Exactly that. You can get to everything, unlike a car. However, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I've worked on many a damaged crank arm where someone has misthreaded a pedal.