Help please. Gears

[Katherine]

Hi and thanks in advance.

I have had 6 rides and done about 100 miles so far on my new Dawes Super Galaxy.

Today I wiped the chain and put some lube on.
I spun the wheel through all the gears. To change the gears, I lifted the back wheel, moved the lever and moved the pedal with my hand. I went through the rear cassette with the front on the middle ring. Then I changed the front rings with the rear cassette in about the middle.

I did the small ring last and afterwards I couldn't move it back up to the middle ring so I took it out to pedal it on the road. It took 2 clicks to move onto the middle ring and won't move up to the large ring as the lever is now in the position for the large ring while on the middle ring and moves into the middle position when on the small ring.

I rang my son (Husband is working) who says I should have had the bike upside down!
He told me to try moving the chain manually onto the small ring while the lever is in the correct position which I did but when I rode it and tried to change it onto the middle ring it still took 2 clicks and ended up with the lever in the position for the large ring. I then tried to manually move the chain onto the middle ring while the lever was in the middle position but as soon as I pedalled it went back to the small ring.

Now what?

Husband and son could look at it tomorrow or is this a job for the bike shop?
The bike has not had its 6 week service yet.

 

[Gatters]

sounds like the cable might have slipped through the clamp a bit (front mech)

Set the changer to the small ring, and have the chain on the small ring

now check the cable for slackness?

heaps of slack yes...just undo the clamp and pull the slack out of the cable and tighten the clamp again

 

[Turbo Rider]

It's probably either too much or not enough cable tension on your front. If you don't have a stand then yes, flip the bike upside down and rotate the pedal while twisting the barrel adjuster. Bugger is that it might be too slack or too tight but if you twist the adjuster in half turn and remember how many, you can just screw back to first base if it doesn't work and then try the other way. At some point, it should just ride onto the correct ring and it should be crisp at that point. May have to re index the rear afterwards though.

 

[MichaelW2]

Sounds like the cable has stretched and needs adjusting.
If you have some free barrel adjustment , turn them anticlockwise to increase tension.
If you have no barrel adjustment left, ie fully extended, then re-set cable at front mech.
1. Set gear shifter to slackest setting (inner ring) .
2. Undo bolt on front mech. Note how cable is threaded. Take photo if unsure.
With no cable, mech will revert to inner position
3 Set barrel adjuster to give future adjustment (ie screw in )
Pull end of cable tight with pliers and fasten with allen bolt.

Test front gears with rear set to middle sprocket. You can repeat in high and low sprockets.
Make adjustments with barrel adjuster to set the correct indexing on middle and big ring. Do not alter the HIGH/LOW limit screws.

 

[Katherine]

Thank you.

 

[Katherine]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

My husband has put the bike upside down on the table. We moved the gears on the front ring. There was no sign of any slack or tightness in the cable. He thinks there is a problem inside the changing mechanism for the levers. I'll definitely be taking it back to the shop sooner than originally planned.