Hot answers tagged shifting
15
As (almost) always, the great Sheldon Brown has covered this particular topic. Standing while Cycling
To Sit or to Stand?
It is my belief that a great many cyclists stand up to pedal much more often than they should. I've often said:
"If you find yourself standing to accelerate, on level ground, it is a sign that your gear is too high or that ...
11
If you can, with the chain in one of the middle cogs in the back, shift to each of the front chain rings then your front derailleur is likely in proper alignment and adjustment. This question and answer cover how to adjust the derailleur if you want to learn how to do it yourself.
What you are describing, shifting to small ring in front and small cog in ...
8
I agree with Hicks sentiment that the crank "giving" is more likely due to worn parts or misalignment. The crank would have to flex a lot to actually be responsible for ghost shifting, which would make it incredibly poor quality. Sheldon's article strikes me as cursory for "When Should You Stand"...
Assuming you have the gearing for whatever you're riding ...
6
Trek had a bicycle a few years ago named "Lime" which had 3 speed automatic gearing. I don't think it sold well. It used a gearing system called "Coasting" that was created by Shimano and actually controlled by a computer chip from signals from the front hub.
"A dynamo is fitted on the front hub that gauges the revolutions of the wheel. It sends this ...
5
Learning some better shifting technique may solve this. It also could be that, despite your best efforts, the derailers are out of alignment.
Two questions:
Is the chain falling off on the front chainring or on the rear cogs? If so, is it happening on the inside or outside? (If it's happening in the rear and the chain is hitting the spokes, this can be ...
5
Sad to say, not worth the effort!
However, if you are a bulk user of cable outer then you can invest in a big reel of the stuff (obviously genuine Shimano) and some Shimano cable cutters (TL-CT-10).
Note the price is wrong:
http://www.madison.co.uk/productinfo.aspx?catref=6Y1+9801
However, order by Madison part code from your LBS and get the brake cable ...
4
I would bet for the chain having rusted, leaving some links "locked" and not turning free between each other. Also, if rust built over the sprocket's teeth surface, it can cause the chain to skip under pedal load, bacause the chain doesn't engage properly.
I am telling you this because my damn lovely(#@%) cat pissed the cog cluster of one of my bikes, and ...
4
Assuming it's not been used it probably needs a touch of lube and some adjustment.
If your friend only rode it for a month he probably didn't even get the bedding in service done on it. New cables on a bike normally bed in after a little while (time depends on use) and so things go out of line fairly quickly initially which is why bike shops normally do ...
4
I would have started by noting which gear (front or rear) is slipping and adjusting the tension on the corresponding shifter/derailer to bring it closer to correct adjustment. A rule of thumb is, make the adjustment and if it gets worse then you are going the wrong way :-)
If the shop changed your chain did they also change the cassette (rear gears). The ...
4
I have ridden one - it used weights thrown out by centrifugal force and springs to move the derailleur in and out. Horrible is all I can say. Maybe it was me not being used to it, but things like not being in the gear you left it in, and less than smooth changes - which you have not idea when they are going to happen, especially under power. The only ...
3
It sounds as if you adjusted the barrel adjuster out too far, the last time you adjusted it, and damaged the threads on the adjuster. When the shop cleans and lubes it, it is fine for a few days, and then gets stuck again, because the threads are cross threaded or stripped. If the damage is relatively minor, it can act normal until it is under a little ...
3
If your rear derailleur is in the 28t cog, there is only one click available, because shifting to the next (non-existent) cog would put your chain in your wheel.
Because of the way the Double Tap levers work, the first click will release to the next gear down, either 27t or 26t depending on your cassette.
There is nothing to fix. This is proper behavior ...
3
Congratulations on starting to do your own repairs. The first step is realizing some thing is wrong (you seem to have got that one). Step two try to fix it. Step three learn why step two didn't work. I use the Parktool BigBlue Book as my guide. I bought mine at a local bookstore but it is available on their website for free.
As for not having a repair ...
2
How to adjust a rear derailleur:
with the cable disconnected, put the shift in the lowest gear. screw the barrel adjuster all the way in.
the derailleur jockey wheel should be sitting parallel to the smallest cog. If not, adjust the limit screw appropriately.
pull the cable "finger tight" under the bolt and tighten it fairly hard with the appropriate ...
2
Along with the Park Tool book that mikes mentioned, Lennard Zinn has several books and DVDs that are available through his website. He's a trusted name in the industry and usually knows what he's talking about. If you need more immediate help I would take a look at both eHow (originally I was going to say ExpertVillage.com but eHow seems to have absorbed ...
2
Besides what is discussed here it could also be that the back derailleur dropout or the derailleur itself has been bent. If that's the case you won't be able to set up gears properly until it has been aligned. Even it's a new bike it only takes once hitting the wrong place to bend it :(. You can find a number of videos on the net on how to align the ...
2
Since it only happens when you stand I would say it is definitely a combination of a worn chain and worn chainring, and nothing to do with shifters or derailleurs.
As a chain wears, it 'stretches', meaning the distance between the pins in the chain grows. This is a result of the side plates wearing into the pin. Once the chain starts to 'stretch', it starts ...
2
It appears that someone has come up with a solution to use vbrake noodles to re-route the STI shifter cables with some success.
http://thecrazyrandonneur.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/how-to-have-a-large-handlebar-bag-with-sti-shifters/
2
The best solution is probably to move to either a more modern shifter setup like newer shimano or SRAM (with cable routing under the handlebars) or to a barend setup like most randos employ. I know this isn't your preferred solution, but it's probably the easiest and most effective. If you mess with the routing/length on your shift cables, you're going to ...
2
If you mean that you're having problems changing from the large front chainring to the small front chainring when the smallest rear sprocket is selected, then you should be able to adjust the travel on the front derallieur. If you're not confident tweaking the appropiate screw on the front changer then ask your shop.
Do you have this problem only when ...
2
There have been attempts over the years, but never particularly successful. One I recall used a 5-speed rear hub that was shifted by weights on the spokes, similar to a centrifugal governor.
I expect that, with the new electric shifters, there will be some new attempts at it in the next year or two. With a computer it should be possible to be reasonably ...
2
This is not uncommon with the old Shimano components. I had the same front derailleur and 105 STI 9-speed shifters and I had to really crank it to go into the larger cogs. The bike shop replaced the cabling (there wasn't much housing) and that really didn't help all that much, though I wish it did. The problem sort of fixed itself when I purchased a new ...
2
On ground, after shifting, look at your bike from the back. The sprocket into which you have attempted to shift, and the pulley in the derailleur should be aligned. If the pulley is more to the right than sprocket, you need to get it aligned to the sprocket, by tightening in the screw on shifter or on the rear derailleur. As you tighten the screw, you should ...
1
Intuitively, I don't think it's possible to accelerate as much sitting down as standing up, no matter what gear you're in. Yes, standing up is less efficient, but it is faster over a short distance.
I'm a road commuter/tourer (straight bars), I stand up in these situations:
Pulling out at a junction in traffic, usually from a standing start. The ...
1
Pedaling in standing position usually serves at least two primary purposes:
To compensate for a shifting error. I.e. if one forgets to downshift before and incline, one can try to power oneself out of this situation by quickly switching to a standing position. It is inefficient, but in many cases it is a better idea then attempting a downshift under high ...
1
Nokon Cables can be used to route your derailer cable under the bar tape. They still may stick out a bit.
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=65639&view=next
1
First off, of course, lubricate the cables and assure that the derailers are properly adjusted.
After that, make sure you're not cross-chaining too much when shifting up -- you should have your rear near the outer cog before up-shifting the front, so that the angle of the chain isn't fighting you. Also, understand that you must let up a hair on the cranks ...
1
With my older Shimano setup I found that as it aged I had to adjust the limit screws on the front derailleur to allow it to travel past the correct position because it would then settle back a couple of millimetres - probably most of the cause was old cables, but some was definitely just old/worn components in the derailleur itself allowing flex.
As ...
1
I had a similar problem on my mountain bike. My bike is a 2008 Giant trance x2. It would "ghost shift" under load usually going uphill. It would even miss shift locking the back wheel. Very frustrating. I took it to my local bike shop and they did some adjustments and replace the chain. Resulting in a little improvement but still basically unrideable.
I ...
1
I think it could be a few things.
Loose / damaged bottom bracket. The play in the crank would cause some ghost shifting.
Frame flex or damage. As you stand steel bikes flex, and can cause alignment issues (but should be within reason, unless there is damage
loose rear derailleur
Check for flex or looseness in the cranks and bottom bracket. Does it ...
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