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 ...
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 ...
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
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
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
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
I'm going to semi-disagree with many of the answers on here, perhaps on a technicality:
Yes, standing is much harder on your bike equipment and does allow you to apply a signnificant amount of torque to the frame and components. For normal cruising riding, staying seated is likely the best route.
Instances where standing is required:
-Offroad riding ...
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
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
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
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 ...
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