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I brought my hybrid bike to Evans Cycles recently to get the rear gear mech replaced after I broke it.

When I got the bike back, it was significantly harder to pedal. I tried moving my gears lower but even then the amount of effort required to maintain the bikes speed is higher than before, considerably, which is making my commute exhausting which it never was before.

I notice that it is harder to change the gears now on my bike - twisting the handle feels harder and the gears move very snappy. Could it be they have over tightened something? What do you think it could be?

Thanks!

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  • The first thing to check is the brakes. Are one or both rubbing? Next, is the wheel rubbing the frame? And check the front derailleur; is the chain on the big ring?
    – andy256
    Oct 23, 2016 at 21:01
  • It sounds like something's mucked up. Brakes rubbing? Wheel not properly seated in the dropouts and rubbing the frame? If you can't figure it out you should take it back to the shop. (The difference shifting could be due to the new derailer.)
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Oct 23, 2016 at 21:32
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    Try spinning each bit individually. Lift each end up and spin the wheels by hand to check them. Back pedal by hand to see if the crank is stiff. It's a process of elimination.
    – Chris
    Oct 23, 2016 at 21:46
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    Have you tried taking the bike back to them? If they recently did a repair and its not riding properly, you should have them fix it.
    – Batman
    Oct 23, 2016 at 21:49
  • What things have you checked already? It is very common to have a wheel seated improperly or the hub cones too tight which adds friction to the wheel (And make it harder to turn/pedal).
    – Lementor
    Oct 25, 2016 at 12:30

1 Answer 1

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I think the problem is with the bottom bracket. Sometimes, when the crank arms are removed, they can be put back really badly, thus causing the pedaling system to be very hard. Or some other times it's just the bottom bracket that needs to be replaced. Once I replaced my bottom bracket, the pedaling system was better than ever!

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  • If the crank arms are installed improperly they will come loose and fall off in short order.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Oct 28, 2016 at 12:01
  • The question only mentions a replacement rear derailleur, so why do you think something happened to the bottom bracket? I'm sure the bike shop would have mentioned it (and charged!) if they'd done anything related to the bottom bracket, such as changing the cranks or chain rings.
    – David Richerby
    Nov 27, 2016 at 14:24
  • Perhaps the front wheel is missing the tire?
    – jqning
    Nov 27, 2016 at 21:50

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