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61 votes
6 answers
111k views

What are the pros and cons of internal gears?

I've had my hybrid 24-speed for a bit over 3 years now, and just last weekend, when looking for a bike for my wife, discovered internal gears. Suffice to say it blew my mind when I saw 7-speed ...
drfrogsplat's user avatar
49 votes
11 answers
42k views

What's the efficiency of hub gears compared to derailleurs?

What's the efficiency of hub gears compared to derailleurs? I know that hub gears are not as efficient. Apart from being heavier, how much will I lose in performance if I use hub gears?
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,908
38 votes
5 answers
12k views

Perfectly setting up gears - how?

Every time I have my bike serviced, the bike shop sets up the gears on a stand in their workshop. The gears change perfectly on the stand, but when the bike is on the road, the rear derailleur doesn't ...
PeterB's user avatar
  • 481
15 votes
3 answers
9k views

How efficient is string bike? Is this really a revolutionary bike?

Bicycles are getting evolved with good technologies or methodologies as the period changes. Now, this one bike, so called string bike has been introduced, which doesn't have chain, derailleur but ...
HariDev's user avatar
  • 317
12 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why do I constantly have to re-index gears?

I've got a road bike with a high end 11 speed groupset that is about 3 years / 30,000 km old. Chain and cassette have both been replaced recently (i.e. 500 km ago). What I'm experiencing is a constant ...
maupertius's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
23k views

Moving from Shimano 9- to Shimano 10- speed

I'm thinking of changing the 9-speed Tiagra rear mech on one of my (road) bikes to something, still Shimano, but 10-speed. The obvious replacements I'll need are cassette, right-shifter and chain. But ...
PeteH's user avatar
  • 9,773
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Simultaneous clang, hesitation and drop when I pedal with any weight

Background: New chain, new bottom bracket, new front derailleur, new shifters, new brakes. This is a cheap Walmart Mongoose that I'm trying to keep riding and upgraded some of the components recently, ...
Jay's user avatar
  • 91
9 votes
1 answer
13k views

Effects of jockey wheel sizes & types

I'm wondering about the variations in jockey wheels / derailleur pulleys and what differences they make; There's a lot of conflicting and confusing information out there, so I'm after some general ...
Synchro's user avatar
  • 201
8 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is it practical to replace two sprockets on a cassette?

My bike has 53/39T chainrings and a cassette with 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,25 sprockets, but I like to ride up steep mountain roads. Is it possible (without great expense) to replace two sprockets to ...
amcnabb's user avatar
  • 7,165
8 votes
4 answers
39k views

Can I fit a cassette with a larger range with my Shimano Tiagra 10-speed ( GS-4600) derailleur?

I'm currently running a 2x10 shimano tiagra 10-speed drivetrain with a 50/34 compact crankset, a 12-30 rear cassette, and a Shimano Tiagra GS-4600 derailleur (that's medium cage aka road long cage) on ...
Benzo's user avatar
  • 18.3k
7 votes
4 answers
376 views

Electronic shifters

I have been reading alot about the electronic shifters that are out now, specifically the ones on TREK bikes. I was wondering if they are worth the price, and more importantly how do they perform.
mike's user avatar
  • 71
7 votes
4 answers
3k views

Comparing gear ratios on different bike types

How can I compare gear ratios on different wheel sizes? How can I compare gear ratios on MTB with tracking bikes with bigger wheels? How can I compare gear ratios with gear hubs?
Hubidubi's user avatar
  • 233
7 votes
3 answers
698 views

Are there any electronic shifters that decide front/back for you?

Are there any road bike electronic shifting systems out there currently that only have a single up and down shifter lever and use a computer to make the decision of whether to shift on the rear ...
kloddant's user avatar
6 votes
7 answers
4k views

Feasibility of coupling internal hub gear and derailleur

Price considerations apart, would it make sense to install together an internal hub gear and a derailleur? I was thinking of it as a viable way to avoid having the front gears.
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 7,311
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

Different Gear Type when there's no Front Derailleur?

I have a 7 speed Jamis Boss Cruiser, 7 gears in back and one up front. I've been using it fine for several months now. Lately, the chain is coming off of the single front gear, usually after stopping ...
Nick's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
3 answers
8k views

Why does my bike stick in low gears?

When I change into a low gear (i.e. onto a bigger cog) on my back cog all is fine. However, when I later change up again the chain sticks on the larger cog. I commute about 10 miles a day and this has ...
Martin Wilson's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is my front derailleur angled straight?

I am attempting to adjust my front gears and have also been following a video to adjust the high/low position of my front derailleur. The issue I am having is that the low adjustment is no where near ...
Valamas's user avatar
  • 865
6 votes
3 answers
591 views

Vertical Dropout Derailleur Hanger for a bike that did not come with gears?

I have a bike that did not come with gears. It is a rear hub driven ebike with a single speed. Eventually when the warranty runs out, I want to put gears in it and turn it to a mid drive. Now I know ...
badcircle's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

How can I increase the highest gear ratio?

I am looking for some higher cog front gears for an old bike I am considering. I've been away from it for some time and don't know the current number of cogs on the front ring, but I am looking to ...
Bryce's user avatar
  • 61
5 votes
4 answers
15k views

Why does my rear derailleur's indexing work for either the high or the low gears, but not both?

I am adjusting my rear derailleur indexing. It seems impossible to find the correct tightness. When I tighten the tension with the tension barrel adjuster, I have one of two problems: either it is too ...
user2670468's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
13k views

My bike's gears won't shift properly or at all

Firstly, sorry if this has been asked before but I don't know much about bikes. I bought my bike from big w (fairly cheap beginners bike, but I am happy with it). It has two shifters, one on the left (...
user3788874's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
4k views

Gears shift perfectly when suspended on rack, but not on the ground?

So I had recently solved some issues I was having thanks to the community. I re-tuned my bike on a suspended mount and everytning looks great. On the ground, all of the gears work smoothly except for ...
BrettH's user avatar
  • 81
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Problems with front derailleur shifting on an inexpensive bike

I bought a cheapish bike (Nakamura) couple of years ago, and it generally serves me well. Main problem that I have is that shifting gears, especially front gears often gets out of tune. After only a ...
Slartibartfast's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

(Automatic Bike Project) amount of torque required to change gears?

I am planning to build an electronically controlled automatic bike transmission for my senior design project. I'm personally more of an electrical guy, so dealing with the mechanics is somewhat new to ...
audiFanatic's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
353 views

Shouldn't use two extreme gears?

I purchased a new Mountain bike a month ago and noticed after a week or so the gears were starting to slip, this was expected because of stretch in cables and wear in etc so I took it in for a tune up ...
Harley Man's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
945 views

combining technologies and speeds: shifter and rear derailleur (index, friction)

is it possible to combine an indexed shifter with old friction derailleurs? As the cable is moved by the shifter, I understand that derailleurs should work by default and by moved with mm that the ...
Daniel Perez's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Chain hitting front derailleur cage with H limit screw fully loosened

I followed the Park Tools guide to set up my gears. The rear derailleur was a success but I can't manage to adjust the front derailleur so that the chain stops grinding on the guard. There's no more ...
Luke Allison's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
19k views

SRAM X01 Eagle (12speed) in 11speed transmission: it work?

Well, I intend to use an SRAM X01 Eagle (12speed) rear derailleur in a 1x11 transmission (with a SRAM X01 "non-Eagle" 11speed trigger, cassette SunRace 11s 11-46, SRAM PC XX1 chain). Will it work ...
Marcelo Faraway's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
329 views

Derailleur Configuration - Anyone ever seen something like this?

Can't find anything on Google because I guess I don't know what search terms to use. I am wondering if anyone has ever seen a derailleur setup like I have drawn in the picture. It is NOT for ...
111936's user avatar
  • 91
4 votes
1 answer
231 views

What is the best way to increase gear inches on an old bike?

I only recently got into bicycling and without knowing anything, I bought a bike from a local used bike distributor. Here's what I've learned about the bike. The frame, seat, and handles are original ...
Nathan Roberts's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
919 views

Front derailleur cable touching frame?

Installing gears on my bike on my own for the first time. I pulled the front derailleur gear cable through an intended hole in the frame like so: So everything should be fine. However, looking under ...
nammerkage's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
344 views

Using 9 speed Deore front shifter with 10 speed Ultegra front Deraileur

I am trying to build a bike out of all the spare parts I have in my garage. I found a 3x9 Deore front shifter, 3x10 Ultegra front d and crankset. Would they work together? By the way, I am building a ...
Wilhelm Leon's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why is my bike slipping gears?

I have a 1997 Gary Fisher Tassajara that got a complete overhaul and tune-up at a bike shop a year ago. (to the tune of $180, but some of that was new tires- I'm the original owner) I ride between 4 ...
Ricky13baby's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
917 views

Direct Mount with top and bottom swing?

I want to buy a new frame that supports Direct Mount. Now I read that Bottom Swing is preferable for hardtails. At the same time, it was also mentioned that Bottom Swing is mounted higher onto the ...
Franz Kafka's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
667 views

Pulley for 10 Gear Derailleur for 9 Gear Chain

I am using a 10 gear XTR derailleur on a 9 gear cassette with a 9 gear chain and the tension pulley of the derailleur looks like needing replacement (despite teeth being very sharp it seems to work OK ...
InternazionalIV's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
441 views

Has bicycle gearing become 'easier' over the last few decades?

If you look at a 10-12 speed bicycle from the days before indexed gears you have a 27"/700c wheel with a 42/52 chainset and a 14-28 freewheel. At the time such a setup was standard for High Street ...
ʍǝɥʇɐɯ's user avatar
  • 17.3k
3 votes
1 answer
576 views

Correct gear cable for vintage Shimano 600 derailleur?

I'm restoring an old bicycle and need gear cables for this derailleur (see photo). I found some specs here https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=9422ABE1-A7B3-4622-9DAB-EF4DEC646ED5 but it doesn'...
user63605's user avatar
  • 115
3 votes
2 answers
7k views

Adding front derailleur vs upgrading the rear one on a (ladies) bicycle

What I want to achieve is going from having some gears to having more gears. To be more specific I would like to get more gear ratio range in both low and high end. First of all I tried to look for ...
user391035's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
684 views

How to change front gearing

So I have a bicycle that has a single front gear, but many back gears with a derailleur. I am wondering if I change the size of the front gear (like significantly), meaning if I get a bigger front ...
Kemosabe's user avatar
  • 195
3 votes
2 answers
9k views

Cable tension for Shimano 105 front derailleur is very tight

I just got a Merida Scultura 400. On the biggest chainring, there's rubbing on the outside of the front derailleur cage. The only way that I can lower this is by tightening the cable by a lot. Is this ...
KevinL's user avatar
  • 61
3 votes
2 answers
531 views

Chain repeatedly tries to click into place without gear change

While pedalling, every 10 seconds or so, the chain on my bike makes the sound it makes during a gear shift - it "clicks", as if it's clicking into place in the new gear. But there is no gear shift ...
Maxim Zaslavsky's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
18k views

Slippage Under Load [New Bike]

I got a new bike a three or four weeks ago and have noticed the issue arise this last week or two. When I'm going up a hill (or any heavy load), my gears will slip. I don't think it's moving gears,...
AlbertEngelB's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
8k views

Bottom jockey wheel on rear derailleur keeps skipping chain

Basically the angle between the bottom and top wheels is too great causing the chain to skip to the outside of the bottom wheel under force. If I use the higher adjustment screw on the shimano ...
Matt S's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
3 answers
58k views

All gears shift smoothly, but won’t shift into 1st gear/large cog. Help?

So I was tuning my newly acquired bike today and working with all 8 gears on the rear derailleur. I managed to properly set the high limit screw as well as cable tension so all gears shift smoothly ...
BrettH's user avatar
  • 81
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can I put a lower geared cassette on my bike?

I bought a bike recently that has a 34 front 28 rear gear ratio. It is an Elfama E2500, which is a Korean brand I believe. It has a Shimano Claris (which is rated for up to 32 teeth) rear derailleur ...
Joff's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
4 answers
5k views

Road Brifters with MTB Derailleurs

I've just bought a lovely Surly touring frame and I simply stuck all of my mountain bike components on it. That means I've retained a flat handlebar. I'd really like to stick drop bars on though and ...
Simon P's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Campagnolo Cambio Corsa primitive derailleur -- can it be recreated?

Does anyone make this sort of system and sell it today, or is my only option looking for someone selling theirs? I've googled whether similar systems are being made today but found nothing to my ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 593
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Can't change into the largest sprocket on rear derailleur

I bought my first road bike recently, and I've noticed I can't change into the largest cog/sprocket on the rear derailleur because when I pull the shifter the chain is pushed into the side of the ...
Bendihossan's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Shimano Claris shifter double/triple shifting up (when moving to smaller, harder cogs) on the rear derailleur

Although my rear derailleur is properly indexed it's suddenly started to double or even triple shift on an upshift - i.e. when moving to harder, smaller cogs on the cassette. This happens whether I'm ...
Kiver's user avatar
  • 53
2 votes
2 answers
20k views

Is 1x11 better than any 2X10? [closed]

I am upgrading from a Shimano tourney bike and newbie so please be nice to me .. lol :) I ride trails and easy bike paths and some roads. For cross country - Semi road/ Semi mountain type riding, ...
AZSWQ's user avatar
  • 131