I Need A Diagnosis of My Bicycle Problem And What I Should Expect to Pay to Fix It My

[GreatWhiteShark]

I have had this problem a few time in the past, with the same bicycle- I think is Raleigh’s Venture 3.0 ‘2007 SR NEX-4000,
The handle bars’ gear shifting just rarely works and does not shift to all gears
And
Does not stop the back gears makes clicking sound,
The gears catch/quick pull and release,
Rarely chain comes off the front gears,
When I stand on the petals to start pedaling, from stopped and off the seat, the back gears catch/quick pull and release. Sometimes even repeatedly, until the weight shifts back to the seat.
And
The back tire wobbles.
As a result the gears notches to connect with the chain wear out and the gears have to be replaced. Unfortunately, my mechanic and friend lost his home and work place, so I am stuck paying a lot more (I am poor and make next to nothing) or repairing my own bicycle, as many here suggest I do and I want to do, but do not want to ruin or even break worse and delay me from using my really only form of transportation.
I am having those problems again, but found no broken spokes on back wheel.

Could it be that my back wheel’s wobbling be causing the problem, I seriously doubt this, but considering anything?

Could it be that my handle bars’ gear shifting just rarely works and does not shift to all gears causing this problem?

Should I replace all my gears?

How much would it cost for me to buy the parts and repair the problem myself?

How much should it cost for me to Pay A Shop to Fix It?

I will included my PICs; did the best I could.

 

[alienator]

Before doing anything, I'd suggest cleaning your bike well and then lubing everything that needs lubed.

 

[leroy1010]

Like with the upstairs suggestions,cleaning first,then Confirm the specific reasons,and then replace it

 

[oldbobcat]

The diagnosis is 6 years of neglect.

If you take it to a shop as it is, it will probably cost $100-150 to clean it up enough to see what's wrong and make it reasonably right. That would be $70-100 for the tune up and $30-50 for parts that need replacing.

If you clean it first and pump up the tires, it will make it easier for them to concentrate on the problems that absolutely need professional attention.

 

[ambal]

A good clean, lube and re-tune should only cost you a little of your own time.

 

[dabac]

According to the spec at http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/ImageZoom.aspx?itemid=16340&if=2007-Raleigh-Venture-3.0.jpg your bike has solid, if uninspiring low/mid-range componentry. Given that the smallest sprocket is listed as a 14T I suspect that it is a freewheel, not a freehub. "As a result the gears notches to connect with the chain wear out and the gears have to be replaced." This isn't exactly true. Chains do stretch with wear, even under the best conditions. As they stretch, the sprockets and chainrings starts to wear faster. If you pay attention to the chain, and replace it in time, you can get several chains worth of usage out of each set of sprockets. And usually several sprockets out of each set of chainrings. But if you leave it too long the accelerated wear will damage the sprockets to the point where an otherwise premature replacement is required to restore good function. Luckily, chains and freewheels are inexpensive. But your post is quite hard to understand. The "Does not stop the back gears makes clicking sound...The gears catch/quick pull and release" can be both poor adjustment, or critically worn chain/sprockets. Likewise the "The back tire wobbles" could be a poorly seated tire, an untrue rim, or dangerously loosely adjusted hub bearings. Anyhow, I can get a chain for about USD15, a freewheel for USD25, a freewheel remover for USD10, and a set of gripshifters for USD15. You should be able to do something similar. This doesn't address the wobble of course. But start with a clean & lube, and a good read of the park tool repair tips section.

 

[GreatWhiteShark]

Thank you, for everyone's helping posts! I do really appreciate it.

Those PICs where taken as soon as I got off my bicycle; not reflective of the condition my bicycle always is. It rains and mud

I do try to keep it clean, because of rust and still because of where I live rust happens.

So, far, spent more than an hour and a little over $60, and a lot better (new back gears, new brakes lines and gears lines and gear shifting works again), but it still attaches and releases when I stand on the petals to start going again. I already too it back, less than block and then they replaced the back gears. I do not have that sort of money, and I am now, thinking I might need a better mechanic (I recommended to them my former Independent Bicycle Mechanic who lost his home/work location), $60 (like 6-times what I paid before) and all they could think of, at that time, and still the catching and releasing exists. The shop's mechanic only adjusted Rear Derailleur settings, I am thinking maybe, need to replace parts to it or it all together. Plus, I know from past when all the catching and pulling and releasing going on erodes the gears clusters; so maybe the front gears need replacing to. Last thing is they have back gears for 18-speeds, while my bicycle is originally for 21-speeds, original shifting, just not original gears. You guys think, switching like that, without replacing the shifting handle bar's mechanism can contribute? Thinking of maybe, trying to find a CoOp Bicycle Shop, again.

 

[dabac]

I don't think you're EVER gonna be happy trying to run a 7-speed shifter against a 6-speed cluster. 6-speed has 5.50 mm center-to-center while 7-speed has 5.00 mm center-to-center. So your shifter will try to move the derailer 5.00 mm while the next sprocket is 5.50 mm off. Some people report acceptable performace while being the odd tenth off, but the error is cumulative. If you shoot for being spot on in the middle of the cluster, you'll be 1.5 mm off at the end. I don't think anything would shift clean under conditions like that. You CAN experiment with different ways of clamping the shifter cable(do a net search for "hubbub modification") but I have no idea if it will help you. " I know from past when all the catching and pulling and releasing going on erodes the gears clusters" First you really need to specify what you mean by "catching and pulling and releasing". It can be interpreted as three things: 1) the chain not centering over one sprocket, and kinda wander between two 2) the chain centering over one sprocket, but failing to engage properly, with the chain slipping and skating over the tops of the teeth 3) the pawls of the clutch mechanism sticking and failing to engage. In this case, the chain is sitting nicely on a sprocket, but the cluster will spin effortlessly WRT the wheel. Trying to run a 6-speed cluster against a 7-speed shifter you're a prime candidate for #1 But given an older, well used bike, and - according to your description - new freewheel but no mentioning of new chain bike, you're a good candidate for #2 as well. Chain, sprockets and chainrings wear together, and it's very common for a worn chain not to engage properly on new sprockets. And vice versa of course. And #3 is also a possibility. Either way, for #2 I think you've got cause and effect the wrong way around. Chain slipping/skipping (on a sprocket) is the RESULT of a worn-out drivetrain, NOT the cause of it. You're noticing the damage BECAUSE of the skipping, but had you checked the condition of the parts the week before the skipping started they'd have looked just as bad. Of course they'll look worse and worse the longer you ride e'm, but the transition from "worn" to "worn out" happened when/before the skipping first occurred, not because of it.. A chain slipping/skipping MAY sometimes cause the occasional tooth to shear off, but it'd take AMAZING patience or desperation to ride a bike enough while in this condition for the skipping itself to cause significant wear. Chainrings will usually outlast several chains and freewheels/cassettes, but it is POSSIBLE to wear them out prematurely, if chain replacement has been left off way too long. Sheldon Brown has a nice piece on how to check for excessive chainring wear.

 

[GreatWhiteShark]

Dabac,

Thank you, for your helpful post; just what I remember my former mechanic telling me.

Well, last Thursday, the nearest bicycle shop's mechanic did replace the back gear set, and yesterday, I had to pay over $5 to get that 6-speed gear set remove and replaced with a 7-gear set.

The front gear set, does not have any problems; but yesterday on my way home had the chain on the back gear set jump the gears and get stuck between the frame and 1st gear of the back gear set (happen so many times and it was getting dark, had to call to get picked-up and taken home).

Before leaving home, today- was in a hurry- after spending more time reading how to do it, I adjusted the setting on the rear derailer (I guess alright if I use the English version) and the catching, pulling and releasing happened maybe twice or once, but still the light pulling (all the way through the pedals) and no clicking sound. So my repairing the problem (first time really repairing my bicycle) is almost there. I think it is the closeness of the derailer is to the wheel, when I look down the chain is not perfectly straight going into the derailer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dabac .

I don't think you're EVER gonna be happy trying to run a 7-speed shifter against a 6-speed cluster.
6-speed has 5.50 mm center-to-center while 7-speed has 5.00 mm center-to-center. So your shifter will try to move the derailer 5.00 mm while the next sprocket is 5.50 mm off.
Some people report acceptable performace while being the odd tenth off, but the error is cumulative. If you shoot for being spot on in the middle of the cluster, you'll be 1.5 mm off at the end.
I don't think anything would shift clean under conditions like that.
You CAN experiment with different ways of clamping the shifter cable(do a net search for "hubbub modification") but I have no idea if it will help you.

" I know from past when all the catching and pulling and releasing going on erodes the gears clusters"

First you really need to specify what you mean by "catching and pulling and releasing". It can be interpreted as three things:
1) the chain not centering over one sprocket, and kinda wander between two
2) the chain centering over one sprocket, but failing to engage properly, with the chain slipping and skating over the tops of the teeth
3) the pawls of the clutch mechanism sticking and failing to engage. In this case, the chain is sitting nicely on a sprocket, but the cluster will spin effortlessly WRT the wheel.

Trying to run a 6-speed cluster against a 7-speed shifter you're a prime candidate for #1

But given an older, well used bike, and - according to your description - new freewheel but no mentioning of new chain bike, you're a good candidate for #2 as well. Chain, sprockets and chainrings wear together, and it's very common for a worn chain not to engage properly on new sprockets. And vice versa of course.

And #3 is also a possibility.

Either way, for #2 I think you've got cause and effect the wrong way around. Chain slipping/skipping (on a sprocket) is the RESULT of a worn-out drivetrain, NOT the cause of it.
You're noticing the damage BECAUSE of the skipping, but had you checked the condition of the parts the week before the skipping started they'd have looked just as bad.
Of course they'll look worse and worse the longer you ride e'm, but the transition from "worn" to "worn out" happened when/before the skipping first occurred, not because of it..

A chain slipping/skipping MAY sometimes cause the occasional tooth to shear off, but it'd take AMAZING patience or desperation to ride a bike enough while in this condition for the skipping itself to cause significant wear.

Chainrings will usually outlast several chains and freewheels/cassettes, but it is POSSIBLE to wear them out prematurely, if chain replacement has been left off way too long. Sheldon Brown has a nice piece on how to check for excessive chainring wear.