Nightmare with gears

[Wreckferret]

Hi Guys,

Just after some advice as I'm a total newbie with cycling.

I splashed out on a planet X nanolight bike and have nothing but grief with it's gears since it arrived. It went back to them after 3 rides as the front deraileur span round and fouled the chain and the bracket started rubbing on the tyre.

having just got it back from the factory the rear cassette is clunking on the three rings down from the bigest. In each case the chain is catching on the next ring up and 'almost' trying to change up. On the second biggest ring it actually properly catches and then slips if there's a load on it (as when climbing).

having already sent it back once, and having very little experience i'm feeling like an idiot. I dont feel i know enough to even explain to them whats wrong, but surely this cant be right? Surely a £1600 bike shouldn't clunk and slip gears when it has less that 20 miles on it?

Thanks

Mike

 

[TKOS]

On the rear dérailleur there is an adjuster barrel. You can use that to adjust how the chain moves from gear cog to cog. I would google rear dérailleur adjustment and see if you can find an easy walkthrough guide.

 

[Wreckferret]

On the rear dérailleur there is an adjuster barrel. You can use that to adjust how the chain moves from gear cog to cog. I would google rear dérailleur adjustment and see if you can find an easy walkthrough guide.

Should I really expect to have to do that on a brand new bike? Am i just being picky, but I just feel that it should be 'right'...

 

[dabac]

Should I really expect to have to do that on a brand new bike? Am i just being picky, but I just feel that it should be 'right'...

Thing is, the cable sheaths in the shifting system in a bike is very loosely assembled, the parts are only pushing on each other with marginal force. On a brand new bike these parts haven't had the time to bed in properly yet, so these things happen. Adjusting for it is easy enough and really is a skill a rider should possess.

This is also why common noob recommendation is to buy from a lbs. With a store-bought bike you're usually offered at least one free tune-up, which takes care of minor tweaks like that. The tune-up meet also offers a natural opportunity for a rookie rider to ask about other bike related issues.

But having the front derailer spinning around shouldn't happen.

 

[dhk2]

It should be right when it's delivered to you. Not sure where you got the bike, but the simpliest thing to do might be to take it to your LBS mechanic and watch while he checks things out and tunes the shifting. It's tempting to start playing around with the barrel adjusters, but if the derailleurs aren't set up right, or the cables aren't properly installed, you can drive yourself crazy fiddling without good results.

 

[Yonni]

Thing is, the cable sheaths in the shifting system in a bike is very loosely assembled, the parts are only pushing on each other with marginal force. On a brand new bike these parts haven't had the time to bed in properly yet, so these things happen...

This is also why common noob recommendation is to buy from a lbs. With a store-bought bike you're usually offered at least one free tune-up, which takes care of minor tweaks like that. The tune-up meet also offers a natural opportunity for a rookie rider to ask about other bike related issues.

+1

There is also the possibility that something happened to it in transit. If it is really bad and you can't sort it with a few tweaks obviously send it back. I would look on youtube for gear tutorials (there are loads of good step-by-step maintenance movies there). you won't do any damage by following those and you will learn something that could help you out one day if you get stuck miles from home. Failing all that find a friendly local mechanic and ask him to have a look/show you. In the past I've had local mechanics give me small parts and fix simple stuff free just 'cos I was there chatting and I mentioned a problem.

 

[kokojo]

Same thing happened to me on my new bike bought recently. I thought the same after speding £1800. All it is is the cable stretching when it first starts to be used, i'm not sure the bike shop can do anything to prevent this in advance. I took mine back and they sorted out in under 10 mins. I've done about 60 miles now and its perfect again. You should keep taking it back until you are happy, if you have spent that much you should have a reasonable groupset and it should never slip while riding, even under high load like out of the saddle hills.

 

[TKOS]

Same thing happened to me on my new bike bought recently. I thought the same after speding £1800. All it is is the cable stretching when it first starts to be used, i'm not sure the bike shop can do anything to prevent this in advance. I took mine back and they sorted out in under 10 mins. I've done about 60 miles now and its perfect again. You should keep taking it back until you are happy, if you have spent that much you should have a reasonable groupset and it should never slip while riding, even under high load like out of the saddle hills.

My bike shop mechanic showed me a neat trick with the cable. He takes a rubber handled screw driver and pries the cable a few times to prestretch it once it is on the bike. Seems to work quite well.