Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

by **SkidderMudflaps** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:43 pm

Hi all

I'm the guy who posted earlier (tall rider with buggered elbow). Happy to say I received my new Bachetta CA2.0 last Monday unpacked it, attached the rear derailer and realised I need to tune the gears.

I'm crap at that kind of stuff, but what makes it harder is to work on the bike I need someone turning the pedals and changing gears, someone lifting the real tyre of the ground, and someone to tune the shifter and derailer.

How the hell do you folk work on your bent without a small army? Should I just take it to a local bike shop? If so, any recommendations (one I rang in Ringwood isn't keen to work on it due to the exact same reason as I listed!).

I also notice the front brake lever is very stiff (considerably stiffer than the left brake). Is this normal?

Thanks Skidder

by **BNA** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:56 pm

by **John Lewis** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:56 pm

Hi Skidder,

Well what I do is use a couple of bits of rope. You can hang the bike with the back wheel off the ground fairly easily.
Now you can turn the pedals and get at the gear shifters and deraileur at the same time without too much trouble.
I'll assume you have a triple ring on the front. Set the shifter to put the chain on the middle ring.

Usually the highest gear (smallest cog on the rear) is when the deraileur cable is at its loosest. Some are the other way.
Set the rear shifter so the chain is on the smallest cog . Screw the adjuster in a a bit. Now change up one gear while turning the pedals. It should not shift. if it does move to smallest again and wind the barrel in a bit further. While turning the pedals screw the rear deraileur adjuster barrel out slowly until it just shifts up. Now you can try through the full range. Should be fine but you may need to go another half turn or so.

One thing I should mention is to check that at each end of the range the deraileur pulleys line up with the appropriate sprocket. There are a couple of adjustment screws. One labeled L and the other H.
You can adjust the position with these. I'd assume they will be pretty right though.

I'll leave you to puzzle out the front Deraileur adjustments. Do them in a similiar way.

I was taught this method when I worked in the bike shop and it has always worked for me.
There are plenty of vids on Youtube if you need help.

Enjoy that Baccetta.

John

by **Baalzamon** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:20 pm

MrRecumbentis based in Vic so they may be able to assist you

by **just4tehhalibut** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:32 am

Or you could simply support the rear wheel in some sort of stand that lifts it off the ground so that it can rotate. If you don't have a mag trainer that you can clamp your Bacchetta into then perhaps one of those workshop stands?

Topeak makes a beefier version that can actually allow you to ride the bike while it is clamped in but for $100 you may as well go buy a secondhand trainer.
My Bacchetta has one of those Terracycle underseat racks, I just prop the bike via that rack onto a small wooden box of the right height that I keep around, balance the bike to keep the front wheel on the ground and away I go tuning. The same underseat rack and an under-the-frame Norback toolbag mean that I don't have room to clamp the frame onto the regular repair workstand, some Park Tool stands apparently do work with Bacchettas but maybe for carbon you'd not want to clamp the stick frame in lest you crush it.

by **Riggsbie** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 2:17 pm

Hey Skidder

I use a cheap training thingy (which I picked up in a sale in Anaconda for $20) for my Musashi......they usually come with a skewer that fits the trainer OK and then you can sit on the bike and pedal and try shifting etc.....you still have to get on your knees to work on the deraileur etc.....totally invaluable as you will need to fiddle a bit to get things just right.....then you will want to upgrade and fiddle some more ;-)

Totally jealous that you have a CA2, that is a bike on my wanted list.....

Have fun !!

by **Duck!** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:17 pm

Baalzamon wrote:MrRecumbentis based in Vic so they may be able to assist you

Psst, It's actually MR Recumbents, not "Mister". :wink:

Common source of misinterpretation.

by **RonK** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:41 pm

Duck! wrote:
Baalzamon wrote:MrRecumbentis based in Vic so they may be able to assist you

Psst, It's actually MR Recumbents, not "Mister". Common source of misinterpretation.

While we are discussing the errata, it is actually M.R.Components.