Easily fixed or to the bike shop I go?

[Meesh]

Hi everyone,

Let me start off by admitting I have a cheap, rubbish bike. It's a rusty old Indie Bandit that rides like I'm riding through treacle. But I love it and it gives me a good workout on my way to/from work each day. That's what I'm telling myself until I can afford a new bike at any rate.

Unfortunately, the gears won't shift into 5th (yep, I've only got 5 gears) when I want them to. Sometimes it will shift into 5th but I have to do a weird back-pedalling manoeuvre that sometimes works/sometimes doesn't and if it doesn't then I'm pedalling like crazy but bouncing around a lot as I can't get enough resistance in 4th to pedal properly going downhill so I can't build up much momentum - I hope that makes sense.

Is there an easy way to fix this problem or is this something I need to get the bike shop chaps to have a look at for me?

Cheers for your help.
Meesh

[twizzle]

At the very least (given that it's "old"), a new shift cable (inner & outer) is required, so unless you have a cable-cutter... off to the shop you go.

Then again - probably cheaper for you to buy a cheap cable cutter & an appropriate MTB cable kit and do it yourself. Lots of youtube video's as a guide and it's pretty simple to DIY.

Last time I had shifting problems, I had three strands of the cable left and about 12 broken ones that were jamming the shift. Before that, it was some dirt in the RD behind the limit screw.

[Nobody]

If the instructions below don't help, then it's probably the cable needs replacement, so I'd say go to the LBS.
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... derailleur

[Meesh]

Thanks so much for responding!

Bike DIY is not my strong point and what you describe sounds a little beyond my meagre skills unfortunately... so off to the bike shop my little treacle bike shall go.

Is this something that is dangerous and should be seen to quite quickly?? Or am I okay to keep trundling along in 4th and just not try to shift to 5th until I can get it fixed?

[Nobody]

Is this something that is dangerous and should be seen to quite quickly?? Or am I okay to keep trundling along in 4th and just not try to shift to 5th until I can get it fixed?

Not dangerous. Keep trundling.

[ironhanglider]

Start with a good clean. A well adjusted derailler won't work if it too gummed up to move.

Cheers,

Cameron

[twizzle]

Is this something that is dangerous and should be seen to quite quickly?? Or am I okay to keep trundling along in 4th and just not try to shift to 5th until I can get it fixed?

Not dangerous. Keep trundling.

Except those two occasions where my old bike shifted gears by itself when I was off the saddle accelerating across intersections, first time wasn't too bad, the second time I landed across the bars, bruised the crap out of my chest and lost the head unit for the powertap (~$130 to replace). YMMV.


Sent from my iThingy...

[Nobody]

Is this something that is dangerous and should be seen to quite quickly?? Or am I okay to keep trundling along in 4th and just not try to shift to 5th until I can get it fixed?

Not dangerous. Keep trundling.

Except those two occasions where my old bike shifted gears by itself when I was off the saddle accelerating across intersections, first time wasn't too bad, the second time I landed across the bars, bruised the crap out of my chest and lost the head unit for the powertap (~$130 to replace). YMMV.

Sorry, oversight. I'll modify to, "Not dangerous if you keep seated in 4th." Somehow I must have got the impression that he/she would not be standing in 4th gear, but down-shifting.

Sheldon agrees with you too.

You should never stand up to pedal a bicycle that you do not know to be in excellent mechanical condition!

http://sheldonbrown.com/standing.html

[Meesh]

Yep, I (she) am just seated in 4th and when trying to get into 5th - am generally heading downhill at this point so seated. Treacle bike does throw a bit of a wobbly when I try to shift from 4th to 3rd or 2nd when halfway up a hill. Seems to be okay when I shift prior to actually attacking the hill and I can then stand up to pedal okay. Trip to the bike shop is booked for next week!

[master6]

Yep, I (she) am just seated in 4th and when trying to get into 5th - am generally heading downhill at this point so seated. Treacle bike does throw a bit of a wobbly when I try to shift from 4th to 3rd or 2nd when halfway up a hill. Seems to be okay when I shift prior to actually attacking the hill and I can then stand up to pedal okay. Trip to the bike shop is booked for next week!

Perhaps your boyfriend is manly enough to fix it?

[Meesh]

Yep, I (she) am just seated in 4th and when trying to get into 5th - am generally heading downhill at this point so seated. Treacle bike does throw a bit of a wobbly when I try to shift from 4th to 3rd or 2nd when halfway up a hill. Seems to be okay when I shift prior to actually attacking the hill and I can then stand up to pedal okay. Trip to the bike shop is booked for next week!

Perhaps your boyfriend is manly enough to fix it?

He would probably be willing to try but unfortunately not his forte

[twizzle]

Yep, I (she) am just seated in 4th and when trying to get into 5th - am generally heading downhill at this point so seated. Treacle bike does throw a bit of a wobbly when I try to shift from 4th to 3rd or 2nd when halfway up a hill. Seems to be okay when I shift prior to actually attacking the hill and I can then stand up to pedal okay. Trip to the bike shop is booked for next week!

Perhaps your boyfriend is manly enough to fix it?

He would probably be willing to try but unfortunately not his forte

Just tell him "fix it or buy me a new one".

[Meesh]

Hahah, that'd be lovely! Maybe I can drop hints for a Christmas present...

[Mulger bill]

Now you're thinking