Problem with Gears

Mungoose

Hi

My wife has just taken delivery of a shiny new Specialized Expedition Sport from Evans Mails Order.

The rear drive has seven sprockets, but the problem is it shifts from the first to the last in only six clicks of the shifter ie from position 1 on the shifter to position six. Clicking to seven does nothing as the chain is already on the last sprocket. In fouth the chain keeps skipping.

Rang Evans who said this sounds like a simple problem of too much tension on the cable, and advised adjusting the barrel adjuster.

Does this sound right, would too much tension cause these particular symptoms?

redddraggon

There should be only 6 clicks to get from sprocket 1 to 7 as there's only 6 gaps, there's probably another click because the shifters are 8 speed ones ( 7 and 8 speed have same spacing so indexing will be fine with the extra click doing nothing)

You just need to index the gears properly to stop the skipping.

Bronzie

Yes - undo the gear cable clamp on the rear mech and rotate the cranks forward so the chain run across the rear cassette - the mech should align under spring pressure on the smallest cog at the back - release the gear changer as far as it will go by clicking the release lever until it will not click any more - not pull the gear cable through the clamp so that it is just taught where it runs down the bikes down tube and tighten the clamp.

This should be about right now, although to get the indexing across the gears spot on you may need to tighten or loosen the cable just a little using the cable tension adjuster (screw device where outer cable terminates at rear mech).

Hope this helps but look on Park Tools site for clarification:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=64

Mungoose

Sorry, I mean 5 clicks, i.e starting from 1 and clicking through to 6

Mungoose

Hi

Last night I inverted the bike and started adjusting the cable tension

However I noticed as the wheel was spinning, the sprockets "wobble" slightly, as though they are not aligned with the wheel.

Is this a sign I have a damaged rear set-up?

Thanks for any help.

gavintc

It is a new bike, take it back to the shop for a repair. The sprockets should not wobble on the rear cassette, it sounds like the cassette has not been tightened onto the wheel properly and if you are not shifting to all gears, the high and low stops are incorrect. I stand by my previous comment - it is for Evans to sort out.

nmcgann

Mungoose wrote:

Hi

Last night I inverted the bike and started adjusting the cable tension

However I noticed as the wheel was spinning, the sprockets "wobble" slightly, as though they are not aligned with the wheel.

Is this a sign I have a damaged rear set-up?

Thanks for any help.

A very slight wobble is normal on cheaper cassettes (I see it on the Shimano 9-speed HG50 ones I use in winter), but it is only a tiny amount and doesn't affect the shifting. However, if you can feel the sprockets move in any way when you get hold of them then the cassette is loose on the hub and the shop needs to sort it out.

Neil

John C.

New Bike
take it back and ask them to fix it. that is why we buy from a shop and not off the internet .

If you mess about with it not knowing what you are doing and there is a problem you may well effect your warrenty.

New bikes should be ridden and enjoyed.