New Bike EZ shift gears don't work!

dannnyboy
dannnyboy Posts: 5
edited June 2008 in MTB beginners
I hope nobody minds too much a complete newbie posting his problems!!

I have bought a new Giant Boulder as a get to work/intro to mountain biking.

It seems good; apart from the fact that the rear gear will only move on the 2 smallest cogs. The screw adjusters do not seem to be the problem, I can see the one screw touching where it is supposed to when the smallest cog is selected, but the other screw is nowhere near it's limit, in fact I have undone that screw all the way and tigtened it completely and it makes no difference.

when I push the lever to move the gears the deraillier moves and then springs back, of course the display on the shifter goes right through the gears as it should.

The gears are shimano EZ shift (24 gears)

I am sorry I may not have explained that very well, but I wonder if anyone could help me.

Comments

  • brett1980
    brett1980 Posts: 62
    try adjusting the barell adjusters on thec shifter or mech. I would also reset the cable as it sounds too slack. make all ajustments when on the smallest sprocket.
    "Any hole is a goal.....but a good hole is a bonus!!"
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    new bike not set up correctly, guess it was mail order?

    If not take it back and get them to sort it. It should be supplied in a working form.

    info for setting up gears on parktools.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • dannnyboy
    dannnyboy Posts: 5
    Yeah I bought in mail order....I would advise everybody against that course of action.

    The instructions and the online instructions from that Parktools site are the same....they assume a level of knowledge, that if I had it I would not need them...next to useless.

    I am gonna send the damn thing back, go back to catching the bus to work and playing rugby to keep fit, being kicked in the head for 80 minutes is a long way preferable to endlessly trying to get this bike working!

    Thanks for trying to help!

    I would also add a footnote: I have noticed that the Giant Boulder gets high recommendations, but I have to admit that it does not have a quality feel to it, the small nuts and bolts are very poor, and the shimano brake/gear shifters are of a very poor construction, I do not know what more expensive equipment it like; but I do not feel like I got a good product for my money.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    If there is nothing physically wrong with the bike, and you have had it a while, you will probably not get a refund: not being able to adjust it is not a fault!

    It seems that cable tension is the problem - if unsure, book it into a bike shop and get them to set it up. You could try putting the rear gear onto the highest setting, unbolt the cable at the mech, pull the slack cable through, fasten the cable. Now try the gears, and adjust via the barrel adjuster.

    Believe me the Boulder is head and shoulders above other sub 200 quid bikes!

    If you find Park hard to understand, maybe try the book by Leonard Zinn.
  • dannnyboy
    dannnyboy Posts: 5
    Many thanks for your help.

    The bike is brand new; even with the cable disconnected the chain will not move on to the tallest cog, I can move the chain there but the mechanism is under tension to pull the thing back to around the middle of the gears.

    With all the adjustment I have made...i.e tightening the cable and making turns to the adjuster all I have managed to do is make the chain skip 2 gears at a time when shifting, i.e from the smallest to the 3rdes smallest, no matter what I do the thing will not shift onto a cog any bigger than that.

    With regard to the quality thing, I have been making adjustments to bolts and screws and they are looking worn like they are 10 years old now. The screws are the type that when you turn them they leave metal fillings stuck to the tip of the screwdriver as they wear away, the metal is so soft....the whole thing just seems to me to be just cheap shoddy rubbish. They sent a massive catalog of Giant products with my bike, I find it a bit funny because now I just have a huge list of things I know to avoid buying.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    The only parts of the bike that is actually Giant is the frame, maybe the bars and stem! The rest is picked fom the same pool as they all use, and for drivetrain that is SRAM and Shimano.

    Contact the shop you bought it from, see what they say. It could be a one off problem - I havse set dozens of bikes up with the same Shimano gear, without a problem. Possible you got a rogue.
  • s.h.r.e.d
    s.h.r.e.d Posts: 33
    If you have done everything suggested here, then it sounds like the derailleur hanger is bent. The best thing to do is to book it into your LBS for a gear tune. At my shop, it is £10 for both deraillleurs. This will sort it out. Please don't give up on mountain biking!!! It is far bettter than rugby or catching the bus or doing pretty much anythhing else in the world!
    Oli
  • dannnyboy
    dannnyboy Posts: 5
    Hi again everyone; I would again pass on my thanks for your helpful comments, especially for a 'newbie' essential moaning!

    Well an update, I took the gear cable off and rethreaded it, and tightened it up and I managed to get 12 or so of the 24 gears working; I needed the bike to get to work, so that was OK for me, and I had already booked it in to a good local bike shop (where I should have gone to get the bike in the first place!!).

    On my way to work, on the first day I used the thing for more than 1mile or so, I got 7 miles through my 9 mile journey to work and one of the peddles came off. It had completely stripped the thread from the arm from the crank! I have since noticed on the ad where I got my bike the crank is advertised as Shimano and the one on my bike is Suntour.....arghhhh.

    Anyway the whole think is into the shop today, and so I should have a new crank and anything else I need and be fit and ready to go next week.

    So why am I boring you with this story? Well I have had nothing but a disaster, but still the 7 miles I did that morning have firmly convinced me that I want to carry on; I managed to get my lungs burning, and had to stop at one stage to catch my breath, but I loved it, and even though i had to walk the last 2 miles, I felt excellent at work the whole day....I think I am hooked, I mean I really enjoyed a boring ride to work, I have not been into the hills yet!

    I am going to get myself fit on this bike, and perhaps upgrade in 6-12 months or so.
    The advice of the people on here, and the positive comments and advice the senior members on this site offer new people like me is truly outstanding, great people, great sport!!