A few problems with my new bike.

Singing Mulefa

I have recently bought a Cannondale CAAD9 Optimo road bike. It is a brilliant machine and has made my 15-40 mile a day run around much more pleasurable. I have sold my car and so my bike is my only mode of transport..and using it every day I have noticed a number of little (and some big) things that annoy me about the bike.

1. Gears - it takes two clicks of the left hand gear changer for the chain to move on the main cog, down. I have to stop and get off my bike for the chain to change to the larger cog....an irritation but my LBS has said they will have a look at it. They have said that the cables might be loose? I am new to all this and find....when I tighten the gear cables using the tightening thing at the front of the bike the gear changer become too tight and therefore unusable.

2. Chain - When I change the front cogs to the smaller of the two my back gears (cogs) change gear without me wanting them to...it is irritating and normally happens at crucial moments (like going up hill)...Also I am constantly worried that it is going to happen and it makes the journey rather stressful.

3. Lights - I have two very good front lights (with a high and low beam) but the gear cables get in the way of the beam and make travelling at night rather dangerous..

4. Seat position - I am sure this is probably been answered in another thread but I have been told by another road cyclist that I sit "all hunched up on my bike". Should I have my seat higher....will this improve my sitting position....how much of a difference can seating position make?

5. Do road bikes always groan and creak? My bike makes some pretty crazy noises.....how do you get rid of them?

6. I am intending on cycling all the way through the winter....how should I cycle diffently in the snow? or ice? - Slower and with more care is what I thought...are there other things I can do to make it safer?

7. I cycled to work this morning in shorts....which was fine....until my legs went numb! Are Ronhill style trousers the best way forward....can I get them with lovely padding in the backside area....I have found the padding invaluable!! Also - can I get a hat that will fit under my helmet?

Sorry for so many questions....just worried about a few things and interested in your responses...

Kind Regards

Will

Big Red S

1,2,3 and 5 should all be fixed when your LBS looks at your bike. If you're interested in learning to fix them yourself (very worthwhile) there are a number of books around on the subject, and Park Tools have a good how-to section on their website.
Or, alternatively, post on here, but more than a couple of distinct questions per thread and it gets quite difficult to follow (with much ambiguity as to what 'it' is etc.)

Your seat should be positioned such that when the pedal is furthest from the saddle (so the bottom of the stroke), your leg is just short of straight.
If you stand up straight with legs slightly apart, and slowly lower yourself by bending your knees (like a squat) you can feel, quite near the top, the point where your weight shifts from being supported by bones to being supported by muscles.
That's about the angle your knee should be at when the corresponding foot's at the bottom of the stroke.

Barry Roubaix

7. You can get fleece lined caps to fit under helmets - they are invaluable in the depths of winter.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... LTUZHED250

You will need some roubaix (fleece lined) bib tights. Ones with strirrups are best. You don't need to have an insert in them cos you can wear your shorts underneath.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... LTUZBBT350

Big Red S

Thinking about it, how recently did you buy the bike, and did you buy it new?

If new, you should get a free adjustment on it shortly (usually around a month to six weeks) after purchase to readjust things after they bed in. I'm pretty sure to be a cannondale dealerr you need to offer it.
Basically, the bike at point of sale is still mostly a collection of parts that've been fitted together. In the first hundred miles or so various bits will bed in and, effectively, it changes from a lot of distinct parts to one complete bike. But in the process, things'll need adjusting.

Bugly

re 1) if your main cog is the chainwheel 2 clicks is right - first click is to stop the front mech scraping on the chain when you move to higher gears on the cluster. So one short shift feathers the mech two clicks changes gears.

2) learn to adjust your mechs - new cables stretch so get over it. Assuming the set screws are ok for firts and top gear you need to adjust the indexing To adjust go to your smaill chainring and shift to first gear, if it wont go to first gear you will need to remove some slack from the cable by going to top gear and retenshioning the cable. Now shift to second by clicking once from first geat, wont go? loosen the cable. When in second gear and you have no gear noise turn the screw clockwise until the chain starts to try and change to third (ie you hear a noise) then back of half a turn. Run through the gears, you should not hear chain clatter on the rear mech

3) ok you have shimano gears, thats where the cable are - honestly the lights cant be brillaint if the cables cast enough of a shadow to make it unsafe. Try mounting the lights higher possible the spot light on your helmet.

4) dont know how high your seat is - all sorts of guides but a start is to sit upright on the saddle (have someone hold the bike). Put our shoe clad heel on the pedal. Start of with your saddle postioned so high that you can only reach the pedal with your heel when the lower pedel is in line with the seat tube. This is your maxim reach. Now pedal backwards. You will find that you are rocking side to side - start dropping the saddle 5mm at a time until you can pedal backwards with no rock. This give you a nice bend at the knee when your foot is correctly positioned in the pedal. Starting point fore and aft for the saddle is to have your patela pretty much directly ove the pedal axle on the leading leg when the pedals are parallel to the ground. Use a plumb bob to set this.

Now put your hands on the drops look down at the axle. If you cant see the axle because the bars are in the way congratulations you are in a approximatley good position. IF you can see the front axle infront of the bars try a longer stem if its behind go for a shorter one.

When you ride take a allen key to make small adjustmetns to your seat postion.

5) no bikes should not groan and squeek. You either have rodents living in you bike or more likely something is loose. Good candidates to start with are seat posts, pedals, bottom brackets or headsets. Could be any other thing attached to the frame so for safety sake make sure everything is tight. If you dont know how tight then take it to a bike shop for maintenance.

6) yep slow down (you do in a car right?) wash of the grit as it has salt which will stuff up you bike. Lights reflectors etc are a good idea. Try fitting wider tyres to get better grip

7) personal preference is for a nice warm set of winter bib and brace.

Bugly

re 1) if your main cog is the chainwheel 2 clicks is right - first click is to stop the front mech scraping on the chain when you move to higher gears on the cluster. So one short shift feathers the mech two clicks changes gears.

2) learn to adjust your mechs - new cables stretch so get over it. Assuming the set screws are ok for firts and top gear you need to adjust the indexing To adjust go to your smaill chainring and shift to first gear, if it wont go to first gear you will need to remove some slack from the cable by going to top gear and retenshioning the cable. Now shift to second by clicking once from first geat, wont go? loosen the cable. When in second gear and you have no gear noise turn the screw clockwise until the chain starts to try and change to third (ie you hear a noise) then back of half a turn. Run through the gears, you should not hear chain clatter on the rear mech

3) ok you have shimano gears, thats where the cable are - honestly the lights cant be brillaint if the cables cast enough of a shadow to make it unsafe. Try mounting the lights higher possible the spot light on your helmet.

4) dont know how high your seat is - all sorts of guides but a start is to sit upright on the saddle (have someone hold the bike). Put our shoe clad heel on the pedal. Start of with your saddle postioned so high that you can only reach the pedal with your heel when the lower pedel is in line with the seat tube. This is your maxim reach. Now pedal backwards. You will find that you are rocking side to side - start dropping the saddle 5mm at a time until you can pedal backwards with no rock. This give you a nice bend at the knee when your foot is correctly positioned in the pedal. Starting point fore and aft for the saddle is to have your patela pretty much directly ove the pedal axle on the leading leg when the pedals are parallel to the ground. Use a plumb bob to set this.

Now put your hands on the drops look down at the axle. If you cant see the axle because the bars are in the way congratulations you are in a approximatley good position. IF you can see the front axle infront of the bars try a longer stem if its behind go for a shorter one.

When you ride take a allen key to make small adjustmetns to your seat postion.

5) no bikes should not groan and squeek. You either have rodents living in you bike or more likely something is loose. Good candidates to start with are seat posts, pedals, bottom brackets or headsets. Could be any other thing attached to the frame so for safety sake make sure everything is tight. If you dont know how tight then take it to a bike shop for maintenance.

6) yep slow down (you do in a car right?) wash of the grit as it has salt which will stuff up you bike. Lights reflectors etc are a good idea. Try fitting wider tyres to get better grip

7) personal preference is for a nice warm set of winter bib and brace.

meagain

"...how should I cycle diffently in the snow? or ice?"

Smooth ice is IMO/E pretty near unrideable other than in a straight line - and not always even then! On a very cold "fixed outing" gathered via the old C+ Special Interest Forum a few years ago all but 3 I think out of c. 15 of us went down at one point another!