gears

bd12mz
bd12mz Posts: 79
edited August 2009 in Commuting chat
hi,
I am puzzled by my bicycle gears.

first off the bike I chose to buy is the cheap and nasty hybrid Apollo CX10.
I cover 6 miles per day cycling to work and back and didn't want to spend shedloads on anything in case it really didn't suit me.

after 30 years of not cycling I actually have found I enjoy it tremendously.

anyways my query is this.

the pedals have 3 gears and the rear 6.
my asusmption is that totals 18 gears as advertised.

however - what I have noticed is that of the 3 gears the chain only ever goes in 2 of 3 available.
and of the back 6 I get 4½ - the half comes from gear 1.
twisting the shift when is sat in 1 moves the chain ot the largest gear wheel on the back.
but it will eventually snap to the 2nd gear wheel.
there seems to be several redundant gears because if I go to 2, 3 or 4 the chain misses the rear gears so that 4 is actually 6.

does all of this mean that both front and back derailleur need serious adjustment?

Comments

  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Not serious adjustment - just a small amount, with a smile on your face. So not serious at all.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    bd12mz wrote:

    does all of this mean that both front and back derailleur need serious adjustment?

    Sounds like you bought a bike from Hellfords. Yes it will need setting up, but then as you say it was cheap :roll:
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    Yes, however, its generally not going to work well to "cross" the chain - so if you are on the smallest gear at teh front, and the smallest at the back, or the largest at the front and the largest at the back. It also wears the chain out faster.

    So no one, not even Lance, really has as many useable gears as advertised.

    On the middle ring, your rear mech should be adjusted so allow you to get all the gears on the back.

    Your front mech is certainly maladjusted if you can only get two of the three chain rings. There should be some adjustment screws that abut some part of the mechanism. One of them needs backing off a bit by the sounds of it.

    Nothing serious.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    You don't have 18 different ratios, prob closer to 12 maybe 13. Anyway.

    Best thing to do is accept that you've chanced upon something that you really enjoy so chuck this bike on Freecycle and then buy something better, so that you'll enjoy the ride and get some pleasure from it. You'll do this anyway - you may as well do it now and save yourself 6 months or whatever of riding something that's not up to your requirements.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Always Tyred wrote:
    Yes, however, its generally not going to work well to "cross" the chain - so if you are on the smallest gear at teh front, and the smallest at the back, or the largest at the front and the largest at the back. It also wears the chain out faster.

    So no one, not even Lance, really has as many useable gears as advertised.

    .

    Yeah but it aitn't gonna make a whole lot of difference on an Apollo cheapie is it? Really you should be able to get all the gears, all this no-cross chaining talk and increased wear means little when all the poor chap has is lucky dip gears :roll:
  • R_T_A
    R_T_A Posts: 488
    As everyone has said, you should be able to get all your gears regardless. Depending on how you feel, either:

    - Go to your local bike shop and ask them to set it up for you. Costs are differing, and you may be able to sweet talk them :wink:
    - Have a go yourself. Check out the following links for some video that may help:

    Front http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-front-derailer/
    Rear http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-rear-derailleur/
    Giant Escape R1
    FCN 8
    "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    - Terry Pratchett.
  • Eau Rouge
    Eau Rouge Posts: 1,118
    Always Tyred wrote:
    So no one, not even Lance, really has as many useable gears as advertised.

    The Pro's are amongst the worst chain-crosser in the business. It's not their bike, and they have a guy who looks after it for them, they don't care about looking after it in the long term, they want to use that gear combination, and now, so they go ahead and use it.
  • Stuey01
    Stuey01 Posts: 1,273
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    Always Tyred wrote:
    So no one, not even Lance, really has as many useable gears as advertised.

    The Pro's are amongst the worst chain-crosser in the business. It's not their bike, and they have a guy who looks after it for them, they don't care about looking after it in the long term, they want to use that gear combination, and now, so they go ahead and use it.

    So would I if I got a brand new chain everyday.
    Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur
  • bd12mz
    bd12mz Posts: 79
    thanks everyone - I will have a pop at it myself.
    I did adjust the rear derailluers to stop the chain coming off the top gear.

    my thoughts are already straying to a proper road bike of some sort.
    this one from halfords was really just a test to see how I fared.

    lol@lucky dip gear changes - it is pretty much like that but I can usually find the gear to fit the road conidtions.

    must say that the technology has come a long long way since my Raleigh Chopper days 30+ years ago.
    now that was a bike you couldn't destroy. ;)

    what I notice most after trying my brothers road bike is how much shorter mine it from seat to handlebars.

    with his I could stretch out more and pedalling seemed more natural - specially uphill.

    it's just nice to get places in so little time.
    before I had to catch 2 buses to work and it was only 3-4 miles - just no direct link. :<

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