puzzled

newbie20121

Hi all ,i have just bought my first road bike a Carerra TDF unfortunately i have fallen off at slow speed the bike fell over on the non gear side. But now it will not move off the small cog (lowest gear) . Like i say it did not fall on that side ,so any advice would be greatly appreciated, i forgot to mention nothing looks bent or out of line.

desweller

Small cog at the front then?

Check that all the cable runs are correctly mounted in their stop.

newbie20121

thanks Des , small cog front and back

newbie20121

sorry the cable runs are correctly mounted too

Welsh boy

A few mixed messages here, the smallest cog is the biggest gear (rear cogs) and the small chainring (front) give you the lowest gears. It is unlikely that simply falling over would stop both the front and rear gear mechanisms from moving at all. Was everything OK immediately before the spill? Do the gear levers move as if they are trying to make a gear change or are the shifters locked up solid? Can you move the front and rear mechanisms by hand (ie physically grab them and move them) and can you move the gear cables by hand if you pull on them, again by hand and not using the shifter mechanism? Lets try and work out where the problem is, the shifter, the cable or the mechanisms?

newbie20121

Welsh boy wrote:

A few mixed messages here, the smallest cog is the biggest gear (rear cogs) and the small chainring (front) give you the lowest gears. It is unlikely that simply falling over would stop both the front and rear gear mechanisms from moving at all. Was everything OK immediately before the spill? Do the gear levers move as if they are trying to make a gear change or are the shifters locked up solid? Can you move the front and rear mechanisms by hand (ie physically grab them and move them) and can you move the gear cables by hand if you pull on them, again by hand and not using the shifter mechanism? Lets try and work out where the problem is, the shifter, the cable or the mechanisms?

Welsh boy thanks for your comments everything was fine before the fall over, i had rode about 8 miles changing through the gears fine.The shifters both are free but do not change the gears and i think i am right in saying (the chain is on the smallest chainring and the smallest cog at rear) i am on the biggest gear on the small chainring ,sorry for my ignorance.the chain i can move by hand but i cant move the gear cables by hand .Thanks in advance

Welsh boy

Ok, it sounds like the cables are trapped somewhere. Going back on what Des said, double check the cables have not popped out of their housing and also check that the outer casing has not been kinked or compressed when the bike fell over. This will most likely be near the front of the bike, probably where the outer casing from the handlebars meet the cable stops on the frame. If the cables have been compressed they will look ok but the restriction will prevent the inner cable moving freely through the outer casing

newbie20121

There is no kinks in the casing and all are in their respective housing . Thanks for you help maybe it will be a trip back to the shop .

Welsh boy

I think that might be the best option, let us know what they find.

cycleclinic

I kind of sounds like that the cable has slipped in the anchor bolt. This will not be related to the crash but it just happened at the same time.

newbie20121

thecycleclinic wrote:

I kind of sounds like that the cable has slipped in the anchor bolt. This will not be related to the crash but it just happened at the same time.

Thank you is it something a novice like myself could sort ?

newbie20121

Update everyone took the bike back to halfords ,left the bike when i went back to collect it the lad said it was now ok he had adjusted the rear tension ,coulnt ask for anymore details as he was with another customer. Now i rode it round the car park shifting ok ,then set off on the 10 mile ride home. Got halfway back and the gears wont change ,the chain is on the small front cog and the small back cog again the shifters wont change the gears. Wonder if anyone can throw any light on this before i trek back to halfords

karlth

newbie20121 wrote:

Update everyone took the bike back to halfords ,left the bike when i went back to collect it the lad said it was now ok he had adjusted the rear tension ,coulnt ask for anymore details as he was with another customer. Now i rode it round the car park shifting ok ,then set off on the 10 mile ride home. Got halfway back and the gears wont change ,the chain is on the small front cog and the small back cog again the shifters wont change the gears. Wonder if anyone can throw any light on this before i trek back to halfords

Cables not properly tightened in the clamps and slipped out?

newbie20121

just unusual mate its happened twice now !!

russyh

When you move the shifter can you see or feel the cable moving at all?

desweller

Either the cable clamp is slipping or the shifter is no longer able to hold the ratchet against the spring load. My money is on the latter given it followed an accident.

It's a bit of a weird one though; I'd really need to see it to diagnose it.

cycleclinic

If it is the shifter then replaement 8 speed shifters are quite expensive. But it still could be a cable tension isue caused by the cable slipping in the anhor bolt. It a problem someone needs to see really, someone you trust as well.

newbie20121

Thanks for your replies , i have an ex workmate who fixes bikes and knows what he is doing. I will either get his opinion or take back to halfords and make sure everything is working properly before i get too far away.Dont mind cycling 10 miles but not in one gear .