Rear Gears suddenly worsened

Gazmanclown
Gazmanclown Posts: 18
edited January 2013 in MTB workshop & tech
During my last ride, i suddenly noticed how it was difficult so gear up to a lower gear on my rear deraileur. I`d got some new gloves for xmas, and at first put it down to that, thinking wearing gloves was probably making me think it was tougher. But after the ride and my thumb throbbing. I decided it was probably somthing else.

I`ve checked my cable, it seems fine ( the bike is only 5 months or so old so it should be fine) so i dont think its catching on the casing anywhere, but i cant get the gears to switch smoothly at all. It requires quite a lot of force to try and gear up to the lowest gear on the rear cassette.

Ive tried adjusting cable tension from the barrel on the switcher, and from manully loosening the cable at the bolt. At one point when in the highest gear the cable was so slack there should have been no tightness to switch gears, but there still was.

Any ideas?

Comments

  • BigStu2
    BigStu2 Posts: 794
    Could be a number of things,
    Remove the cable from the rear mech and apply a little tension to it as you click through the gears, if the shifter cant move the cable then its time for a new shifter or a good cleanout if youv'e been hammering the mud.
    Or you've bent the mech and or cablehanger, with the cable removed try manually pushing the deraileur through the gears to see if the chain runs smoothly over the whole cassette
    .........all
    ...at........work
    fun..................&
    ..no.............no
    .....is......play
  • Uli
    Uli Posts: 190
    Probably dirty cables and friction is preventing smooth change. Remove inners from outers, clean and lubricate, set up shifting again. In the recent weather conditions 5 months without cleaning is long enough.
  • Gazmanclown
    Gazmanclown Posts: 18
    Ok, ill try those things.
    Not sure i will have bent the mech/cable hangar as i havn`t had any bangs on the bike yet. Just general wear and tear riding over uneven terrain, unless that would be enough to do it obviously.

    also, Uli, yea i agree if i`d left it uncleaned for 5 months, then yea, it certainly would be long enough. But i clean it down after every ride. Wash the bike, clean the chain/ cables and re oil them. I havnt take the inners out though as yet, but like i said, i shall give it a look.

    Cheers.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    If it's just the lowest (largest) gear it could be a badly adjusted (or muck in) stop.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Lagrange
    Lagrange Posts: 652
    I've had this before and did all of these things. Solution was to open the shifter and blast it with WD and then grease the pawl. Not obvious - well to me it wasn't!
  • seanevz
    seanevz Posts: 2
    happened to me last week, the guy in the shop said i needed a new cable. I took it home loosened the cable and greased it heavily. Works like a dream now though. Really opened my eyes up to component cleanliness :)

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