confused with my gears...

Jameshill247

Hello

New to all this so still dont really know the names of parts

I have a Pinacle Dolomite 2 2013 everything stock except some Look deltas and a new saddle

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... e-ec044210

first road bike had it about 3 months and since day 1 have not really understood the big cog/ small cog

on my left shifter it moves 2 times but looking at it there are only 2 cogs the big and the small but on the shifter there is a middle.

When i shift into the middle it doesn't shift gears it just makes a grinding noise and then when i do shift up to the large cog when shift down to the smaller cog again the button is really stiff and not a smooth move down

is this normal? do my gears need adjusting or cables adjusting

as a result i spend most of my time in the smaller cog and the higher of the back gears... if that makes any sense??

thanks

markhewitt1978

(2300 STI's for those that are reading this)

There probably isn't a middle, but what you are experiencing is the trim function, i.e. a short click to the right 'trims' the front mech, such that you can use higher gears (smaller rear cog!) and the second click is the actual shift function.

You can trim on both the little and big rings, e.g. sometimes if you are in your highest gear you'll need to trim the front slightly to stop the chain catching.

I've only ridden 105, so I don't really know how 2300 works but I expect it's similar)

Jameshill247

Ah right I see...

So it's kinda like not switching gears but like an in between ?

So as I spend most of my time in the smaller cog but higher back cogs would it make more sense for me to switch to the bigger cog and then not so high a gear on the back?

At the moment I just ride at a gear that seems right and seem to be doing alright

The hills I do on my route i no longer need to go into the easier gears I keep it as it is but then I might be pedalling in a weird gear?

Maybe I'm not getting to speeds where I would need to use the big cog I use it downhill but that's about it

markhewitt1978

In general you need to be on the biggest half of your rear cassette when on the little ring and the smallest half when on the big ring.

I completely ignore this advice and regularly cycle in the big ring with the biggest cog at the back

Jameshill247

Guess I will have to try changing when I get mid way then

I think I was waiting till I ran out of gears on the back then shifting to big cog which then became tricky

I think they probably need adjusting as I haven't had the 6 week service missed it and then didnt want to pay for a full service so early in seeing as it hasn't done a whole lot of miles my commute is quite short

The YouTube vids for gear adjustment seem okay just need a bike stand is it as simple as they make it look?

cesco

Jameshill247 wrote:

At the moment I just ride at a gear that seems right and seem to be doing alright

Which is the only way. In general you want a straight enough chain line; but actually I'm not even sure if that still strictly necessary with modern derailleurs.

Jameshill247

Thanks for the replies got a much better understanding now

cesco wrote:

Jameshill247 wrote:

At the moment I just ride at a gear that seems right and seem to be doing alright

Which is the only way. In general you want a straight enough chain line; but actually I'm not even sure if that still strictly necessary with modern derailleurs.

yeah guess i will keep doing what im doing and I will figure what works best

OnYourRight wrote:

Jameshill247 wrote:

on my left shifter it moves 2 times but looking at it there are only 2 cogs the big and the small but on the shifter there is a middle.

As mentioned above, that’s the trim function. This PDF document explains how it works for your ST-2300 shifters (it also describes the slightly different ST-2303 shifters, so check you’re reading the right description).

The trim feature allows access to a wider range of sprockets on the rear cassette without encountering chain rub on the cage of the front derailleur. Just play it by ear: if you hear the chain rubbing, engage the trim (in whatever direction is possible). If the chain rub goes away, great! If not, you’re in one of the few crossover gears that cause unavoidable chain rub (described in this PDF document), in which case you should change to the other front chainring and find another comfortable gear at the back.

Jameshill247 wrote:

when shift down to the smaller cog again the button is really stiff and not a smooth move down

is this normal?

Yes, that’s normal. The thumb button is small and doesn’t travel far, and yet it has to release against considerable spring tension from the front derailleur. It does feel a bit stiff and when it moves it goes with a sudden clang. Nothing to worry about.

Thanks for the PDF has cleared things up i tried explaining in evans but i couldn't really get across what i meant so this was a big help!