Trouble with Shimano Gears!

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if those with a bit of bike repair know how could point me in the right direction with something?

I foolishly agreed to repair a puncture on the rear tyre of my wife's grandfather's bike thinking that anything that I removed whilst uncoupling the rear wheel I would simply need to put back as is and hey presto, functioning bike again.

Unfortunately that has not been the case and it now seems that the gears are not playing ball...

It is an old (German) bike, Goricke Boulevard and the gear system (apologies for any incorrect terminology) is Shimano SG-7C20.

Just to let you know what I have done so far... I removed the rear wheel, in doing so I removed the connection for the gears. I first (mistakenly) thought that this was done at the nut where it turns out the cable runs through to the centre of the back wheel and spent a long time unscrewing this until I realised my mistake. Whilst unscrewing this I am pretty sure I could hear the gears clicking...

Once I repaired the puncture and put the wheel back on and tightened everything up again I rode the bike around and was getting nothing from the thumb switch that changes between the seven gears, neither up nor down, and it seems to have settled on gear one to stay on. The cable has got some play in it but I have no idea if it was like that already...

Anyway, I am hoping this is an easy fix and some genius out there knows exactly what I've done wrong. I appreciate that the description isn't the best so I have attached some pictures to try and show what I am dealing with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Peter.









Comments

  • david37
    david37 Posts: 1,313
    i cant tell on the tiny screen i have what the brand is but FWIW stick it in gear two and adjust the tension on the gear chain until the metal rod is parallel with the end of the axle. you should then have your gears
  • petedln
    petedln Posts: 11
    Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to stick it in any gear... there is only one cog on the rear axle so I've nothing to move the chain to...

    Is the cable supposed to be taut that runs from the thumb gear changer on the handlebars to the rear axle? At the moment there is quite a bit of play in it and it sticks out at the end of the gear changer. (Picture four).

    And does that silver handle on the rear axle have a function?
  • IIRC the default position is middle gear. Set the shifters to middle and connect up. Cable should be taut. Then gears should change. The wheel has to be driven by turning the pedals.

    (Of course, my memory could be way out - it has been known!)
  • petedln
    petedln Posts: 11
    Well I got the gears to change again, it turned out to be a sticky spring in the thumb mechanism. However as I ride around and change gear I can't feel much change in the ease/difficulty of the pedaling. I'm worried that I've fiddled with it all so much that something isn't right now? Any ideas on what could be causing this?