New bike, gear advice please !!!

greamec
greamec Posts: 3
edited August 2008 in Road beginners
Hi all,
I am trying to recover from a knee problem I got playing football and recently got a bike to help with my recovery. This is my first bike for a while. I went to Halford and got this bike http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... ryrn_47151
The service I have had from halfords has been great with teething problems, except with the gears. Here is the problem:
When I ride with the smallest front sprocket in use I can get gears 1 to 4 without the chain rubbing above that and I get problems, and when using the large front sprocket I can not use all the gears.
The guy in the shop says that it is normal not to be able to get all the gears.
Is this true? How many gears should I be able to use?

Thanks for your help
Greame :?: [/url]

Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    yes thats normal, you want to keep your chainline as straight as possible so with a double, which you have. ie not go behond the middle postion on the back.

    i know they are sold as 16 speed etc but with derailers you get massive overlap you get 3 at most either side.
  • bellys
    bellys Posts: 456
    i get this on my double just one of them things.
  • fizz
    fizz Posts: 483
    I think it depends on your setup. I get very very little chain rub. Only really noticeable when I'm on the small ring on the front and the smallest sprocket on the back. I have a double with a 10 speed rear cassette.

    Sounds like you setup needs a little tweaking.
  • Tonymufc
    Tonymufc Posts: 1,016
    Bike looks good. The guys are right regarding the overlap with chain. Just one more thing though, I would get rid of those toe straps, and swap them for either clipless or flats. Toe straps are dangerous imho.
  • greamec
    greamec Posts: 3
    Thanks for all your help everyone :D

    Cheers Greame
  • Phixion
    Phixion Posts: 81
    I actually prefer the straps over clipless/normal pedals. It allows you to ride in your normal trainers/shoes but provides more leverage for pedalling.

    Although I see the benefits of clipless for racing...
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Phixion wrote:
    I actually prefer the straps over clipless/normal pedals. It allows you to ride in your normal trainers/shoes but provides more leverage for pedalling.

    Although I see the benefits of clipless for racing...

    Once you go clipless you can't go back......personally I wouldn't like to cycle without clipping now. They make a hell of a difference to straps.
    I like bikes...

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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I would expect chain rub using large ring to largest sprocket, or small ring to smallest sprocket, but I would expect to be able to use the other gears, I think the front mech needs tweaking as suggested above. Being able to only use 4 of the 8 sprockets without chain rub cannot be right. Setting up the front mech can be tricky, maybe it is a bit beyond the Halfords guys.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    You should be able to use all the gears. You may get some chain rub on the inside of the big ring if you are using the smallest cog and the inner chain ring. BUT as said by other posters here you should not be using the combinations wit the most chain cross over :- ie big/big and small/small. Both these ratios are available in other combinations.
    Put your chain ring and cog sizes into this gear calculator. It will give you all your gear ratios. Any combination the gives the same number will be the same ratio so use the one that gives the straightest chain line.
    http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
    There is a lot of helpfull information on Sheldon's site. It is worth bookmarking the home page for future reference.
    My Fleet.
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    As above, you should be able to get all the gears with either front chain ring. Not a good idea to mix largest/smallest or smallest/largest but that's a different issue.

    If you want to sort it out you can. You need somewhere to hang the bike, either some fancy workshop stand or a less fancy strap round a beam in your shed, whatever. A minimum of tools, a google search and printer or a copy of Zin, a radio, a large supply of coffee and lots of patience. Very satisfying when you finally get everything adjusted. Just don't start the job if you absolutely need to use the bike in the next hour or so!!
  • Phixion
    Phixion Posts: 81
    redddraggon wrote:
    Phixion wrote:
    I actually prefer the straps over clipless/normal pedals. It allows you to ride in your normal trainers/shoes but provides more leverage for pedalling.

    Although I see the benefits of clipless for racing...

    Once you go clipless you can't go back......personally I wouldn't like to cycle without clipping now. They make a hell of a difference to straps.

    That's not my point though mate, for some people/some situations it's just easier to wear your regular shoes or trainers rather than having to carry them with you.

    If you want to use a bike for short rides, stopping at cafe's etc it's easier to have your proper footwear.

    Straps are just more convinient IMO, they are better than pedals without straps but not quite as efficient as clipless.
  • fizz
    fizz Posts: 483
    Phixion wrote:
    If you want to use a bike for short rides, stopping at cafe's etc it's easier to have your proper footwear.

    Thats where SPD's offer real benefit, all the benefits of clipless but also you can walk normally in them when you are off the bike.
  • doyler78
    doyler78 Posts: 1,951
    fizz wrote:
    Phixion wrote:
    If you want to use a bike for short rides, stopping at cafe's etc it's easier to have your proper footwear.

    Thats where SPD's offer real benefit, all the benefits of clipless but also you can walk normally in them when you are off the bike.

    I guess that depends on the shoe. The Spesh BG Mtb Sport are great for me on my commute largely for the reasons others have given however I wouldn't say that walking in them is anything akin to walking in my normal trainers. My foot is still slightly raised at the front so they are still a little awkward to walk though a significant improvement over road shoes.
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    Ah, you actually need two pairs. A stiff pair, such as you have, plus something like the Taho, which is reasonable to pedal quite a long way and feels just like a trainer, except that on gravel it sounds a bit crunchy underfoot.

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