boardman double tap gear change

novice 50
novice 50 Posts: 12
edited April 2011 in Road beginners
me again asking daft questions :D . just got a boardman team carbon 2010. having real problems getting to grips with the gears. ok going up a gear, but going into a lower gear seems hit and miss. i feel like i am putting to much pressure on the lever. also if i am in the large front cog, do i need to be in a certain gear to change to the small front cog and vice versa as this wont happen either. is it set up wrong??. appreciate any replies, and please DO talk to me as if i know nothing as i dont.

thanks in advance

Comments

  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    Hi,
    I recently picked up 2010 team carbon also

    The SRAM shifters do take some time to get used to

    Facing forward on the bike, the left side shifter will move up or down between the small and large chainring. To move from small to large you need to push the lever inwards doing this you should hear two clicks - then it should shift. To move back down, push lever in till you hear one click, then it should shift to sml ring.

    Same applies to right side shifter, two clicks moves to a bigger (easier) sprocket, One clik moves to smaller sprocket.

    You dont need to be in certain gear to change up/down the front chainring, but you may get some chain rub in some gear combos. For example large front chainring and large rear sproket.

    If youre still having bother take it back into Halfords and get them to fix it (assuming you bought it new)
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    thanks for that mate. i did buy it new from halfords. as i was having problems the bloke in the shop test rode it round the car park with no probs while i went along side him. this is why i think it must be something i am doing wrong. do you think it may not be set up right and i may get benifit from getting it set up at a local bike shop.

    i am not an experienced biker, however i know i am doing you what you suggested and still have probs. reluctant to take it back to halfords incase i look nob when he rides it with no probs. changing front chain set worked as you said on ride to work this :oops: morning, on the way home i believe i was doing the same thing but nothing moved. if i put any more pressure on the lever i will surley snap.

    sorry for the long post

    confused :oops:
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Is it just the front you are having problems shifting?

    It's relatively easy to see if it's working. You don't even need to be riding the bike.

    Facing forward - it's the left lever (as discussed).

    Simply lightly click on the lever a few times. That will release any tension in the cable. The front mech (bit the the chain runs through at the front chainrings) should be over the smaller ring now. If so - you're doing fine so far.

    Now, while watching the front mech - push the left lever inwards - hard. Do you see the front mech move across to the right? Towards the big ring? If yes - then everything should be fine.

    If no, time to take it back to a shop. It needs adjustment.
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    Take it to your local bike shop.
    I bought a TC a few weeks back.
    Served by a young friendly and helpful man who clearly knew a bit about bikes.
    He spent quite a bit of time setting up the gears. I have to be honest, he did a good job as they were changing sweet as a nut. Got home and took the bike for half mile spin round the block just to make sure all was well. Half way round, tried to change front gears onto big ring. Ping cable pops out.
    No biggy, I sorted it at home but I know my way round a bike, if I didn't, I would have been pretty peeved and unable to sort or ride that weekend.
    The sad thing is that the lad got the set up spot on but none of the cables were secured sufficiently tight in the initial build.
    Could have been dangerous rather than inconvenient if it had been the brakes.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Cables DO stretch - but if they aren't tightened on properly they can slip and cause all sorts of problems.
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    pokerface. goin to check that now


    morstar. if i still cant suss it 2mrw will be taking your advice and LBS it is
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    pokerface. done that and everything happened just as you described ( even got the click). so why when i am actually riding it does this not happen????????
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    novice 50 wrote:
    pokerface. done that and everything happened just as you described ( even got the click). so why when i am actually riding it does this not happen????????

    Just lifting the rear wheel off the ground now - and turning the cranks - does the chain go into the big ring?
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    yep. cheers mate.

    do i need 1 tap to get to the big ring and 2 taps to get to the small ring??
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    novice 50 wrote:
    yep. cheers mate.

    do i need 1 tap to get to the big ring and 2 taps to get to the small ring??


    The front (left) shifter works like this:


    If you are in the small ring - one BIG push on the lever to the right should move you into the big ring.

    If you are in the big ring, then (and this is confusing), two LITTLE clicks move you back down to the small ring.

    The first click just moves the front mech every so slightly to the left. This is called 'trim'. But it should keep the chain in the big ring.

    The second LITTLE click should drop the chain back down to the small ring.


    Maybe this is where you were having problems?


    Trim is designed to allow you to move the front mech over to stop the chain from rubbing on the front mech. If you are riding in the big ring and the biggest cog in the back, the chain will be stretched sideways and will rub on the mech.

    Trimming the front mech helps prevent the rubbing a little. Mostly you can ignore this feature by making smarter gear choices.

    So stick with one BIG push to go to big ring and two LITTLE clicks to go to small ring.

    If you still have problems, post again.


    Good luck!
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    thanks for that pokerface. really appreciate it. will try that in the morning and post the result.

    thanks again
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    I have a kinda related issue, when in big chainring and the smallest three cogs -im getting chain rub on the outside (right side facing forward) of the front de-r cage. This gets worse as you move through the last three to the smallest sprocket.

    Should I loosen the high limit screw or tighten the gear cable (or both!)
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Garryboy wrote:
    I have a kinda related issue, when in big chainring and the smallest three cogs -im getting chain rub on the outside (right side facing forward) of the front de-r cage. This gets worse as you move through the last three to the smallest sprocket.

    Should I loosen the high limit screw or tighten the gear cable (or both!)


    Personally, I'd start with the limit screw to see if the front cage moves over a bit. If it solves your problem... great.

    If not, cable tension is next!
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,432
    does your left shifter have a trim setting? one click should cause the front mech cage to go in a smidge, one full-travel two-click push of the lever should move the cage to the outer position

    if it isn't cured with trim, tighten the cable - moves the cage outwards - easiest is use the barrel adjuster on the downtube, if there isn't one or if there's not enough adjustment, you'll need to loosen the cable clamp on the front mech and pull a bit more through (easiest if you put the front mech on the small ring)

    the limit screws are to act as stops at the inner/outer extremes of travel, so should not affect shifting - if they do then they need adjusting
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    Thanks guys will try that

    On the trim point, left shifter does have it, but I thought (havent checked) that doing so would move cage in towards bike rather than away from it - which is what I think needs to happrn to stop the chain rubbing the cage on its right side!

    Anyhow will have a go tomorrow, thanks again.
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Garryboy if you have given the left lever a long push and the chain is rubbing on the outer side of the cage then you may need more tension on the cable. There is a screw adjuster on the cable, between the gear lever and the frame. Unscrew the adjuster half a turn and test. Repeat until the cage clears the chain.

    Make sure that the cage is fully across before adjusting and not in the 'trim' position, which is for your bigger front cog and bigger back cogs.

    Rival are simply superb to ride with once you are used to them but can take a ride or two to get fully familiar.

    My were set up perfectly by Halfords and haven't needed any adjustment in a year. My wife's TC is slightly older than mine and more used than mine. She needed half a turn, as described above, a couple of weeks ago.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
    Boardman FS Pro
  • WisePranker
    WisePranker Posts: 823
    I had some problems with the shifting on my SRAM geared Boardman. It never seemed to shift properly and sometimes the chain was shifting over the big ring and dropping off.

    I got my LBS to take a look at it and after about 20 minutes of the guy doing his stuff with the derailleurs it was shifting like a completely different bike. He also checked and adjusted the brakes and tidied up a few bits and bobs that Halfords didn't do a good job of.
    It'll probably be the best £20 I'll spend on the bike :D
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    thanks all, tightened the cable half a turn and that seems to have done the trick. Only tried with rear wheel off the floor so far, horrible weather here today, very wet and windy!
  • novice 50
    novice 50 Posts: 12
    Pokerface. Thanks very much for your advice and making it idiot proof. I have now sussed the gears. Only prop i now have is when changing to the large front cog it may or may not take. Think maybe a cable needs adjusting?

    Once again thanks for taking the time to explain it in simple terms.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    novice 50 wrote:
    Pokerface. Thanks very much for your advice and making it idiot proof. I have now sussed the gears. Only prop i now have is when changing to the large front cog it may or may not take. Think maybe a cable needs adjusting?

    Once again thanks for taking the time to explain it in simple terms.

    That (to me) indicates the front mech isn't pushing across far enough when shifting. That can usually be fixed by adjusting the limit screws. However, it's not really a DIY job if you don't know what youre doing. But easy enough for any mechanic to adjust in just a few minutes.