How long did it take you to "GET" gears and front mechs ?

Serious Cat
Serious Cat Posts: 489
edited May 2014 in Workshop
Ive been on a wee buying spree lately so as to have a tool kit that will enable me to work on my bike. Last week I bought a Park Tool CT3.2 chainbreaker, a cassette removal tool, an adjustable wrench, KMC missing link open/close tool, chain whip and hollowtech II cups remover and now all I need is a clue about how to do bike maintenance. I was able to remove my cassette for the 1st time and split it and give it a thorough cleaning and it gives great satisfaction. Ive been compiling a range of online instruction vids showing how to service headsets and bottom brackets and id feel comfortable enough giving those jobs a go.......but when it comes to gears and mechs then I am truly fekked off and I just don't get it :roll: no matter what I do the gears run like a horses ass and ive got to get somebody to sort out my mess :oops:

How long did it take you to GET gears, indexing and mech`s set up and what finally made it all come together ?
This serious internet site..............I serious cat

Comments

  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    Bizarrely, front mechs: about 10 mins.

    Rear mechs: years on, still make a pig's ear of it ..........
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    do you have a wife, GF, FBF, other?
    1: Give them the chain whip you just bought and ask them to hit you with it every five minutes until the gears are indexed.
    if that fails:
    2: ask them to index the gears and whip them every five minutes until its done.
    3: sel the tools and take up crochet
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    This video sorted me out for the rear mech, they're so easy once you get it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ

    As for the limit screws, I've only just managed to get them sorted in my head without having to refer to Zinn every time. Tightening the screws stops the chain dropping off the corresponding edge and loosening will let it drop off.
    Annoyed me for ages that has.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Rear mech is easy: the jockey wheels just need to line up wth the sprockets.
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    For rear mech's just follow the advice in the clip referred to in Gozzy's post. Just make sure your inner and outer cables are in good nick and properly lubricated before you start the indexing process

    As for the front mech - have a read through this and you will get some basics on set up.

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... djustments

    After that just trawl the YouTube clips 'til you find one that covers what you need.

    eg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfBiXgf8JxI

    Front mechs can be a bit more challenging to set up and adjust than rear mechs but that doesn't mean you should shy away from it.

    Don't get frustrated. Just persevere an you will get the nack before long.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    do you have a wife, GF, FBF, other?
    1: Give them the chain whip you just bought and ask them to hit you with it every five minutes until the gears are indexed.
    if that fails:
    2: ask them to index the gears and whip them every five minutes until its done.
    3: sel the tools and take up crochet

    No 3 isn't very pleasant is it? Not necessary.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    Sorry - ineffective link to the Park Tools data on front mech set up.

    Correct link is here:-

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... djustments
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    Great question.

    I'd say it's taken me years and when I thought I'd cracked it, I had a problem where the front mech would change nicely on road and in the bike stand but refuses to change when on the turbo.

    I've also had a love hate relationship with the barrel screws, I could never work out how 1/4 turn could make such a difference, so I'd go mad and just turn turn turn. The only thing left for me now is to learn the adjustment screws rather than having to look it up every time.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    Trial and error. As a child I took everything apart, I was not always able to put it back to gether though, everyone still remembers the teasmade incident. When I was 13 I was given my first bike with gears, a Raleigh Arena, it didn't take long for it to be in bits. Eventually it all went back together fine, and I haven't stopped tinkering yet.
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    When I "get" them, I'll let you know.....
  • About half an hour.
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    Term1te wrote:
    Trial and error. As a child I took everything apart, I was not always able to put it back to gether though, everyone still remembers the teasmade incident. When I was 13 I was given my first bike with gears, a Raleigh Arena, it didn't take long for it to be in bits. Eventually it all went back together fine, and I haven't stopped tinkering yet.

    This guy obviously has what it takes in his genes. You either have it or you don't. Some have to look a bit harder for it but if it isn't there your only answer is your LBS.
  • Serious Cat
    Serious Cat Posts: 489
    lesfirth wrote:
    Term1te wrote:
    Trial and error. As a child I took everything apart, I was not always able to put it back to gether though, everyone still remembers the teasmade incident. When I was 13 I was given my first bike with gears, a Raleigh Arena, it didn't take long for it to be in bits. Eventually it all went back together fine, and I haven't stopped tinkering yet.

    This guy obviously has what it takes in his genes. You either have it or you don't. Some have to look a bit harder for it but if it isn't there your only answer is your LBS.


    In my opinion one of the most frustrating elements of cycling is having a problem you haven't a clue how to fix, trekking to the LBS and possibly missing a club ride or even worse having to leave your bike there for a job it takes those guys 60 secs to fix. Im quite ok with having good online vids to help with some jobs but I still haven't got a clue when it comes to gears.
    This serious internet site..............I serious cat
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    I think often if you are having a lot of problems with indexing/shifting then there is something wrong like worn, dirty or badly routed cables, worn shifters, misaligned mech hanger, worn chain or sprockets etc.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    In my opinion one of the most frustrating elements of cycling is having a problem you haven't a clue how to fix, trekking to the LBS and possibly missing a club ride or even worse having to leave your bike there for a job it takes those guys 60 secs to fix. Im quite ok with having good online vids to help with some jobs but I still haven't got a clue when it comes to gears.

    Yeah, woe betide missing the fabled club ride and having to go riding with your mates.

    I shudder at the thought.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • Semantik
    Semantik Posts: 537
    It helps to remember that setting up gears/mechs depends on two things -

    1) range of movement of the derailleurs-controlled by limit screws
    AND
    2) cable tension at the derailleurs

    All you have to do is set these correctly and you will have perfect gear changes. Takes about 10 minutes when setting up from new.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Term1te wrote:
    Trial and error. As a child I took everything apart, I was not always able to put it back to gether though, everyone still remembers the teasmade incident. When I was 13 I was given my first bike with gears, a Raleigh Arena, it didn't take long for it to be in bits. Eventually it all went back together fine, and I haven't stopped tinkering yet.

    I could've written that! Apart from the bit about the Teasmade. Most of my bikes were in bits at one time or another whether they needed fixing or not. The challenges were a) dismantling and reassembling using the selection of inappropriate / blunt / worn tools in dad's shed and b) finding some of the smaller components after they'd gone whizzing past my ear or trickled down the gaps in the floorboards.

    Now I'm in my 50's and still dismantling stuff for fun. Bikes, cars, washing machines, laptops, central heating etc etc. I do have some shiny new tools though!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,252
    Semantik wrote:
    It helps to remember that setting up gears/mechs depends on two things -

    1) range of movement of the derailleurs-controlled by limit screws
    AND
    2) cable tension at the derailleurs

    All you have to do is set these correctly and you will have perfect gear changes. Takes about 10 minutes when setting up from new.
    Alignment is rather important as well. You'll never get it right if things aren't properly aligned.
  • fatdaz
    fatdaz Posts: 348
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Semantik wrote:
    It helps to remember that setting up gears/mechs depends on two things -

    1) range of movement of the derailleurs-controlled by limit screws
    AND
    2) cable tension at the derailleurs

    All you have to do is set these correctly and you will have perfect gear changes. Takes about 10 minutes when setting up from new.
    Alignment is rather important as well. You'll never get it right if things aren't properly aligned.

    "What have the Romans ever done for us?"