Question from my brother

[Melalvai]

My brother asked me to find some info for me. I suppose I could have restated his question more diplomatically but that wouldn't be in character.

Could you ask your network of bike fanatics what they think I should do as far as bike upgrades go? My biggest problem right now is the fact that the chain slips off the front sprocket anytime I go over the slightest little bump on the trails. My second biggest problem is the fact that the front gears have a hard time shifting into lower gears under load (i.e. on a hill, when I need it to shift down the most.) I realize that the nature of bike gears makes it tough to downshift under load, but surely someone somewhere has figured out a fix for that by now.

The bike is a Trek 3700 mountain bike, I think 18 inches. I can't afford a tougher bike right now so I'd like to upgrade it to at least handle the trails in Kansas.
I told him that replacing his chain will solve a lot of problems. I'm guessing he might need a new cassette as well. I think his biggest problem is he lives in Hutchinson, Kansas which is not exactly a cultural center of bicycle knowledge.

I also told him don't shift under load, even if it means you have to wait for the bike to slow down to the gear you chose...a difficult feat for many people and particularly for males, but that is my experience bicycling for transportation and I haven't done much mountain biking. For all I know you HAVE to shift under load on rough trails. I don't know.

The last thing I told him was to go to Bike Forums, but that he'd have to have a thick skin and ignore a lot of idiots there. :)

[Trek420]

Tell him also that he may need to do regular cleaning and lubing the power train. I do that approx every 300 miles, or whenever I start to have any shifting problems.

As for shifting under load you can do it but I only shift the rear deraileur. I don't know if that's right but approaching the climb I'll try to be in the front cog I'll need to the top, may choose a higher gear for the rear. If I need to downshift wait for a false flat or "feather" the pedaling and downshift the rear as the pressure is light.

I'm sure there's a thread on technique here.

His bike is fine. That's a great bike. While he may want a new or extra bike he might only need regular cleaning and work on technique.

Lastly when it comes to a co-ed discussion group that's informative, supportive and almost as wise and whitty as TE go to Bike Journal (and I often do).

That and/or a local bike shop and/or club for him.