New Rider--having problems with gears & chain

Hi Everyone,
After having ridden an old Schwinn hybrid bike everywhere for many, many years, my husband went out and bought me a brand new Dolce Elite for my birthday several weeks ago. I will readily admit to being completely overwhelmed by this new bike and I am taking the time to learn to ride it. I am having problems, however, with the gears and the chain. Everytime I switch gears the chain falls off. Is this a new inexprienced rider problem or are others having this problem with this type of bike?
Thanks in advance,
La Victoria

Sounds like you may need to have your derailleur adjusted, which is not uncommon during the break-in period of a new bike. Check with the shop where your husband bought the bike-- Many shops offer a free "tune-up" within the first few weeks of riding the bike, in order to take care of things such as you've described.

Let us know how things are going with your Dolce Elite. I'm getting one sometime next month and I've never ridden a bike with gears like it before where the shift's in the brake levers. My current bike is an old Raleigh 5 speed with the old-fashioned friction shift.

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Originally Posted by Python

Let us know how things are going with your Dolce Elite. I'm getting one sometime next month and I've never ridden a bike with gears like it before where the shift's in the brake levers. My current bike is an old Raleigh 5 speed with the old-fashioned friction shift.

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I think you're going to like them, Python! When I got my bike, I was delighted with the intuitiveness of this system -- small lever, small gear; big lever, big gear! Not that I don't use the wrong one now and then anyway...

Karen in Boise

Maybe try searching the forums for cross-chaining. Maybe you're using a combination of gears that can sometimes lead to dropping the chain? (EX: Using big ring in front and smallest in back? Or vice versa?) I have to consciously make sure I don't get all the way to the top or bottom on the back before I shift up or down in the front. So far it's worked fine - no chain issues!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Python

Let us know how things are going with your Dolce Elite. I'm getting one sometime next month and I've never ridden a bike with gears like it before where the shift's in the brake levers. My current bike is an old Raleigh 5 speed with the old-fashioned friction shift.

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Because of difficulty with shifting, I had to configure my bike so it has indexed shifting on the rear and bar-end friction shifter on the front. I like the friction shifting, it let's me "cheat" in that if I see a hill I can prepare for it without even pedaling. I can also trim the front dérailleur if I need to. Nothing wrong with good old friction shifters!

I had a Dolce triple a few years back and had trouble with shifting and chain falling off problems too. The LBS should have a little plastic add on called a chain stopper that at least stops the chain from falling into the inside. I also realized that even though you have all those gears does not mean you can use them all in any combination, well you can try but the chain falls off. Do some Google searches on chain shifting problems and see what you can find. I never did get the hang of a triple chainring. I now ride a compact double chainring and it seems much simpler. Don't give up with the Dolce, practice makes perfect. Oh, and congrats on the new bike :D

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I did take my bike back to the shop and I am going to retrieve it today so I will take it out later this week for a ride and I'll let you know what happened.
Best,
La Victoria

Good Evening All,
I got my bike back from the shop late last week and I took it out for a 20 mile ride around the Twin Cities and it performed like a champ. What a wonderful bicycle it is. I think it rolls uphill faster than my old Schwinn rolls downhill! The chain problem is fixed. It no longer falls off and it changes over from one sprocket to the next very quickly and neatly. I rode up hill, down hill, and all over Minneapolis and had a wonderful time. My next trip is out to the northern suburbs for a ride out to Stillwater later this week. I can also sprint on the bike. In fact I took off like a shot at one point and left my husband behind.
I can hardly wait for later this week. The Dolce is like the Starship Enterprise when it goes into light speed--fast and smooth.
Thanks to everyone who answered my note.
Best,
La Victoria

Congrats on the new bike. And welcome from another Twin Citian. I happen to live in Stillwater and I'm always cruisin' the Gateway and general vicinity. I'll keep an eye out for a brand spankin' new Dolce!