Slowing down hill!!!

[lex_achter]

Does your cassette freewheel easily? If not, the bike would perform perfectly while pedaling but slow when you coast. Try lifting the rear wheel and spinning the wheel forward. Do the pedals turn when you do this?

The pedals do turn when I spin the tire and the cassette seems stiff but I don't know how loose it should be or how it should spin.

I think this is probably it because it feels fine when I'm pedaling on a flat surface. It's just when I try to coast, I may as well be holding the break.

[madscot13]

No my spokes are fine. I say I have flexy wheels.

[aicabsolut]

If you hold the rear off the ground (by putting the bike on a stand, for example) and pedal fast, what happens when you stop pedaling? Does the wheel keep on spinning fast for a good amount of time, or is there immediate slowing? Any grinding or rubbing sounds? It could be the freehub is on its way out if not a more obvious problem. You may not notice this much on the road except the wheels won't spin up quite as well as they used to.

[DebW]

The pedals do turn when I spin the tire and the cassette seems stiff but I don't know how loose it should be or how it should spin.

I think this is probably it because it feels fine when I'm pedaling on a flat surface. It's just when I try to coast, I may as well be holding the break.

Have a bike shop look at your rear wheel. Either the spoke protector (do you have a spoke protector?) is rubbing the cassette or the freehub is not functioning properly or is almost shot. Or maybe there's debris jammed behind the cassette. If you took the rear wheel off your bike and gave the cassette a hard spin, it should keep spinning for at least 30 seconds.

[lex_achter]

If removing the plastic protector doesn't help then I'm off to the bike shop. Right now the cassette doesn't even get close to spinning for 30 seconds, it maybe makes its two revolutions before stopping.

If worst comes to worse and it is shot to hell, I would love some good suggestions or favorite brands of what I should replace it with.

[Grog]

If worst comes to worse and it is shot to hell, I would love some good suggestions or favorite brands of what I should replace it with.

I am afraid that at WORST this would resolve itself with a new rear wheel or a few new parts at the bike. Not a whole new bike!

You've got a great bike there, you'll be able to enjoy it once that's fixed.

[lex_achter]

I am afraid that at WORST this would resolve itself with a new rear wheel or a few new parts at the bike. Not a whole new bike!

You've got a great bike there, you'll be able to enjoy it once that's fixed.

Oh I mean the part not the whole bike. I don't have the money for a new bike. I'm just not sure what to look for when it come to part.

[Grog]

Oh I mean the part not the whole bike. I don't have the money for a new bike. I'm just not sure what to look for when it come to part.

Oh!

I think it should be a pretty straightforward fix. Wait until you know what the problem is and your bike shop will surely have good advice about the replacement part if needed.

Keep us posted!

[DebW]

If the freehub mechanism is shot, that part is replaceable on good quality hubs.