Bike anatomy question

[jehocu03]

Hello! I know this is probably a funny question, but what are the gears called? I need to buy a new gearset (the gears are not very smooth in shifting and it is difficult to shift into larger gears on left side). Any recommendations? What else needs to be upgraded along with gears?

Thanks!

[SouthernBelle]

Do you mean the derailleurs? Or the shifters on your bars? Or the cassette (cogs)?

Unless they are really old and worn, they may not need replacing, merely adjusting. Are you near enough to a bike shop to have them looked at?

[jehocu03]

The cogs and the derailer are my problem. It is very difficult to shift with the left shifter (shift up to a bigger cog). I literally have to hold the lever until it shifts. Sometimes, it just doesn't shift at all, so I just stay in what gear I am in It makes for some uncomfortable riding at times, especially on hills or when in a direct wind.

[Blueberry]

That can probably be adjusted by a shop. The cables running from your shifter to your dérailleur can stretch over time, and lead to shifting problems. How old is the bike? What kind of bike is it? How many miles are on the gearset?

[jehocu03]

That can probably be adjusted by a shop. The cables running from your shifter to your dérailleur can stretch over time, and lead to shifting problems. How old is the bike? What kind of bike is it? How many miles are on the gearset?

Well,I bought my bike used last summer and did some riding then, but not nearly as much as I am doing on a regular basis now. All the components came on the bike, so I'm not sure if they are original components or swapped. That being said, this has been a problem since I bought the bike and I have had it tuned and cleaned, de-lubed and re-lubed,yet it still has these problems I'm training for my first century so I want to train on something that will HELP me, not hurt me.

[Blueberry]

Did the shop say why? I'd probably take it back there and ask. It certainly shouldn't be doing that after a tune up. And your bike should definitely be working with you not against you! Where are you located - someone may be able to recommend a trustworthy shop.

I presume it's a road bike (drop bars?). Could be a bad shifter, could be bad cogs, a bad chain, a bad cable, etc.

[jehocu03]

I'm in the twin cities (minneapolis/st paul, MN). I will take it in (maybe to a different shop actually). And yes, it is a road bike with drop handles.

[jehocu03]

ALSO, when I bought the bike I was very naive about how it should work, etc. so I thought the difficulty shifting was because of my inexperience. Now that I have some experience, I see that it is the bike, not me!

[Blueberry]

I really think it might be the shifter. I have one that *will not* go into the top cog in the rear without holding it (and sometimes not then). Very frustrating - but a mechanic I trust told me that I would have to replace the shifter - so I'm living with it for now (it's not the bike I do climbing rides on).

I'm not from your area, so I can't help - but hopefully someone will chime in with a rec It can be *so* frustrating to try to find a shop you trust and who fixes your bike correctly.

CA

[SalsaMTB]

I also wonder what the shop said when they completed the tuneup. Normally, a shop will let you know if a part needs replacing.

My other question is, have you tried other bikes and felt a big difference compared to yours?

The reason I ask this is I don't know your experience level, so I apologize if this seems very basic, but there is a significant difference in feel of shifting to a harder gear with left shifter vs. right shifter. You said it feels like you have to hold the left shifter until it shifts, which I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I do know I have to push my left shifter much further to get into the big chain ring, than I ever push my right. When you use your left shifter to go into your big chainring, the chain has a lot more distance to travel so you have to push the shifter further, takes more effort, and is a bit slower. When you shift with your right hand, you're moving the chain along the cassette and the distance is much smaller so it's much quicker (the simple click feel).

If you have tried other bikes and feel a big difference, then yes, something is wrong (could be in the shifter, could be the derailleur, could be cables). You should probably take your bike in to the shop to have it looked at. If you haven't tried another bike and are just doing a simple comparison of your left vs right shifter, then I would recommend trying a friend's road bike . You may just need to get used to shifting the front derailleur. I definitely do not use the same motion to shift into my big chainring as I do to shift my rear derailleur.

[VeloVT]

The reason I ask this is I don't know your experience level, so I apologize if this seems very basic, but there is a significant difference in feel of shifting to a harder gear with left shifter vs. right shifter. You said it feels like you have to hold the left shifter until it shifts, which I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I do know I have to push my left shifter much further to get into the big chain ring, than I ever push my right. When you use your left shifter to go into your big chainring, the chain has a lot more distance to travel so you have to push the shifter further, takes more effort, and is a bit slower.

Agreed that shifting front derailleur DOES feel different (and is harder) than shifting rear derailleur. In addition to what SalsaMTB said, this is due in part to the fact that the front of the chain is under higher load when pedaling than the rear of the chain, making it harder to shift. Softpedaling for a revolution makes shifting up in front much easier.