Arg! Can't get rear mech quite right

[barongreenback]

So, my lovely Sirrus Sport is now a couple of months old and whilst I've tightened and adjusted everything once I still can't quite get the gearing right. It keeps changing up from 3rd to 4th, particularly when I pedal hard although the other gears seem fairly quiet. Any suggestions? I live at the bottom of a big hill so it's fairly important to have the lower gears working! Thanks.

P.S. I've followed religiously the tutorials on biketutor.com and in my handy Haines manual.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Silly question: have you had your free service as of yet? If not, that's probably a good way ahead ..

 

[barongreenback]

No free service on this one unfortunately - family member works for a bike shop away from home. Got a sizeable discount on the bike but a local service isn't an option.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Aha. I see. Bother.

I figured it must be something like that else you'd have thought of it yourself .. still, thought I'd point it out nonetheless.

 

[Sittingduck]

BGB

Have you tried adjusting the barrel adjuster... maybe 1 turn anti-clockwise?

 

[Banjo]

Oiling the cable makes a big difference to my bikes gear changing.

 

[simon_brooke]

So, my lovely Sirrus Sport is now a couple of months old and whilst I've tightened and adjusted everything once I still can't quite get the gearing right. It keeps changing up from 3rd to 4th, particularly when I pedal hard although the other gears seem fairly quiet. Any suggestions? I live at the bottom of a big hill so it's fairly important to have the lower gears working! Thanks.

P.S. I've followed religiously the tutorials on biketutor.com and in my handy Haines manual.

To adjust a rear deraillleur, change gear until the chain on the middle cog of the cassette and then adjust the barrel adjuster until the chain pulls straight from the top jockey wheel onto that cog.

As others have said, stickiness in the cable can be an issue, but modern cables tend to be graphite lubricated and/or have PTFE sleeves so adding liquid lubricant doesn't really help; and in any case that should not affect a nearly new bike.

 

[barongreenback]

Thanks guys - will try those ideas and let you know how I get on. The dangers of a good deal!