Bike Issues

[Garthur]

I bought a Trek 4300 3 years ago. A few months after I bought it life got in the way and its been in storage since. I've now moved house and the bike is now in the garage with easy access so trying my hardest to get back out on it and actively using it. I have a few issues with it and thought I would put it in for a service but all the LBS only open Monday to Friday during the hours I work and the bigger stores (Evans, Alpine) are fully booked for the next 3 weeks. So I was wondering if I could get some help to get me back out on the bike until then as I don't know where to to start.

I'm not to technical on the bike so apologies for being a bit plain.

Gears - 24 Speed (3 options on the left/at pedals, 8 on the right/back wheel). Certain gears "grind" some "skip". It's mainly the lower gears, happens when pedaling on the flat so I know its not because I'm changing to late. The higher gears work ok although I can't get the gears on the left/pedals go into 3 at all.

Brakes - I have Disc brakes, the front is fine (doesn't get used much anyway), the back isn't too hot at all, think it may need tightened. Is this easy to do?

My main concern is the gears. The brakes are a problem but if I brake early enough I can stop fine but I want to start cycling on the roads which would mean there could be a problem.

Is there anything else I should be checking up on? Would you recommend doing anything myself or is the best thing for me to do is to take it in for a service? I haven't tried Halfords because....well.....it's Halfords. Don't know if there any good for services though?

Thanks

 

[Mile195]

It's hard to say what's going on without seeing it. Gear adjustment is not difficult. It can be fiddly though and the process of adjustment is long winded when written. I expect there are some decent videos on Youtube so I'd refer to that if you want to have a crack yourself.

Gears won't always run smoothly when the chainrings (the cogs at the front) and the sprocket on the cassette (the cogs at the back) are opposed. That is to say, that if you run your bike with the chain round the largest chainring, and the largest sprocket (which you shouldn't do anyway), it will more often than not make some kind of noise, even if there's nothing really wrong with them.

On the other hand, if you run your chain on the centre chainring, and find that when you select the smallest sprockets they run ok, and get worse as you change onto larger and larger sprockets, your cables may have stretched, and need replacing. Other problems with gear changes can be caused by worn jockey wheels, or simply a stretched chain etc...

Either way your LBS will be able to advise you if that's where you plan to take it.

If your brakes are ineffective, but the bike's been sitting a while, you could give the discs a clean - perhaps they've got greasy and dirty where they've been stored. New brake pads won't break the bank either. Again, refer to youtube for fitting and adjustment.

Whether or not you can do stuff yourself depends entirely on how mechanically competent you feel you are. With time, patience and a little guidance from people, books or the internet, I believe most people are capable of doing certainly the basics. But of course you need the tools as well. If you've got a few screwdrivers, allan keys and an adjustable spanner then you'll be fine. However, if you don't, then you might not feel it's worth the effort.

Good luck!!

 

[numbnuts]

3 years ago -
After that long the cables may have dried out and need lubricating once that is done the gears and brakes maybe OK.
this may help

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYiCm-W-nO0

 

[biggs682]

sticky ratchet inside gear pod on bars , so get some lubricant in there and keep moving the levers till it starts getting free to move through all gear clicks