Frog Bike Gear Problem

[plastic_cyclist]

My youngest all of a sudden had a problem with his shifting on his wee Frog bike....

It is stuck in the lowest gear (hardest) and the thumb shifter doesn’t seem to be holding the derailleur in position for the selected gear, it slips straight back to the small cog when you manually move it (like this:

https://youtube.com/shorts/xDuwGwJ1TaA?feature=share

The shifters click all the way through and basically do nothing.

is this a Bike Shop job?

 

[Cycleops]

Depends on how mechanically bike minded you are.
If the shifter is not pulling the cable it could have snapped somewhere, possibly inside the shifter. You don't say what make the shifter is but whatever it should be easy enough to find the cover plate screws and have a look. If it's not broken the problem is with the shifter, if that's the case buy a new one together with a cable and install it using one of the many YouTube videos for guidance. Pretty easy job


Good luck.

Edit: Just had another look, the problem may be that you don't have the cable located in the holder on the rear chain stay (or did you remove it) which means the cable may also have been too slack when in the highest gear.

 

[cyberknight]

Depends on how mechanically bike minded you are.
If the shifter is not pulling the cable it could have snapped somewhere, possibly inside the shifter. You don't say what make the shifter is but whatever it should be easy enough to find the cover plate screws and have a look. If it's not broken the problem is with the shifter, if that's the case buy a new one together with a cable and install it using one of the many YouTube videos for guidance. Pretty easy job


Good luck.

Edit: Just had another look, the problem may be that you don't have the cable located in the holder on the rear chain stay (or did you remove it) which means the cable may also have been too slack when in the highest gear.

looking at the video i cant see any cable at all along the chainstay to the metal cable stop ?

 

[HMS_Dave]

The cable doesn't look installed correctly. The shifter cable looks like its rubbing on the chain! Am i seeing this right?

 

[DCBassman]

The loop of outer at the rear is the wrong way up, so wondering if the whole thing has snapped.

 

[Cycleops]

looking at the video i cant see any cable at all along the chainstay to the metal cable stop ?

That's because the cable has been removed from it's stop on the chainstay. You can see it at the top of picture hanging loose.

 

[DCBassman]

That's because the cable has been removed from it's stop on the chainstay. You can see it at the top of picture hanging loose.

The loop has probably been hooked off by something, just needs re-seating!

 

[Cycleops]

If the cable has been hooked off it means there was wasn't sufficient tension on it, you shouldn't be able to do that.
I guess we'll find out when the OP checks in again.

 

[Broadside]

If the bike was left in a low gear and then the gear shifter clicked in to top gear while stationary it would probably create enough slack to allow the cable outer to be knocked out of the frame boss.

it should be an easy fix to put the bike in the lowest gear and then stop pedalling, click it in to highest gear and then pop the cable outer back in to the frame boss. Rotating the pedals will then make it change in to the highest gear and the derailleur will take up the slack and all is well.

 

[DRM]

The cable doesn't look installed correctly. The shifter cable looks like its rubbing on the chain! Am i seeing this right?

I think so, it looks like that to me, the bikes upside down and the cable isn't in the boss on the chain stay and looks to be underneath the chain if it was the right way up, there's no way that'll hold under tension, OP have you removed/replaced the cable for some reason?

 

[plastic_cyclist]

Yes, I removed the cable from the stay in both positions, as the thumb shifter wasn't moving anything, it was just clicking all the way through the gears...

 

[DRM]

Has the nipple (ooh err missus) broken off at the shifter end of the cable?

 

[Cycleops]

Has the nipple (ooh err missus) broken off at the shifter end of the cable?

That’s a distinct possibility. If you were able to remove the cable from the stop it would indicate it was too loose maybe caused by the above.

 

[hatler]

Hold the inner cable at the first point it is visible and pull it towards the rear of the bike.

Then operate the shifter. Does the cable pull ?
If it does, the shifter is fine (probably). You should direct attention to how the cable runs look and how it is attached to the mech.
If it doesn't, the problem is likely the shifter.

 

[plastic_cyclist]

Hold the inner cable at the first point it is visible and pull it towards the rear of the bike.

Then operate the shifter. Does the cable pull ?
If it does, the shifter is fine (probably). You should direct attention to how the cable runs look and how it is attached to the mech.
If it doesn't, the problem is likely the shifter.

This was the issue, I re-routed the cable into the correct stays and connected it back up to the derailleur then twisted the barrel screw a few times and it started to move the gears up and down again (previously it wasn't even getting out of the smallest cog), I think they just need indexing now, as it jumps over two on the second to last larger sprockets, maybe the arm isn't quite in line with each cog ?