time to help me fit my rear mech!

[clutterydrawer]

I've killed it

Still at least I tried....and I did learn a lot

I'm going to be walking to work all next week

 

[Radius]

You killed it? How's that, they're not that easy to 'kill' when you're just adjusting cable tension...are you sure?

 

[peanut]

Use the gear lever to put the chain on the smallest cassette sprocket.

Check the lever has now clicked as far as it will go .

Release the cable clamp on the rear mech.

Grab the end of the cable and pull it as tight as you can with the pliers to take up all the tension whilst simultaneously tightening the cable clamp .

Click up one gear to shift the chain onto the next smallest cassette sprocket ( use the cable adjusters as well if you need to )

Then adjust the cable adjusters until the chain can just be heard to rub on the third smallest sprocket, then back it off slightly until you can no longer hear the rubbing noise.

Your gears should be pretty close to correct now but you may need to adjust the rear mech travel stops to prevent the chain coming off both ends of the cassette.

Put the chain on the small chain ring and the smallest sprocket.

Lastly adjust the rear mech so that the top jockey wheel is nearly touching the smallest cassette sprocket .Leave about a 5mm gap. (there is a third adjust screw for this on the rear mech)

 

[clutterydrawer]

It just won't go...whatever I do to the tension of the cable, just seems to make it worse, or have no effect at all. Oh and the front mech isn't right either but it's been a bit off for months. The bike shop where I used to live gives me free advice over the phone but I'm too ashamed to call them for the millionth time.

I will have another go tomorrow before potentially admitting defeat...but I do value everyone's help as I have a much better understanding of my bike now - I know it doesn't sound like it, but trust me, I used to know even less.

 

[Radius]

I'm not sure how much it would help, but would you mind (if you can) posting a (or a couple of) picture/s of the rear mech from a few angles, just in case we can see something that's wrong...

 

[peanut]

It just won't go...whatever I do to the tension of the cable,)

then the 2x philips set screws on the rear mech body that limit the range of the rear mech need to be adjusted to extend the range over which the rear mech cage will travel in both directions.

Remove the chain and using your fingers push the rear mech as far across the cassette as it will go. It should travel from directly under the smallest sprocket all the way to directly under the biggest sprocket. ie the full width of the cassette.
If it doesn't you will need to adjust the 2x screws on the rear mech to allow this to happen.
Once you have done this if you follow the rest of my directions exactly in sequence your gears should work.

To be honest it doesn't sound like you have a clue about setting your gears up Why don't you get someone else to do it for you.
There is an excellent guide on the Shimano website and your new mech should have come with a guide also.

 

[clutterydrawer]

To be honest it doesn't sound like you have a clue about setting your gears up Why don't you get someone else to do it for you.
There is an excellent guide on the Shimano website and your new mech should have come with a guide also.

I really don't But in fairness I got further than I thought i would.

I would never normally attempt to do this myself but I've just moved to the middle of nowhere and my nearest bike repair place is 12 miles away. i caved this morning and walked the bike all the way there. So they will sort it out properly for me...the downside being I'll have to walk over 100 miles next week to get to work

Thankyou for your instructions though, I've saved them for next time I get in a pickle

 

[peanut]

I really don't But in fairness I got further than I thought i would.

I would never normally attempt to do this myself but I've just moved to the middle of nowhere and my nearest bike repair place is 12 miles away. i caved this morning and walked the bike all the way there. So they will sort it out properly for me...the downside being I'll have to walk over 100 miles next week to get to work

Thankyou for your instructions though, I've saved them for next time I get in a pickle

Wouldn't the bike shop lend you a bike whilst they sort your out ? thats pretty mean of them . I bet they would if you asked them.
I shouldn't beat yourself up about it. You did well to stick at it as long as you did. Most cyclist's have problems setting up gears. They are easy when you know how and bloomin tough when you don't.
Hope they return your bike soon. Are there no neigbours who might have a bike you could borrow next week ?

 

[Radius]

Well at least you tried, that's a good thing to do, like peanut said, it's really not easy (mine isn't perfect [well, ok, it kinda is, but probably not if mickle or spandex {pedantic united } saw it]), and the fact that you didn't give up straight away stands you in good stead for all the frustrating afternoons to come

 

[clutterydrawer]

Wouldn't the bike shop lend you a bike whilst they sort your out ? thats pretty mean of them . I bet they would if you asked them.
I shouldn't beat yourself up about it. You did well to stick at it as long as you did. Most cyclist's have problems setting up gears. They are easy when you know how and bloomin tough when you don't.
Hope they return your bike soon. Are there no neigbours who might have a bike you could borrow next week ?

There are no neighbours, full stop It's just me, the badgers and the owls here.

I will walk to work tomorrow and see if any of the live in staff have a bike, I think one of them might have a spare one.

 

[peanut]

I know you must have chosen to meditate out there in the sticks but i feel bad about you having to walk all that way.
I can't believe there isn't another CC member somewhere nearby that couldn't help. I'd lend you one of my bikes .

Show us where abouts you are on a googlemap I'm intriqued now how you can be so far away from civilisation

 

[clutterydrawer]

I was quite narked at first but I'm resigned to it now - people have worse traumas than a long walk, after all.

I'm about twelve miles north of banbury, there are some tiny villages within ten mins walk but that's it for human contact really. I just moved here from leeds so it's a bit of a contrast!

 

[Euan Uzami]

I really don't But in fairness I got further than I thought i would.

I would never normally attempt to do this myself but I've just moved to the middle of nowhere and my nearest bike repair place is 12 miles away. i caved this morning and walked the bike all the way there. So they will sort it out properly for me...the downside being I'll have to walk over 100 miles next week to get to work

Thankyou for your instructions though, I've saved them for next time I get in a pickle

it would be easier to ride it singlespeed than to walk!...just push the mech onto a middling gear, get someone to hold it there, pull the cable through and bolt it down. it may not change but it doesn't make it unrideable...

 

[Radius]

What Euan said is very true. I've done that for a short way. Good idea

 

[clutterydrawer]

I did for some of it....some of it I wasn't happy riding of though as it was a choice of lethal speedy road or treacherous boggy footpath

I have borrowed a bike off my manager to last me the week so all is well in my world.

My colleagues nearly died of horror when I said I'd walked in, you'd think I'd been climbing Everest or seomthing...weird.