Tourney TZ upgrade

[Simo]

Hi

I want to replace the derailler on my partners bike. It has never really worked properly from new.
It is a Tourney TZ. Can someone recommend an alternative?. The bike is only is a 3x6 speed Apollo from Halfords, so nothing special. It rides well though and is only really used for leisurely rides in the park and round town and so is in good condition. The gears are a pain though.
All help appreciated.

Thanks
Simo

 

[Blue Hills]

Have you tried sorting/adjusting the gears?
Your statement that it has never had good gear operation from new also suggests that there may be a basic set-up issue.
Sounds like that bike has fairly basic use so I'd tend to stick with what it has.
Unless the bike has really been abused or had a bash I think there's a fair chance there's nothing essentially wrong with the mech.
Just buying a new bit isn't necessarily a solution.
Shimano tends not to make junk at any level.
So I'd check it first - or get someone else to check it - Dr Bikes will be opening up again if you have any near you.

edited to clarify second sentence.

 

[C R]

As @Blue Hills says, the derailleur itself is probably fine, but I imagine you have grip shifters, which tend to be problematic.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Most of my bikes use similar transmissions with 5 and 6 speed freewheels, and I don't have roblems with any of them, not even the 90's vintage Apollo MTB I pulled out of a skip that gets a lot of use as a hack bike.
Low end Shimano stuff works perfectly well so long as it isn't damaged or maladjusted. It doesn't need ugrading, whatever the problem is that stops it working properly needs to be dealt with instead.

 

[Lovacott]

I want to replace the derailler on my partners bike. It has never really worked properly from new.
It is a Tourney TZ. Can someone recommend an alternative?. The bike is only is a 3x6 speed Apollo from Halfords, so nothing special.

I bought an Apollo in 2014 but didn't start riding it in earnest until last year. Within less than 200 miles from new, I was having gear change issues.

Truth is, the issues were probably there from new, but I put them down to my own poor technique rather than mechanical failure.

I started out by trying to sort the indexing and that's when I noticed the frayed cables and cracked grip shift.

The grip shift was cracked because the upper limit screw was set too tight which required excess force on the shifter to make the change.

The cable was frayed at the clamping point due to that excess force.

All of this because Halfords either set the bike up badly or didn't check the factory setup properly before handover.

Long story short, but I've replaced all of the drivetrain parts and got pretty skilled at indexing over the last six months or so.

My gear changes are smooth, quick and reliable and the bike I hated six months ago has now become my favourite go to bike.

For starters, download the indexing procedures for your drivetrain from the Shimano website. Make sure you have the proper tools to do the job (don't use a bread knife as a screwdriver etc.).

Also, it's worth getting your rear mech hanger checked for alignment. Mine was out by a fair bit which is common for cheaper bikes (so I've been told). I Bought a hanger alignment tool for £29 which is about the same as a bike shop would charge you for an alignment check. Made the world of difference.

Also, get a chain checker tool. They are only a few quid but can save you a fortune in repairs. Chains are cheap compared to the rest of the drivetrain but if they wear too much, they end up destroying the teeth on the freewheel and crankset. A chain checker will give you an early warning of chain wear.

I recently bought my daughter a £140 Apollo bike for pottering about on at Uni.

I spent a good few hours fine tuning it. The rear wheel bearings were loose and dry, the cranks were not tight on the tapers, 4th gear gave you 3rd and 6th was after the limit stop.

All easy things to fix and I was very impressed with myself when I compared the before and after test rides.

Bottom line is, you get a good deal of bang for your buck when you buy an Apollo as long as you are prepared to do the things which Halfords and the factory didn't do so well.

 

[HMS_Dave]

The tourney TZ is "entry level" but it is functional and should index correctly when set up properly. I've had it on my fat bike for 18 months with only mild fettling required.

Of course, you can upgrade to better components if you wish, but no matter how high end the components, they will all act up if not set up correctly.
As mentioned if you have grip shifters, changing these to thumb index shifters would likely be a better path to go down...

 

[Ajax Bay]

if you have grip shifters, changing these to thumb index shifters

Do not replace the rear mech: it has no bearing on the quality of the OP's gears. I've just checked all the accessible bikes and 3 out of 4 MTBs have Tourney rear mechs (all entirely fit for purpose - 6/7 speed).
But If the OP has a replace it / "upgrading" fetish, then find some 3x6 trigger shifters to replace the twist grips. I've sorted out a lot of bikes for mainly family or friends (most from the tip (@£15)) and twist grip indexing is harder to get right imo. Trigger shifters pull and release the cable with a better cable line and less friction - this can matter for those with weaker hands.

 

[Lovacott]

But If the OP has a replace it / "upgrading" fetish, then find some 3x6 trigger shifters to replace the twist grips. I've sorted out a lot of bikes for mainly family or friends (most from the tip (@£15)) and twist grip indexing is harder to get right imo. Trigger shifters pull and release the cable with a better cable line and less friction - this can matter for those with weaker hands.

I have triggers on my hybrid and twist grips on the Apollo. I've got used to the twist shifters and I quite like them. Very easy to use in the winter when wearing thick gloves.

 

[Blue Hills]

The SRAM twist grip on my speed pro is probably the most dependable bit of the bike - never caused any trouble. Linked to 7 speed rear mech on an sram dual drive system.

 

[C R]

The SRAM twist grip on my speed pro is probably the most dependable bit of the bike - never caused any trouble. Linked to 7 speed rear mech on an sram dual drive system.

I got an sram twist grip to replace a broken shimano in daughter's 2 bike, and the sram was way more accurate. I forgot to swap it out onto her new bike, and she's been complaining about the sloppy shifting in the new bike.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Despite what I said, I have had a not dissimilar issue: daughter liking the twist grip on elder daughter's bike; I provide bike of own with triggers; gentle, polite, grumble.

 

[C R]

Despite what I said, I have had a not dissimilar issue: daughter liking the twist grip on elder daughter's bike; I provide bike of own with triggers; gentle, polite, grumble.

In our case she is disliking how sloppy the shimano grip shifter is compared to the sram one.

 

[Lovacott]

In our case she is disliking how sloppy the shimano grip shifter is compared to the sram one.

I've got Shimano Revoshift on mine and although it took me a bit of time to get them right, they are now perfect.

What I do like about twist grips is that you can make big gear changes in one hit (skip two, three or more cogs on the cassette).

Handy with some of the big dipper hills we have here in Devon.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

BSO-quality twist grips are shite. I used to detest twist grips because the only ones I had tried were on skip BSO's. Then I tried a Raleigh with acceptable quality ones. The gearchange was actually very good if set up correctly. On a flat bar bike being used for urban riding, or hilly riding involving frequent gear shifts, they do have a fair bit going for them. Ergonomically they are superior to anything else, but the downside is complexity.

 

[C R]

BSO-quality twist grips are shite. I used to detest twist grips because the only ones I had tried were on skip BSO's. Then I tried a Raleigh with acceptable quality ones. The gearchange was actually very good if set up correctly. On a flat bar bike being used for urban riding, or hilly riding involving frequent gear shifts, they do have a fair bit going for them. Ergonomically they are superior to anything else, but the downside is complexity.

Are they any more complex than thumb trigger shifters?