I answered a call of mercy over the weekend after my mate had booked his and his other half bikes bikes in for rather expensive "services" due to a couple of issues, and then had buyers remorse and wondered if I could take a look instead. We're doing a 4 day Newc to Edingburgh over the 2nd may bank hols.
First up his bike, as only getting largest 4 or 5 of the 8 sprockets as and when selected, although occasionally dropping onto them a mile or two after selecting them. Initial phone diagnosis was correct, a pretty rusty run of outer cable immediately before the rear mech, so replace that and re indexed the gears and running fine - told him he could do better at chain cleaning though!
Next up hers, "gear a bit noisy in the middle range" and "brakes not great". as I wheeled it to the stand you could tell something was up as it didn't wheel very freely, and a very short test ride was like pedalling through treacle. I dropped the front wheel out and it spun fine on it axel, so wasn't a bearing issue, but it was at both front and rear a cable disk brake adjustment issue. BB5s both rubbing against the passive pad but the active piston needing most of the lever travel to engage.
Needed the full loosen off, business card, squeeze and retighten caliper routine and then some dialling in of passive pads and inline adjuster adjustment. I then set to indexing the gears but that was proving futile as what worked at one end of the cassette range didn't at the other. Bent mech hanger diagnosed, and when i got the hanger toll out it was at least an inch out of line at the rim. Gently worked that back inline and indexed the gears. Quick test ride was like night and day. My mate said he wondered why she was lagging behind so quickly the other day, the poor lady had done 20 miles with her brakes partly on!
Not a bad hour and a 1/4s work.
