Welcome to ’Ask Wrench’, our bicycle maintanence blog. Submit your bike questions to info@gearhead.ca, and Wrench will do his best to get back to you quickly!
Update April 20th, 2009
Our first question is regarding getting those finicky rear gears to adjust just right ...
"Hey Wrench,
When I shift to a more difficult gear it doesn’t go right away, and the gears make a terrible noise until I shift once more and it skips two. What’s up?"
"We’ve all been there! Not worry though, it isn’t a serious problem. Just cable tension most likely. Out side of the smallest cog and largest cog on you cassette, which are set with the limitor screws, everything in between works off of cable tension. It sounds like you might have to much tension, which is causing the derallieur to stay put! Try turning you barrel adjuster, which is on you rear shifter (or on the rear deraileur on some bikes) towards you a few turns that should solve the problem. If you find it jumps to a harder gear to
easily, slightly turn the adjuster away from you, before you know it you will find that happy place!"
