Cyclists really are in their own world

[Bunkermagnet]

You can both clear off, that's Ducati country!!

But's theres no breakdown shop every 400 metres

 

[Blue in Munich]

But's theres no breakdown shop every 400 metres

Cheeky beggar; they've come on leaps & bounds in that department since Audi took them over.

 

[AmandaJR]

My bike is occasionally automatically changing gear - usually under load and at the most inopportune time!

Been doing some reading and could be as simple as using the barrel adjuster to tighten the cable...

Anyone on here got a clue?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

My bike is occasionally automatically changing gear - usually under load and at the most inopportune time!

Been doing some reading and could be as simple as using the barrel adjuster to tighten the cable...

Anyone on here got a clue?

That's a good place to start. Check the chain is running centrally through the adjuster (derailleur). If not adjust using the barrel screw. Plenty of videos on YouTube.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Cheeky beggar; they've come on leaps & bounds in that department since Audi took them over.

A friend of mine used to have a Ducati 900SD Damah, nad after he had stayed over one night I remember as we watched him pull away how stupid those 4 bolts looked holding the rear sprocket in place on the wheel.
10 minutes later he was on the phone, those 4 bolts had sheared and he was stuck.
That was of course one of the rare occaisions the bike wasnt having the engine or gearbox worked on...usually alternate jobs every couple of months

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My bike is occasionally automatically changing gear - usually under load and at the most inopportune time!

Been doing some reading and could be as simple as using the barrel adjuster to tighten the cable...

Anyone on here got a clue?

The shifter at the handle bars may have a little aduster, but there should be one at the rear mech as the cable enters it. Rotate the adjuster anti clockwise if the chain is changing down to a smaller gear, or clockwise if the chain is chaning up a gear.
You cannot harm or damage it by playing with it, so don't be afraid to twiddle a little bit with it.
Try it little bits at a time, and suspend the rear wheel somehow and turn the pedals and try changin the gears. You should be able to find a happy medium where it will change happily up and down.

 

[Blue in Munich]

A friend of mine used to have a Ducati 900SD Damah, nad after he had stayed over one night I remember as we watched him pull away how stupid those 4 bolts looked holding the rear sprocket in place on the wheel.
10 minutes later he was on the phone, those 4 bolts had sheared and he was stuck.
That was of course one of the rare occaisions the bike wasnt having the engine or gearbox worked on...usually alternate jobs every couple of months

They were not the best mechanically then, but in fairness the Darmah was a new model 40 years ago from memory.

 

[AmandaJR]

The shifter at the handle bars may have a little aduster, but there should be one at the rear mech as the cable enters it. Rotate the adjuster anti clockwise if the chain is changing down to a smaller gear, or clockwise if the chain is chaning up a gear.
You cannot harm or damage it by playing with it, so don't be afraid to twiddle a little bit with it.
Try it little bits at a time, and suspend the rear wheel somehow and turn the pedals and try changin the gears. You should be able to find a happy medium where it will change happily up and down.

It has one on both so wasn't sure which one to start with. It is going down onto smaller cog on rear so halfway up a hill isn't fun! So which way do I turn it?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

It has one on both so wasn't sure which one to start with. It is going down onto smaller cog on rear so halfway up a hill isn't fun! So which way do I turn it?

If the rear gear is dropping down a sprocket on the back then rotate the barrel anticlockwise to give a lttle more cable tension. I imagine that when you're peddling you get a "chatter" from the rear end, a small rotation of that barrel adjuster should stop it. As I said, you cant damage it all you are doing is just adjusting the cable tension at the rear mech

 

[clubchamp98]

My bike is occasionally automatically changing gear - usually under load and at the most inopportune time!

Been doing some reading and could be as simple as using the barrel adjuster to tighten the cable...

Anyone on here got a clue?

Probably just the cable has stretched a tad the adjuster will take up the slack.

 

[AmandaJR]

Thanks guys. I can just hear a teeny sound as if it's not quite sitting right so will give it a go.

So I rotate anti clockwise...at handlebars or rear, or either or both?? Thanks!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Thanks guys. I can just hear a teeny sound as if it's not quite sitting right so will give it a go.

So I rotate anti clockwise...at handlebars or rear, or either or both?? Thanks!

Either will do. The adjuster at the shifter allows you to tweak it as you ride.
If you do it on the shifter as you ride, you will find the noise get louder then possibly shift gear if you go the wrong way (clockwise or closing a tap ).
If it was a big adjustment, I would always make it at the rear mech, but small tweaks I would do at the shifter end where possible.

 

[AmandaJR]

Probably just the cable has stretched a tad the adjuster will take up the slack.

Either will do. The adjuster at the shifter allows you to tweak it as you ride.
If you do it on the shifter as you ride, you will find the noise get louder then possibly shift gear if you go the wrong way (clockwise or closing a tap ).
If it was a big adjustment, I would always make it at the rear mech, but small tweaks I would do at the shifter end where possible.

Thanks so much guys. Just home from 15 very windy miles and not a single jump out of gear and so smooth and quiet. I hadn't realised the effort on the changer to move to a bigger cog on the back was so much more than it needed to be. So today they clicked into gear really easily and I even dared to stand and "climb" without worrying I might come a cropper if the chain jumped a cog or two.

I reviewed your advice and googles before adjusting but the latter never really quite explained it as well. The front barrel adjuster didn't seem to want to turn much anti-clockwise but turned the back one a few little "teeth" round and worked a treat.

It's such a cracking bike, which was a real bargain on FB Marketplace, and today it felt amazing

Question - when you talk about moving up/down a gear is it chain direction or resistance change? I've never been sure...especially as the latter is the opposite between front and rear mechs.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Question - when you talk about moving up/down a gear is it chain direction or resistance change? I've never been sure...especially as the latter is the opposite between front and rear mechs.

When I talk about up and down gears, I should have said I mean up and down the rear sprocket...so up is going to a larger sprocket , likewise down to a smaller sprocket.
For the front rings(chainset) I talk in granny (smallest) middle and big ring(largest)

 

[sunshine]

It's such a cracking bike, which was a real bargain on FB Marketplace

Probably stolen. Like most bargain bikes on gumtree, fb etc. Not your fault if it was!

 

[AmandaJR]

Probably stolen. Like most bargain bikes on gumtree, fb etc. Not your fault if it was!

Not in this case. Woman whose son worked in a bike shop locally and persuaded her to buy this bike which she'd hardly ridden. She was clueless about the spec so I spoke to him about it. She also gave me the matching helmet and clothing too...I'd say 100% genuine.

 

[clubchamp98]

Thanks so much guys. Just home from 15 very windy miles and not a single jump out of gear and so smooth and quiet. I hadn't realised the effort on the changer to move to a bigger cog on the back was so much more than it needed to be. So today they clicked into gear really easily and I even dared to stand and "climb" without worrying I might come a cropper if the chain jumped a cog or two.

I reviewed your advice and googles before adjusting but the latter never really quite explained it as well. The front barrel adjuster didn't seem to want to turn much anti-clockwise but turned the back one a few little "teeth" round and worked a treat.

It's such a cracking bike, which was a real bargain on FB Marketplace, and today it felt amazing

Question - when you talk about moving up/down a gear is it chain direction or resistance change? I've never been sure...especially as the latter is the opposite between front and rear mechs.

It’s probably never been adjusted normally this only happens when new so is adjusted at first service.
But your right the long travel to change gear is a clue and a clickity clack before it changes.
Nothing worse than missing a gear going uphill.

 

[pendodave]

Don't want to start a new cycling thread, so as this one has become a bit general purpose I'll add this to it...
I've been cycling a little to break up my exercise patterns and have enjoyed it more than I expected...
I've done a little cycle touring in the last couple of years. It's been fantastic. I've not taken my own (elderly) steed, but have hired something when I've got there for a few days. I'm thinking I might go as far as to get my own kit, so I've done what I would do if I was looking at golf clubs - browse ebay for kit that's a few years old but essentially not much different to what's currently available.
Imagine my surprise to see that most of it is not much cheaper than new, and even bikes that are more than 10 years old are still very expensive.
I'm intrigued at the difference - the demographic is similar. Golf clubs are even less likely to suffer meaningful wear and tear than bikes. And yet golf clubs more than a few years old are a pittance, while bikes that I might have purchased 20 years ago still cost 100s of pounds.
What gives??

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Don't want to start a new cycling thread, so as this one has become a bit general purpose I'll add this to it...
I've been cycling a little to break up my exercise patterns and have enjoyed it more than I expected...
I've done a little cycle touring in the last couple of years. It's been fantastic. I've not taken my own (elderly) steed, but have hired something when I've got there for a few days. I'm thinking I might go as far as to get my own kit, so I've done what I would do if I was looking at golf clubs - browse ebay for kit that's a few years old but essentially not much different to what's currently available.
Imagine my surprise to see that most of it is not much cheaper than new, and even bikes that are more than 10 years old are still very expensive.
I'm intrigued at the difference - the demographic is similar. Golf clubs are even less likely to suffer meaningful wear and tear than bikes. And yet golf clubs more than a few years old are a pittance, while bikes that I might have purchased 20 years ago still cost 100s of pounds.
What gives??

Bikes on eBay are currently in very high demand.

Sales have gone through the roof with the lockdown and it’s taking time for new bikes to be delivered so people are buying from Facebook and eBay.

Some of the prices I have seen are a joke.

I guarantee after the lockdown has ended there is going to be some bargains to be had.

 

[AmandaJR]

Has the technology changed so dramatically? Probably not. My road bike is a gorgeous Bianchi which I guess I've had for something like 15+ years and it still looks modern. Gear shifters have moved on but the majority till have the old system.