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Gears

  • 05-04-2013 5:48am
    #1
    Bulky Boy
    Site Banned Posts: 79 ✭✭


    I have a Giant Rock SE, about 9 months old. I've been having problems with the gears on it for a while and was wondering if anyone can give me some advice.

    Changing between the 4th and 5th ring usually doesn't work unless I go up to the 6th and then drop back down, all the others work fine, anyone know how this can be sorted? Shimano gears btw. Also, how long should brake pads last, using the bike about once every two weeks or so?


Comments

  • #2
    Coronal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 395 ✭✭Coronal


    I think it sounds a bit like an indexing problem. Have a read of this: http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#rear which may help you see if you can tweak the rear cable a little by turning the barrel adjuster that's at the derailleur.

    I think brake pads last for a few thousand kms, but over a long time the rubber compound will go hard and not bite as well as it used to. Changing them is pretty straightforward.


  • #3
    irishmotorist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,268 ✭✭✭irishmotorist


    You may be getting a little bit of cable stretch for the gear changes. It might need a slight tightening, probably via a little bolt that's on the back of the derailleur where the cable goes into it. Typically, I find that to tighten a cable, screw the bolt in a fashion that you are loosening it - i.e. anti-clockwise. Tightening the derailleur cable will have the effect of bringing the derailleur slightly towards the big cog. I'd try a quarter turn, give it a spin trying up and down all the gears and see how it goes. I'd always try about a quarter turn at a time.

    Brake pads are very visual. Take a good look around it and make sure there's plenty of rubber between the brake shoe (metal bit) and the wheel rim. Check top and bottom of the brake pad as it doesn't necessarily wear evenly all around.


  • #4
    HivemindXX
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,208 ✭✭✭HivemindXX


    I think it is very difficult to say how long a set of brake pads will last.

    Some are more hard wearing than others by design since there is a trade off. Braking power, rim wear and pad wear are all related qualities and you basically can't get a pad that will last really well, have great braking performance and also be gentle on your rim. The conditions you cycle in has a big impact as well. If you are getting a lot of grit on the rims your pads will wear out more quickly. Of course how much you use them is also a big factor. A person who spends a lot of time on the brakes on steep descents is going to wear out pads quicker than someone who just needs to touch them every now and again when cruising along on the flat.

    Like IrishMotorist said you can check for pad wear pretty easily just by a visual inspection. You will usually need to adjust your brakes a couple of times before the pads need replacement as they wear down so just because they are not working like they used to doesn't mean they need to be replaced just yet.

    Brake pads are a consumable though and having to replace them is an inevitability. If you think they are wearing out too quickly then buy a set that is more hard wearing next time, if you think the performance of those is not good enough buy something different the time after that.


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