raleigh mountain bike issues

[Cobbler]

Just to add my ten pence worth. To set up the indexing when you change the cable, with the cable disconnected spin the pedals so the chain goes onto the smallest sprocket, if it won't go, adjust one of the limit screws until it runs inline with the mech & the sprocket looking from the rear. Then screw in the barrel cable adjuster on the rear about 2/3 of the way in, fit the cable & take in all the slack & clamp up with the twist grip in the right position. don't tension it though. Then twist the grip to the next position & see if it changes, if it doesn't, tighten the cable on the barrel adjuster a bit at a time until it slots over into the next gear. Move the adjuster about 1/2 at a time until it changes easily & quietly. Then it should be ok throughout the range. It will take a bit of fiddling to get right, not helped by the twistgrip as they are not great.

This isn't the official Shimano method, but it will get the gears working for you.

Good luck with it.

 

[BrokenBiker]

that is basically what i did but i just screwed the barrel adjuster all the way in

i will take the cable completely off tomorrow and see if the twist grip is ok. If it is i will replace the cable. Apart from this now everything works, just have to give it a good clean, put the new chain on and start riding

 

[Cobbler]

I don't screw the adjuster right in so if the cable is too tight initially I can loosen it a bit. Most changing problems tend to be caused by knackered cables, both inner & outer, providing the mech's not worn out or bent. Basically if it won't change properly, first change the cable.

As already stated, worth looking at Chain Reactions web site, they are great to deal with & well discounted with free postage.

 

[BrokenBiker]

just to confirm about the adjuster, which way tightens the cable. Moving it in or out. I think it is the cable that is knackered on this as when the grip clicks to the next gear the cable doesn't move unless i pull it, and then its tight moving back the other way

 

[Cobbler]

Screw it out to tighten the cable, effectively it lengthens the outer cable. With the final adjustment, it is quite critical, 1/4 of a turn makes a difference between changing & changing quietly. It takes a bit of time to get it right, but it's easy enough. One point to check it the limit screw for the large sprocket, make sure the chain doe not go too far & drop off the back into the spokes. It will be obvious what I mean when you start setting it up.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i thought it was out to tighten, just confused myself when i started thinking about it.

well im happy that the limits are set properly, when turning the pedals i can move the derailleur by hand and it will smoothly change through each gear and no matter how hard i push it wont jump off the highest, and jg i let it go it moves through them all back to 6. Will investigate with the barrel adjuster tomorrow as i have to go to work in an hour.

 

[Cobbler]

I can't help you after today, I am off on an extended holiday to France & Spain in our campervan. Oh the joys of being retired!

 

[BrokenBiker]

I can't help you after today, I am off on an extended holiday to France & Spain in our campervan. Oh the joys of being retired!

no problem, the info you have put down already will be more than enough to get me going once I have replaced the cable I think. with a bit of luck I can get out on it for a bit tomorrow before work, even if its just around the block, but I will have more time to work on it tomorrow

 

[Wedg1e]

The Derailleurs are commonly called front mech and rear mech these days

The sprockets attached to the cranks are chainrings (or chainwheels when I were a lad), the 5/6/7 sprocket set is known as a cassette (it were a '5-speed block' back int'day). A 'proper' cassette maker will supply all the different sizes individually so you can build a custom block to suit your riding; I had a 6-speed block that came off a handbuilt tandem (built by local lad Jack Taylor) owned by a couple who still rode it in their 80s... it went from a stupidly small 6th to a 1st that was the same size as one of the chainrings! It wouldn't work at first as my cheapo Huret rear mech couldn't cope with the difference in chain length, I had to buy a (from memory, this was the 1970s) Campagnolo mech with long idler cage... that took quite some paper-round money, as I recall.

Stripping and rebuilding cassettes was probably the first 'complex' mechanical task I ever did; all those ball-bearings, pawls and springs... using my dad's best circlip pliers to get the locking ring undone...

 

[chunkolini]

Wedgie you are so ancient.
These days the casette slips on and off and the freehub gets chucked when it dies.
Mine seem to live almost forever and they have a hideous life.

BB, the levers rarely give up the ghost, and the limiter screws if they were set right originally never need touching, the worst thing to do is adjust everything willy nilly. That is what I used to do.
The problem is usually cables but replace both inner and outer at the same time.
Properly shifting gears are a joy to use. Crunchy skipping gears are a nightmare.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Wedgie you are so ancient.
These days the casette slips on and off and the freehub gets chucked when it dies.
Mine seem to live almost forever and they have a hideous life.

BB, the levers rarely give up the ghost, and the limiter screws if they were set right originally never need touching, the worst thing to do is adjust everything willy nilly. That is what I used to do.
The problem is usually cables but replace both inner and outer at the same time.
Properly shifting gears are a joy to use. Crunchy skipping gears are a nightmare.

cheers chunko, i only adjusted the screws as i noticed it was only travelling a few gears. Now it has full range of travel.

where is best to get a complete cable?

 

[chunkolini]

Where to buy cables or whatever? Chain reaction cycles, they are the Amazon of the bike world, cheap and reliable and free delivery, sadly they are not the local bike shop. But our LBS is bloody useless.
I would always buy a full set from shimano http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-xt-gear-cable-set/rp-prod69180
Or a bit pricier http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-xtr-gear-cable-set-ptfe-coated/rp-prod67788
I always buy the posher version.
If you are cutting them to length, cut the outer with decent pliers (brutal but can work) then squish it sideways to round it off again then slip the inner through it before fitting.
Make the outers are plenty long enough or they pull when steering etc.
Always cut the inner to length after fitting it, then it does not unravel and drive you insane as you try and fit it.
Always crimp the end fittings on, I use pop rivets minus the middle bit for this. the ends of wire make very deep holes in people.

 

[BrokenBiker]

cheers, ill use the existing cables as templates. Thanks

 

[chunkolini]

Thats a good start.
But cut the inners after fitting them.
I just types titting them. Dont do that.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Haha will do lol

 

[Wedg1e]

Wedgie you are so ancient.
These days the casette slips on and off and the freehub gets chucked when it dies.
Mine seem to live almost forever and they have a hideous life.

Indeed I am

...but change is not necessarily improvement
I had a Falcon Black Diamond 10-speed racer in my late teens; my brother sent me a link to one for sale on Ebay a few weeks ago, someone paid the kings' ransom of £45 for it... I think I sold mine for a fiver, back when the Conservatives were still in power and there were only four television channels.
Now I have a £60 Halfords special 'mountain bike' and it is every bit as exemplary an example of Chinese rubbish as one could wish not to encounter. For example the chainrings are distorted (from new) so much that it's impossible to adjust the front mech to stop the chain from rubbing on the cage. The front wheel bearing cones will not stay correctly adjusted for a single mile, resulting in a wheel that's slacker than my ex-wife. Or one of them, at any rate.
It's sole purpose in my life is to remind me that I am a fat b^$+4rd and should do some exercise before my daughter inherits my house prematurely...

 

[graffian]

Always cut the inner to length after fitting it, then it does not unravel and drive you insane as you try and fit it.
Always crimp the end fittings on, I use pop rivets minus the middle bit for this. the ends of wire make very deep holes in people.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i bought 2 lengths of.inner wire and a pack of 10 crimps earlier for the grand sum of a fiver. Gonna fit them when i get up tomorrow providing the phone doesn't go again and have me out and about all day like today.

what is the picture.supposed to show? I notice the inners i have bought have a blob of what looks to be solder on the bare ends, but as they are too long i will end up cutting them and using the crimps i.bought instead

 

[Rocketman]

Just showing some crimped on cable ends.

Yeah you will have to cut off the soldered ends on the cables for final fit at which point you crimp on the cable ends. When I have run out of cable ends before I have actually used solder!

 

[BrokenBiker]

ah right, thought that's what it was just didn't know if i was missing something lol