Bike

[jack]

Now, I feel *really* stupid.

When I bought my bike, I got a cheaper one (not second hand, at the low end of new road bikes) on the grounds that as I didn't know what I wanted it would do, and I could buy the right bike at some future point. This may have been a mistake. They didn't *say* it was crap when I bought it, but I've had a few problems.

Before christmas, something (I thought in the gears) was sticking a bit, and I took it for a first service, when they adjusted the brakes and a few other things, and I thought it was ok. But very soon, I thought it was again. It was just a bit, and I couldn't compare it, so I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, and the bike took me places, so I didn't investigate.

Yesterday, I thought it was getting worse, and then there was a big 'clonk' and wheel has physical resistance to going round. I left it at home, because I couldn't face sorting it out last night.

The gears are hub gears. I didn't even know what these were before. I don't know if it's possible for me to have been doing something that damaged them, or if they are amenable to maintanence.

And if I want to ask someone, I'm not sure where I should go. Before Cambridge Cycles assured me there wasn't a problem, which I now rather doubt, so I'm not sure to what extent to trust them on this. If I asked them to examine the gears and they just didn't, and then they failed, it would be reasonable for them to do it for free now. But I don't know how obvious the problem was. I assume a service includes spinning the wheel, but maybe not riding the bike round the parking lot to see if it goes well.

I guess they could replace the gears if I asked, but I'd still be equally ignorant. I don't know enough about it, I couldn't have said if the stickiness was just what that bike was naturally like after a few months and I should have known that, or easily fixable, or not.

I seem to be exceptionally bad with bikes. I don't think cars would be necessarily better. It always seems like:

Steve: Hey, Ed! You'll never believe it, a guy here wants to buy a bike! A bike!
Ed: What? I thought you said a *bike*!?
Steve: Yeah.
Ed: What? What have you (or he) been smoking?
Me: Um... why do you have a big sign saying "Bikes" outside?
Ed: Oh, I'm not sure. Steve?
Steve: Didn't Ron K. Bike used to own this hardware store?
Me: And no-one else made the same mistake? Led astray by the long rows of bikes with prices?
Ed: No.
Steve: Look, mister, I don't know what you're trying to pull. You're in *cambridge*. You want a bike? Where do you go for books? Borders or something?
Ed: Ha ha ha.
Me: :(
Ed: Look, even if we did have bikes, you think you're going to get one for a man, 5'11 tall?
Me: For god's sake, who do you think rides bikes?
Steve: IME women and men under 4'11" or over 6'1".
Ed: Duh. And we have to order those from Seringapatam.
Me: Agh!
Ed: This isn't going to work. Just get on your... wait, this cliche won't work.
Steve: You need a bike like a fish needs... wait.
Me: I have money? You want money? Women? Men? Firefly DVDs? Wholesale?
Ed: No go. You're treating this like some kind of bike shop. What are you, stupid?

Comments

[naath.livejournal.com]

New hub gears==new wheel==well, about 50 quid really. (Probably). You can't really fix them.

You may be causing problems if you are trying to change gear in the same way as you do with a derailer - because whilst with a derailer you have to peddal whilst changing gears with a hub gear you have to *stop peddling* to change the gears.

Or

the problem could be that the wire has come loose (the one that talk to the gears) and that it need adjusting, this is often the problem if the gears are playing up a bit. The bike shop ought to be able to fix this. They should check the gears when they look at it!

[edith-the-hutt.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend either the Churchill bike guy (who is at Churchill on Mondays during term) for repairs only or the bike shop down at the station. They've both given me good service and know what they're doing.

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

OK... there is good news, and there is bad news.

The good news is that hub gears are tough. They do not, on the whole, derail like derailleurs. I rode a three-speed all over the Lake District for several years (which explains why I have scarily good leg muscles even to this day; it's not something I would recommend, but the bike was what I had), and I never had the slightest problem with the gears despite all the hammer I gave them. If yours have gone wrong, you are very unlucky. It is more likely to be some other problem, though I'm not sure what unless I see the bike.

The bad news is that if hub gears do go wrong, they are pretty much unfixable. You have to replace the whole darned unit. Better still, replace the bike. I suppose it doesn't matter so much in Cambridge, but where there are any appreciable hills I am firmly of the opinion that a second-hand derailleur bike (fast tourer for preference) is infinitely better than a new three-speed Sturmey Archer job. See, you get a whole lot more friction with hub gears because of the way they work. If I drew you an exploded diagram here...

[pause]

Umm, right. I'm a frustrated bike geek. Anyway, best of luck getting it sorted!

[mair_in_grenderich]

would it be really dumb to ask if you've had a good peer at the wheel and tried turning it to see if you can see where it's resisting? eg maybe the chain slipped and got stuck. also do you oil it regularly generally?

do you have a theory about why you get strange attitudes from bike shops? doesn't happen to me (or most people, I imagine).

what's the nearest bike place to you? I'd go there if I wanted to ask someone. Or invite a camgothbipolybikegeek around for dinner and suggest they have a look at it ... :)

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

would it be really dumb to ask if you've had a good peer at the wheel

Urk. I *really* need to drag my brain out of the gutter one of these days. My mind's eye is filled with images of the House of Lords....

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Make sure it isn't the brakes permanently touching either of the wheels, before you do anything else.

A service involves notionally fixing what was wrong with a repair that lasts a week, and adjusting the saddle height and angle, the brakes, the handlebars, the tyre pressure and everything else so that it's uncomfortable to ride, because they're vindictive and they can. Invite a friend round who knows about hub gears. I know about derailleur gears, brakes, most of the rest of it, but not hub gears, sorry. But if it was my bike I would take it apart anyway using a page from the internet rather than take it to a bike shop.

[calamarain.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, I've never had a problem with the Cambridge Cycle Centre. But, I've only been there for minor bits and pieces though, so I may not be the best judge. If not them, then I've heard reasonable things about Ben Hayward.

On a different note, I finally e-mailed the boardgaming groupt that you mentioned to me ages ago. May see you at a boardgaming night :)

[ewx.livejournal.com]

My preferred answer to hub gears is get a bike with derailer gears and avoid dropping it on the derailer.

Is the resistance definitely in the hub (rather than the brakes, as suggested above, or the chain falling off)?

Is the cable from the gear shift into the hub still connected?