Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.

New: Take Part in the March Giveaway: Coming Soon 3/24


Shifting Issues
#1
Hey Everyone,

I am hoping someone here may be able to assist me with my old bicycle. I currently own a Trek 4900 that was probably purchased in 2002 +/- a year or two. The bike got a lot of good use/abuse up until the time I got married and had children. Now that my kids are a little older and starting to ride bikes more competently I decided to finally get it cleaned up and in working order. The problem I am having is that it sat outside uncovered for a long time. I have cleaned it up and oiled it up and made some adjustments to get the gears moving smoothly. Shifting from 1st to 2nd on the front derailleur is pretty smooth and the same goes for downshifting from 2nd to 1st. However, no matter what I tighten, oil, clean, or fiddle with I can not get it to shift in to 3rd gear on the front. Normally to shift up it take a full press of the thumb shift but when I try to go to third it does not even catch until about 3/4 of the way through the press and then does not even get it close to catching the 3rd gear. I have (hopefully) added photographs so you have an idea of what I am looking at. The first picture of the shifter and the derailleur is its normal resting position in second gear and the second set of pictures shows you how far the dial moves with a full press as well as the location of the derailleur.

   
   

   
   

For now I am just hoping to fix this thing up as much as I can since I am too cheap to purchase something new haha.. But I am just hoping to get it fully functioning for some easy family rides on paved trails or around the city and then maybe purchase something a little newer later on if I want to get in to some more advanced rides.

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.
  Reply
#2
(04-28-2020, 06:05 PM)IndexI96 Wrote:  ... Normally to shift up it take a full press of the thumb shift but when I try to go to third it does not even catch until about 3/4 of the way through the press and then does not even get it close to catching the 3rd gear. I have (hopefully) added photographs so you have an idea of what I am looking at. The first picture of the shifter and the derailleur is its normal resting position in second gear and the second set of pictures shows you how far the dial moves with a full press as well as the location of the derailleur.
If it was working properly when you rode it years ago, and now won't work properly after being stored for so long, it sounds like it could be a cable problem. That's where I'd begin, with a new cable and housing. You could move the derailleur by hand to see that it moves across all three chainrings without sticking.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread
Author
Replies
Views
Last Post
 
1,666
06-05-2020, 03:56 PM
Last Post: ollie.olsson
 
2,418
05-25-2020, 09:56 PM
Last Post: Painkiller
 
5,280
01-07-2020, 03:37 PM
Last Post: Bam Bam
 
14,345
08-25-2014, 10:17 PM
Last Post: 1FJEF
 
6,531
06-06-2014, 11:25 AM
Last Post: nfmisso
 
8,778
05-02-2014, 02:46 PM
Last Post: cny-man
 
6,744
01-14-2014, 04:05 PM
Last Post: 1FJEF
 
42,658
08-21-2013, 03:34 AM
Last Post: 1FJEF

Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
What tools have you bought recently?
Today 06:57 PM
Santini fluted frame
Today 06:47 PM
Expensive bikes with crappy wheels
Today 10:15 AM
Where are you from and What is your favo...
Yesterday 11:43 PM
2007 Trek Pilot S.P.A. 5.2
Yesterday 07:06 PM
2010 Specialized Hardrock
03-26-2024 09:16 PM
1990 Specialized Rockhopper How to Fluff...
03-25-2024 07:05 PM
Thread busted on right pedal crank
03-24-2024 08:52 PM
Trek domane tyre
03-24-2024 05:48 PM
Modern rims crack at spoke holes
03-24-2024 05:32 PM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. Painkiller
21 posts
no avatar 2. ReapThaWhirlwind
16 posts
no avatar 3. Jesper
16 posts
no avatar 4. meamoantonio
15 posts
no avatar 5. GirishH
15 posts