Only 1 gear on a 18 speed bike?

[hiker biker]

Hi guys

Well I'm new to this forum and also new to bike maintenance. I have owned mountain bikes before but have never know a lot about repairing them

I have flicked through a lot of pages of the forums and saw that no one else had a problem exactly like mine.

So my brother recently told me he had a bike being neglected for a few months and I told him I would take it off his hands and have a go at repairing it, after all whats a few minor repairs compared to the price of a new bike?

Well my main problem with this bike is The left gear shifter is completely broke (needs to be replaced) which I can usually cope with except for one thing... I can only access 2 gears on the right gear shifter, 1 & 2.

I saw the video tutorial for the rear derailer and had a go at fixing it only I have made it worse and its stuck in 2nd gear and won't shift up or down.

Please can someone give me some advice on how to fix this?

Thanks in advance

[nfmisso]

please post pictures; lots of pictures of:
* both derailleurs
* both shifters
* over all bike.

I suspect that you are going to need to replace all the cables. The lowest cost option is a pack of Bell brand cables available at Wal-mart. They are fine, as long as you lubricate them.

For the rear derailleur, start by disconnecting the cable entirely. Locate and identify the Hi and Lo limit screws. (Bike upside down works here if you don't have a stand to hold it up in the air). Rotating the pedals forward, with no cable attached, the rear derailleur should move by itself to the small (Hi gear) cog on the freewheel. If it does not, but does move freely, and stops against the Hi limit screw, adjust the Hi limit screw so that it will get to the smallest cog, and the chain runs smoothly and quietly.

If it does not move freely; you need to identify the damage or what is jamming it. Also at this point, you have to decide if it is worth trying to fix, or just buy a new derailleur. A Shimano TX30 is less than $10- from Amazon, and is perfectly serviceable for a 5, 6 or 7 speed freewheel.

Assuming that the derailleur is moving freely, and you have the Hi limit properly adjusted, no as you are pedaling, push the derailleur with you hand towards the largest cog. Adjust the Lo limit screw so that derailleur can move the chain to the largest cog, but no over shot the largest cog.

adjust the B screw if there is one so that the jockey wheel clears all the cogs, but is as close as possible to the cogs without touching.

next install the new lubricated cables.

Put the shifter in top gear, let the derailleur stay in top gear, pull the cable taught (a pound of force is plenty), tighten the cable clamping screw on the derailleur, cut cable a couple inches past the derailleur and install a ferrule.

Next while pedaling move the shifter to the middle gear (3 if a 5 speed, 3 or 4 if a 6 speed, 4 if a 7 speed) and adjust the cable barrel so that the chain runs smoothly in that gear. Verify all gears work well.

[hiker biker]

(04-26-2011, 10:35 AM)nfmisso Wrote:  please post pictures; lots of pictures of:
* both derailleurs
* both shifters
* over all bike.

I suspect that you are going to need to replace all the cables. The lowest cost option is a pack of Bell brand cables available at Wal-mart. They are fine, as long as you lubricate them.

For the rear derailleur, start by disconnecting the cable entirely. Locate and identify the Hi and Lo limit screws. (Bike upside down works here if you don't have a stand to hold it up in the air). Rotating the pedals forward, with no cable attached, the rear derailleur should move by itself to the small (Hi gear) cog on the freewheel. If it does not, but does move freely, and stops against the Hi limit screw, adjust the Hi limit screw so that it will get to the smallest cog, and the chain runs smoothly and quietly.

If it does not move freely; you need to identify the damage or what is jamming it. Also at this point, you have to decide if it is worth trying to fix, or just buy a new derailleur. A Shimano TX30 is less than $10- from Amazon, and is perfectly serviceable for a 5, 6 or 7 speed freewheel.

Assuming that the derailleur is moving freely, and you have the Hi limit properly adjusted, no as you are pedaling, push the derailleur with you hand towards the largest cog. Adjust the Lo limit screw so that derailleur can move the chain to the largest cog, but no over shot the largest cog.

adjust the B screw if there is one so that the jockey wheel clears all the cogs, but is as close as possible to the cogs without touching.

next install the new lubricated cables.

Put the shifter in top gear, let the derailleur stay in top gear, pull the cable taught (a pound of force is plenty), tighten the cable clamping screw on the derailleur, cut cable a couple inches past the derailleur and install a ferrule.

Next while pedaling move the shifter to the middle gear (3 if a 5 speed, 3 or 4 if a 6 speed, 4 if a 7 speed) and adjust the cable barrel so that the chain runs smoothly in that gear. Verify all gears work well.

Hi just to update I realized since messing with the cable and the adjustment screws as stated I am stuck on the 2nd gear but I literally just realized that when I move the gear shifter that it doesn't click or attempt to move, so do you think something has come loose? or is a case of tightening something?

Will try and update with some pictures!

[nfmisso]

Your info update does not change my suggestions above.