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

New: Take Part in the May's Giveaway: Win the LIVALL PikaBoost 2 E-bike Conversion Kit


Intermittent trouble with rear gear shifting
#1
Every now and then something strange will happen to my bike. I won't be able to shift up from 3 to 4 on the rear gears for a day or two. I can shift freely between 1 and 3 and if I somehow end up in 4 I can shift freely between 4 and 7. But then if I shift down from 4 to 3 (which I can do no problem) I cannot shift back up from 3 to 4.

Whenever this is going on the lever I press with my thumb does not click like it does when shifting through other gears and the gear indicator either remains on 3 or seems stuck halfway between 3 and 4. The derailleur does not move and it doesn't sound like it's trying to shift (no clicking sound or anything). The cable twitches a little when I press the lever but not as much as it does when shifting through other gears.

As I said the problem is intermittent and it will come and go, seemingly without warning. Does this sound like the kind of problem I might be able to fix myself or should I get it looked at? Any advice would be appreciated!

P.S: It's a couple years old and was cheap to begin with (I think I paid about 250 for it)
  Reply
#2
Sounds like a shifter issue. Trigger shifters and brifters require periodic flushing with solvent and re-lubricating.

Take a look at: http://bikeride.com/rapid-fire-shifters/
Nigel
  Reply
#3
Thanks for the link! My attempts to open up my shifter have been thwarted for now by a badly stripped screw, and while I was tinkering around the problem fixed itself, though no doubt it will appear again in a few days. I'll see what I can do about the stripped screw once the problem reappears. If I run into trouble after that I'll return here.

Thanks again!
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads...

Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
Is anyone riding with music?
Today 07:26 PM
The great thing about trikes
Today 12:06 PM
Third best reason to ride a bent or trik...
Yesterday 05:59 PM
Biking with helmet laws
Yesterday 10:23 AM
"There's been better times
06-03-2025 09:10 PM
What was your first bicycle?
06-03-2025 04:25 PM
Where are you from and What is your favo...
06-02-2025 06:22 PM
Effective Breathing Method I use to go u...
06-01-2025 11:50 PM
Attack // Force tire style narrow front ...
06-01-2025 12:47 AM
First long distance ride..
05-31-2025 10:33 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. Criminal
22 posts
no avatar 2. GirishH
17 posts
no avatar 3. rydabent
17 posts
no avatar 4. Flowrider
16 posts
no avatar 5. SPINMAN
12 posts