Gear issue

[megsellner]

Hi,
I've had my bike for only about 6 months - and since relocated over 2,000 miles from where I bought my bike. So I can't just bring it back there. My issue is that when I'm riding on gear 2 or 3, if feels like I'm riding in gear 8 or 9, with a LOT of resistance. My gears look okay - lowest gear on the largest sprocket. So I'm not sure what's going on.
Megan

[JonB]

Have you given your bike a tune-up since you bought it?
http://bikeride.com/tune-up/

Often cables need bedding in and the cable tension tweaking. Still seems a bit odd that it's gears 2 and 3. Focus on tuning the drivetrain, should hopefully remove the problem. Not sure what else it could be, though I'm sure others will think of things.

[jr14]

How long has the issue been happening? Is it a recent development, or has it always been this way, and you're just getting sick of it now?

I am assuming you mean gears 8&9 are harder gears, and the easier gears feel like the harder gears. (Just making sure, since some people have a hard time with which way "Lower" and "Higher" gears go in relation to easier or harder.)

Sounds like it could be a bearing issue in the hub, or bottom bracket.

A "LOT" of resistance shouldn't be in any conversation involving your drivetrain. Everything SHOULD be silky smooth.

Bring it to a local shop (They need your business!), and have them take a look at it, unless you want to do the work yourself, in which case I applaud you!

[megsellner]

no, it just started happening... but it has been a little while since i rode my bike. yes, 8 and 9 are the harder gears, but my 2 and 3 gears(easy) feel like 8 and 9(harder).

i know nothing about bikes, so i definitely would have to bring it in. my concern is that i just bought the bike in august, and i just don't have the money (i'm a college student) to pay a lot to get it fixed. could this potentially be a big issue?

(01-28-2010, 09:55 PM)jr14 Wrote:  How long has the issue been happening? Is it a recent development, or has it always been this way, and you're just getting sick of it now?

I am assuming you mean gears 8&9 are harder gears, and the easier gears feel like the harder gears. (Just making sure, since some people have a hard time with which way "Lower" and "Higher" gears go in relation to easier or harder.)

Sounds like it could be a bearing issue in the hub, or bottom bracket.

A "LOT" of resistance shouldn't be in any conversation involving your drivetrain. Everything SHOULD be silky smooth.

Bring it to a local shop (They need your business!), and have them take a look at it, unless you want to do the work yourself, in which case I applaud you!

[j beede]

Lift up the rear of bike and give the rear wheel a spin. Does it spin very freely... going click-click-click? Can you flip the bike upside down so it rests on the handle bars and seat? This way you can pedal the bike and run it through all the gears to see if you can isolate the problem to the rear gears/derailleur or front derailleur. Are gears 2 and 3 in the rear "hard" whether you are using the big chainring in front or the small chainring?
...j

[jr14]

I still want to say it's a bearing issue. The derailleur has no affect on resistance on the wear, other than changing to a harder gear. Unless one of the two jockey wheels on the derailleur is all gummed up and not rolling smoothly.

I would still bring it to a shop and ask them to take a quick look at it, and tell them up front you're a college kid that doesn't have a lot of money. If you're in a college town, they'll understand. There are LOTS of college kids with no money.

[j beede]

...or the hanger is bent or FD was bent or rotated in transit and is binding on one of the chainrings. Guessing here--just like everyone else.
...j

[j beede]

With bike flipped upside down. Lift and move the chain off the small chain ring in front as if you were trying to shift onto an even smaller front sprocket. Let the chain lay on the painted bottom bracket shell--clear of the front sprockets. Now "pedal" with the chain off. The pedals and crankset should spin freely with no noise or binding. Give it a whirl and it should go round-and-round several times before slowing and stopping on its own. Let us know what you observe.
...j

[megsellner]

This is are all great suggestions... however, i'm not that aware of what all this stuff means! the pedals spin with no problem, and rotates through the gears with no issue. so it's just the resistance that is just seems way too much even on a low gear like 2 and 3. there is a bike shop down the street from me, and i think i'm just going to stop in and ask. i'll let you know what happens though! hopefully it's not too big of an issue/not expensive to fix.