Midsrider

Hi all,

I have had in the past some very basic bikes and recently bought a Trek DS2 and LOVING the bike so far,. My son has a Marlin 5 by Trek too.

Now I know they are pretty basic in terms of spec - but both bikes are stunning and we love them !

I need some advice = We are not massively experienced cyclists, but when changing gears on the DS2 and Marlin 5, going up the gears there is a very small moment where the pedal is takes a fraction of a second or like 1/3 of a pedal turn for the gear to engage, its like it snaps into gear.......is this common on the DS2 as its a pretty basic in the gears than say a DS3...4 etc.

I noticed it more when I was peddling up a slight incline and went down the gears, but knew I could go 1 more gear up as it was too easy and soon as I changed gear the pedal did like a 1/3 or half turn loose before it engaged and threw me off balance a little.

Now I have also noticed this on the exact gears on a Marlin 5, so I am guessing is the same on these gears.

Going down the gears is as smooth as anything - just going up them is a litre but like snappy...if that makes sense !

They both went in for a service today - and did this before, I did mention to them and they tested them both and said they are fine - and still doing exactly the same.

Any advice from DS2 2021 owners !?

Thanks.

DorkDisk

Try easing off the pedal pressure as you shift. It helps to have a high cadence as well.

hokiefyd 

Yes, what you are describing is normal. If you look closely at the gears in the back, you'll see little "ramps" pressed into the sides of the sprockets. These ramps help lift the chain up onto the next larger sprocket. The derailleur literally pushes the chain over against the next larger sprocket and the chain will often not "climb" up to that next sprocket until it encounters one of the ramps that lifts it up. The larger sprockets have more ramps than the smaller sprockets do, but they're still spread around the sprocket every 60 to 90 degrees. So you will have some rotation of the pedals before one of those ramps picks the chain up. This is why shifting with a higher cadence (higher pedal speed) is often helpful -- it reduces the amount of time you're waiting around for that chain to lift and reduces the torque on the drivetrain during the shift.

Midsrider

Hi both,

Thank you for the reply - brilliant, this confirms that nothing is wrong then !! I did wonder as I mentioned to my LBS that they was playing up and they had them in for the 1 month store free service and they checked and tested and said they were fine and rode great, and both bikes are the same.

I am really enjoying my rides out on my DS2 - loving taking care of the bikes too.

Take care guys and thanks again.

Outrider1

This is very good info!