cny-bikeman

Something like this should be a sticky (which unfortunately few read anyway) but efficient, accurate troubleshooting requires full, relevant information as to the circumstances surrounding a problem. We are much more dependent on good initial information because this is a remote vehicle - we are not there in person to see, touch and feel. It's also hard to gather info offered piecemeal, especially in a longer thread. Those offering help might keep such questions in mind to help prompt the OP when s/eh understandably misses something relevant. I've listed most of the typical questions below, a few of which we know and some of which are not applicable to every issue.

Diagnostic questions

• What is the bike and equipment - brand and model? (this piece is important, but less so that one might think)
• Is anything known or suspected to not be original equipment?
• How long have you had the bike, how many miles are on it?
• Describe the problem - sound, feel, appearance as applicable, including any rhythm to the sound (per wheel/crank rev)
• In what front/rear gear combo does the problem occur?
• When did the problem begin?
• Did the problem come on gradually or suddenly?
• Was there any maintenance or incident that occurred just prior to the symptoms first arising?
• What has been attempted to resolve the problem, and did anything improve it?
• Has the problem gone away and come back, stayed the same, or become progressively worse?
• Is there anything else odd you've noticed or that you think might be of concern? (Sometimes the "by the way" piece of info is the one needed to solve a problem)

It's important to share observations rather than conclusions, to use standard terminology (Google bike parts diagram if you're a "newb" to the lingo), and to not "fiddle with it" or "try a few things" at random without referring to reliable sources of procedures such as sheldonbrown.com or parktool.com/blog. Otherwise one may confuse diagnosis.

spuds544

Sorry for my lack of information. I'm still learning all about biking again.
Heres some more background info on the bike. I bought it off Amazon. And I brought it to a LBS. they built it. That was back in late May of this year. I put around 400miles on it since then. I've had it to the LBS twice to have them try and adjust/fix the shifting. And it gets a little better both times. I don't expect it to shift perfect being a cheaper bike. But I want it to atleast shift when I click the lever. Not wait for it to shift.

So later today I'm taking it to another LBS in the area. And watch them and learn how they are adjusting the cables and derailiers.

cny-bikeman

Given the situation I doubt that the problem is cables or simple adjustment, and just watching what a mechanic does is useless without knowing why. The odds are good that the rear derailleur or dropout was bent/twisted some time during shipment. I agree that the dropout (and rear derailleur) need to be checked. The bike shop is responsible only for adjusting the bike, but should have informed you of any problems if they existed from the beginning. We still don't have some of the info I listed above (especially as regards drive train symptoms) which is information helpful to whatever shop you go to as well.

fietsbob

A banged up RD , a Turtle speed shows .. at the bike shop we use a dropout hanger alignment tool

To Cure That..

lower the expectations a bit.

spuds544

So after some time at the new shop I went to. They found a few bad things. All of which they say attributed to the crappy shifting.
Bent rear derailleur hanger and slightly bent rear derailleur
Front derailleur was more plastic then metal and was wore out from chain rub
My freewheel wobbled really badly. Close to a 1/8" of wobble
He didn't pull apart the crank but it appears the chainring is bent and I have a bad bottom bracket.

Also I have a 8sp and not a 9speed. LOL. I should have counted before assuming it was a 9.

My question still remains. Can I run 9sp ders with 8sp shifters? Or is Claris good enuff?

wrk101

Wore out a FD in 500 miles? Read up on cross chaining. Even if it has a lot of plastic bits, it should have lasted longer.

Bent chain rings? Hard to tell, but those look to be steel (harder to bend).

If it really has that whole list of issues, it sounds like it has been flogged a fair amount. Parts, even low end parts, last longer than 500 miles.


Don't fall into the parts swap trap. "If only I had these better parts, I know it would shift better". Nothing wrong with Microshift, and you can quickly put more $$$ into this bike than it is worth if you go down that path.

Bent derailleur hanger and cage? Consider how you are handling the bike. Are you laying it down on the drive side? Are you carrying it in the back of a pickup truck? Even a top of the line bike can get key drive parts bent if it is not handled and stored properly.


In the future, for the price of a new department store quality bike, you can find a nice, USED bike that is much, much nicer. No need to buy new stuff. I would rather have mid level used, than bottom end new. I bought my last new bike in 1974, and I would have been much better off buying used then.

I see Amazon wants $300 for that Denali Pro. Add the cost for an LBS to assemble, and you are well within range of what used LBS branded bikes are going for around here.

spuds544

Oddly enuff I wanted to buy a used bike, but my wife didn't want to "waste" money if I didn't really get back into cycling. So i chose a cheaper bike, which now I'm stuck with. Even if I want to sell it, I still need to fix it.

And yes i have been moving in it the back of my truck, but normally its on a angle with all the drivetrain off the bed of the truck.

hounslow

In the OP you say 2x9, but i count 8 sprockets on your cassette? This could be your problem.

fietsbob

TS rotated picture sure looks like the Derailleur hanger was Bent.

A new bike bought in a bike shop wouldnt have that, surprised the one you went to missed that ,

its one of the first tools i Reach for .. in those situations , and look for dings in the RD

indicating the User let the bike hit the ground on their right side .. Crash Left if you must.

Flying Foot Doc

My LBS where I bought my bike couldn't get my shifting fixed after a few tries, it was always "lazy" going down and imprecise going up. I've got a new shop, new cables, straightened hangar and better shifting for the last several thousand miles. Time for some more work and upgrades, but that is just part of miles and wear & tear. Andy