DyingAndDying

Also, there's a noise when I'm trying to change my bike. I can hear it in the front wheel As if the chain is having trouble switching to 3rd gear, it's like it gets stuck trying to go around some piece I'll have to inspect, second doesn't even work. Sounds like grinding noise. I probably broke a chain trying to free it. ****. Breaking the bike. I probably ****ed up the derailleur or whatever you call it, the 7 speed thing that moves the chain to a new cog doesn't move. At all. Well... learn to know how to switch gears before riding or end up like me.

shelbyfv

Good advice. A visit to the bike shop is in order if you want to continue with cycling. Running and walking are also good exercise and don't involve any mechanical apparatus.

big chainring 

I drive old cars, 40 plus years old. When my son borrows my car I tell him, "its old, be gentle with it". Same goes for bikes. My regular rider is 50 years old. I rarely do any maintenance on it other than oiling the chain and inflating tires. I ride very lightly, steer away from bumps... gentle grasshopper...gentle.

DyingAndDying

I was tightening it, my Allen screw was just poor quality. It broke and I thought it was the bike that was problem. Had two Allen screws brake on me, right is for right and left is to loose.

BillyD

Some of you "senior" guys , Inusuit livedarklions , seem to forget that before you became "knowledgeable" you were new at this stuff too. Lighten up, save that venom for somebody who can give it back.

79pmooney

Another approach - vs going to the bike shop: get book on bicycle maintenance. There are several good ones written for audiences of varying skills and aptitudes. You might to a library and see if they have one that looks good to you. Then note the date of the last update. Bikes have changed a lot since I started. You want a book that covers what came on your bike. (Hex screws weren't common when I started riding. My first ten speed didn't have any. Dual pivot brakes were not invented yet. Disc brakes barely existed on cars.)

Or ask around here for people's suggestions on a gook bike book. I'm no help. I bumbled and broke things until I'd hung with enough bike mechanics to learn something - a long time ago.

livedarklions

Serious question--did the cable to the rear (7 speed) derailleur break? That would be a relatively easy fix. I wouldn't recommend trying to do it yourself, though. You may be the one person in the world who's as bad a mechanic as I am.

Iride01 

If your bike won't shift to all the possible gear combinations it has, then it needs to be fixed. You need to determine if that's going to be you or a bike shop. I'd vote for taking it to a bike shop until you get more experience. Watch them if they'll let you.

I'm having trouble understanding your description, especially the title. Is this a bike with three gears on the front and seven or more on the rear?

We usually just refer to the speed of a bike by the number of cogs on the rear. At some point in a conversation it'll be material to know if that bike is 1x, 2x or 3x on the front. Those being the number of cogs on the front. And if you want to make things clear at the very beginning and your bike has say 7 speeds on the rear and 3 speeds on the front, then say it is a 3x7 bike.