Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Two clicks in either direction

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Two clicks in either direction

Old 08-10-22, 06:49 AM
  #1  
boozergut
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
boozergut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 489

Bikes: Kona Dew, Gary Fisher Paragon, Salsa Campeon

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 77 Posts
Two clicks in either direction

Greetings, I have an all arounder with the Shimano Altus set up. Normally I know that when experiencing trouble in shifting to a bigger rear cog I need to slightly turn the knob on the back of the derailleur a skosh anti-clockwise to tighten the cable. And vice versa for shifting to a smaller cog. Right now its taking two clicks per shift to shift in either direction. Any thoughts regarding a simple remedy? Thanks in advance!
boozergut is offline  
Old 08-10-22, 06:56 AM
  #2  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,847

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2578 Post(s)
Liked 1,901 Times in 1,193 Posts
May be time to change your cables and housings, or at least give the cables a light oiling.
pdlamb is offline  
Likes For pdlamb:
Old 08-10-22, 09:58 AM
  #3  
KerryIrons
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 962
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 497 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 622 Times in 346 Posts
Originally Posted by pdlamb
May be time to change your cables and housings, or at least give the cables a light oiling.
In the 80/20 world, I would say 80% likely that the cables have frayed and 20% likely that things are gunked up/corroded. Start with clean and lube, and you'll probably find the frayed cable when you do that. Worry about the cable breaking and having a hard time removing the remnants from the shifter so better to act now.
KerryIrons is offline  
Likes For KerryIrons:
Old 08-10-22, 10:41 AM
  #4  
ClydeClydeson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,606
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 581 Post(s)
Liked 921 Times in 518 Posts
Cables and housings are consumables. What you are describing sounds like a problem that can be fixed with new cables and housings - either damaged/frayed inner cables or worn housing or liners, or gunked up same.

A new inner cable is generally quite affordable (~$5), housing is a bit more expensive. You can try a new inner cable first to see if it makes an improvement, but it is sometimes a bit more complicated to thread a used cable through new housing as the end can fray or get hung up, so it's not a bad idea to replace the housing at the same time if it's not a financial burden. If the cables are a few years old then changing them all out isn't a bad idea. Often the last loop of housing down by the rear derailleur is the most abused and likely to cause problems, so it is the most likely part to need replacing.

You can usually remove all the segments of cable housing and bring them to the LBS to get them to cut new segments and prep the ends and make sure you have all the ferrules (cable housing ends) you need to properly reassemble. They usually sell the housing by the foot.
ClydeClydeson is offline  
Likes For ClydeClydeson:
Old 08-10-22, 11:37 AM
  #5  
andrewclaus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Golden, CO and Tucson, AZ
Posts: 2,822

Bikes: 2016 Fuji Tread, 1983 Trek 520

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 669 Post(s)
Liked 725 Times in 422 Posts
If this is a road bike with drop bar levers/shifters, stop shifting now and check the end of the cable in the shifter for fraying. If it breaks, it's a real pain to remove.
andrewclaus is offline  
Likes For andrewclaus:
Old 08-10-22, 02:18 PM
  #6  
cxwrench
Senior Member
 
cxwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 3,767

Bikes: lots

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1958 Post(s)
Liked 2,932 Times in 1,489 Posts
Originally Posted by andrewclaus
If this is a road bike with drop bar levers/shifters, stop shifting now and check the end of the cable in the shifter for fraying. If it breaks, it's a real pain to remove.
OP says he's got Altus so they're flat bar shifters. Fraying cables is very unlikely to be the problem. Old and worn housing is. Cables don't 'wear' and cause shifting problems but housing does. Replace both.
cxwrench is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.