Wife and I recently started cycling and we picked up a pair of used road bikes from the 1980's. Our thinking is we wanted to see if we enjoyed this kind of riding, and if we did-we'd look at some new models for Christmas this year.

Patty's bike has a problem with its gear shifting. These bikes have the "Downtube shifters" type setup for changing gears. She went out for a ride the other day and noticed that even though she was moving the lever to change gears-nothing was happening. I looked at it and tested the full range of movement...not forcefully mind you...and now the right side lever will not move at all.

Does anyone have an idea of:

1) What caused this?

2) How we fix it?

Thanks in advance!

------------------
Bill in Dayton

1) lack of a pre-purchase inspection

2) Cash-for-Junkers program

Hope this helps.

chas

1) They were in fine shape when we bought them, we've ridden these for a couple of months with no significant issues and certainly no gear changing issues at all...

2) Perhaps...but the wife has back issues and wasn't sure if this style riding would suit her. We opted to go low out of pocket to see if this would be a viable style for her to ride. We spend several hundreds/thousand of dollars for her to find out it wasn't for her? Return policies at area cycle shops are cumbersome, so this was the best way to go...for now...

No, it really didn't help at all...

Next!

------------------
Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 09-19-2009).]

Hi Bill,

Either the cable needs lubrication (remove the cable from the sleeve, clean and lube with silicone spray) or the cable is slipping at the shifter lever (tighten) or the cable broke (replace). Or the derailer itself could have a problem.

Since these bikes are older, I really suggest you take them to a reputable bike tech and let them do proper maintenance. A non-working shifter is one thing, but you sure don't want the brakes to give out while riding! And have them check the tires as well. A tire going flat while zipping down the street or trail is something better never experienced.

Also, you might look into replacing the drop style handle bars for uprights and put a comfortable seat on it (there are even seat tubes with built-in shock absorbers these days that help smooth out the ride). And for sure have new shifters installed that are located at the hand grips. There are two styles; thumb levers and grip shifters. I prefer the grip shifters because I feel using thumb levers makes you give up a good firm grip on the hand grips. Anyway, as long as the bikes you have are sized right for your height, changing the handle bars, seat and shifter will cost far less than a pair of new quality bikes. The only disadvantage is the weight of the bike itself. The newer models use more advanced materials making them far lighter than the ones you currently have. But unless you are doing some serious uphill riding or toting the bike over your shoulder to the next trail, that shouldn't make a difference. In fact I think the older, heavier bikes are more stable because of the extra weight.

Best Regards,

Dave

------------------
Wm. David McMahan
LearnMyKeyboard
JazzItUp Band
The Modulators

[This message has been edited by WDMcM (edited 09-19-2009).]

Bill, of course it didn't help. I was only kidding. However, on the serious side, for the two months that you used them, did you do routine and regular maintenance? Cleaning (hose flushing for grit and dirt that tends to cling to oily parts), lubricating, and adjusting all moving parts, should be a weekly chore. Tire inspection (as a safety issue) should be done before each ride. You can actually do this type of weekly maintenance in about 30 minutes for both bikes. This can earn you years of carefree and fun riding. BTW, a great non-impact form of exercise as our joints get a little less forgiving. Good luck.

chas

Bill,

I'll fix the bikes - you fix my Audya Ok, deal or no deal???

Regards

Hi Bill,
This might help http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp?catid=53

Used it to guide me through repairing mine.
Fairly simple, but I had to keep making minor adjustments for a while.
Not exactly a fun job to keep going back to it though, so, if you get stuck, a repair guy may be a better option.
Best wishes,
Tony