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| *Vultures Knob>>>Bicycle Shop |
New 21-Speed bike having shifting problems, should I ask for a new one? |
Got a 21-speed bike (electra Townie) at the store Monday. On it's maiden ride, the chain kept coming off when I shifted into 1st gear for hills. So I brought it back to day and they 'fixed' it and gave me some shifting advice (like making sure the bike was in mid-2nd-gear range before switching to 1st gear...for instance, from 2-4 to 1-3 rather than doing a 2-1 to a 1-1). Well I just got back from a ride where: 1) the chain came off once when I shifted into 1st 2) Three times I shifted into 2nd and the bike would not shift...it just made funny noises and stayed in 1st. Finally I shifted to 3rd and the bike sort of freaked out, but finally got into 3rd. Is this bike a lemon (should I ask for a new one), or is this just a simple issue that needs more finagling with? I'm bringing it back to the shop tommorrow. I love the bike except for this one issue. I just don't think a brand new bike should be having these problems. You've got to tighten one of the small screws on the deraileur. They are labled 'l' for low and 'h' for high. You want to tighten the one marked 'l'. This is a common problem for any bike for the first fifty miles. If you can't fix it yourself, take it back to the shop and ask them to tighten the screw some more. I know the Electra Townie is a long bike, not long enough to be classed a recumbent, but stretched for comfort, "legroom". The fact that the Townie is such a long bike means that the shifter cables are longer as well. That fact may add to the break in , as the cable housings get compressed (shorter) with use. It's a simple issue that requires a gentle touch, no more than half a turn of a screwdriver. Back in 1991, my Daughter asked me to build a stretch bike, like the Townie. But Electra didn't start production untill 1993.She came up with this design: http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/... I had hundreds of people begging for this bike, and I finally sold it at a Dutch Auction for twelve hundred dollars. Electra Bikes is really selling people what they want, people have been asking for a stretched bike for years. I hope the bicycle shop can adjust your Townie correctly, on the second try. (This is usually an adjustmant made by the person who owns the bike , and it would be a good idea to learn to adjust it yourself.) Source(s): http://www.electrabike.com/06_new/flash_... Those symptoms are classic for derailleurs that needs to be adjusted. Take it back to the bike shop where you bought it and ask them to adjust the shifters. They need to adjust the limiters so the chain won't come off when you shift down to the 1st chainring, and the shifting between chainrings also need to be adjusted for smoothness. Good luck! As the others have said, the gears need adjusting. Considering you have just bought this it should have been right and should definitely have been fixed the first time you took it back. Take it back, speak with the manager, politley explain the situation and inform him that if they do not correct it this time you will demand your money back and take your business to another bike shop. NOTE - every so often your gears will need adjusting as the cables stretch (this is normal), or if you bang them |
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