Rear deraileur shift problems

Symptoms

I have a New World Toursit with a Sachs 3×7. I seem to have a chronic problem with the the 2nd and 3rd gears on the derailleur in that the chain never shifts to or rides smoothly on these gears…makes noise, jumps around, etc. After a bike shop adjustment it may run smoothly for a short while, but the problem always returns. Any suggestions?

Causes

Shift trouble can be caused by any number of things. Your local bike shop should be able to trouble shoot the drivetrain and solve the problem. This type of problem is common to all multi-speed bicycles, not just Bike Friday travel bikes.

If the derailleur cables are new, they may still be stretching a bit. Readjustment is necessary for new bikes or new cables.

Solutions

The things to check are these: The alignment of the derailleur hanger, the condition of the chain, the condition of the cassette, and the condition of the deraileur. All of the components of the drivetrain do eventually wear out, and when they do, they fail to function properly.

You can easily learn how to adjust your rear derailleur yourself. Take a look at the guides we’ve put together in the Document Library (links below) on this subject.

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