DIY bicycle gearshift repair

In detail: DIY repair of a bicycle speed switch on the handlebars from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Turn the cable adjusting screw a quarter turn counterclockwise. If shifting does not improve, check that the casters rotate freely and that the top moves from side to side.

Loosen the derailleur cable and adjust the screw “H” until the ruler is clamped between the wheels just outside of the smallest carriage gear.

Tighten the cable and line up the wheels with the smallest gear by turning the adjusting screw counterclockwise.

We clean and lubricate
A new rear derailleur is expensive, keep it clean and lubricated. Raise the rear wheel and turn; if you hear a squeak or knock, dirt has entered the mechanism. Remove the wheel from the bike and place it on the workbench with the carriage facing up. Turn the gears counterclockwise and you will see that the outer part of the carriage rotates, and the inner part is stationary. Wrap a rag around the carriage over the spokes and apply a mixture of oil and silicone grease between the rotating and stationary parts of the carriage (see picture below). Distribute the mixture over the mechanism by rotating the gears. When it goes inside, lubricate the carriage with light oil.

Surprisingly, the rear derailleur with its adjustment remains obscure and incomprehensible to most of us, while it only has three screws for adjustment! So let's see what they are responsible for.
Of the tools you will need

Bicycle repair kit or Phillips and flat head screwdrivers. A little lube.

Image - DIY repair of the bike speed switch on the handlebars

First, flip the switch to the largest sprocket. This will help you adjust the chain spacing and the slower speed limiter.

Use a small screwdriver to adjust.

If the distance between the sprocket and the roller is too large, the speed will not change accurately. To decrease it, turn the screw counterclockwise.

A very common problem faced by cyclists is the rear derailleur not working properly. Today we will try to figure out how to set it up from scratch or adjust if the settings are lost.

Video (click to play).

This article is suitable for adjusting all shimano, sram, campagnolo, microshift and other derailleurs, no matter how many speeds you have on your bike, ranging from 2 to 11 speed sprockets on the rear wheel.

The tools you may need are a Phillips screwdriver and possibly a 10 or 8 hex key or wrench depending on the switch. It is also very convenient to carry out work on a special bike rack, but you can also cope without it.

1. Lack of maintenance. Most often, when buying a bike, the derailleur works well and flawlessly, but after the season of operation, you can replace the deterioration in performance or even the chain jumping off the extreme sprockets. In 70% of cases, setting the rear derailleur helps, but sometimes this does not help either, then the cable and shirt should be replaced, as they become clogged with dirt and interfere with the smooth running of the cable in the shirt. Usually bike maintenance is done once a year, in which the switch settings are turned on.

Sometimes, to save money, they lubricate the cable with grease or any other lubricant and it turns out to improve the work for a while, but later the lubricant attracts dust and the work deteriorates again, so you will have to do this procedure more often than you would like.

2. Wear of the switch itself. Everything breaks down someday, and the derailleur on a bike is no exception. Most often, the parallelogram axes of the switch wear out, due to which a small backlash is formed, which does not allow the switching to be adjusted correctly.

3. Worn derailleur sprockets. Over time, the plastic sprockets wear out due to which the chain no longer holds on to them, which leads to poor operation of the derailleur. Also, the sprocket axles can wear out and the sprocket will wobble unnecessarily on the axle, which leads to poor shifting.

4. Curve cock or the switch itself. When you fall or hit something with the switch, the cock will most often bend (break), since it is made specially from a weaker alloy than the switch itself (to keep the more expensive part intact). The curvature does not allow the chains to stand up exactly, which reduces the efforts to adjust the crossover to zero. Read how to straighten a cock with your hands.

5. Cable problems. Sometimes, during installation or when dropped, the cable may bend strongly, after which the place of the bend will prevent the smooth movement of the cable in the shirt. In this case, its replacement is required.

It also happens that the cable gets loose (that's why you should use the ends of the cables) and subsequently one of the thin threads begins to separate from the main bundle, as a result, interferes with the normal movement of the cable in the shirt. Sometimes one thread in the cable can break and also prevent it from working normally, here you can isolate it from the main bundle along the entire length of the cable. But the best option would be to replace the cable with a new one.

If a new cable was installed, then sometimes after a certain number of kilometers (about 100 km), you can notice a deterioration in switching - this is due to the fact that the cable is slightly stretched. In this case, the cable tension bolt will need to be slightly tightened.

Important! If you have at least one of the 5 problems, it will not be possible to adjust the switch perfectly!

After we have eliminated all 5 possible problems with the rear derailleur, we can begin to configure it. I took a bike with a shimano rear derailleur and divided the whole setup into 8 steps:

1. On the shifter, fold to the highest speed (which corresponds to the smallest star on the block of led stars). We pedal so that the chain is on a small star. (now you understand why it is so convenient to work with the rack)

I do not show numbers on the shifter, but believe me the position of the indicator is on the "number" 9. Which corresponds to the smallest star on the cassette.

When adjusting the rear derailleur on the sprockets (front) the chain is best positioned where you use it most. This is usually the central star on a 3-star system.

2. Loosen the hexagon or the bolt that holds the cable.

3. We screw it all the way, and then we return one turn back all the adjusting thumbs of the cable tension, which are located on the switch and on the shifter (sometimes there is only one adjustment screw on bicycles, most often it is on the switch, less often on the shifter).

In my case, the cable tension regulator is located only on the shifter. The photo shows how I spin the lamb.

4. Pull the cable by hand (you don't need to pull with all your might, the main thing is that it does not sag and be stretched along its entire length) and tighten the bolt holding the cable.

5. Align the center of the switch foot rollers with the center of the smallest star on the bike. Some remove the chain for stages 5 and 6 to fine tune them. I don’t see the need for this, you can not shoot, especially if you have a switch that is not of the top level, such as a shimano tourney, acera or alivio.

Actually, all this movement of the switch occurs using the adjusting screws with the letters "H" and "L".

The selector foot position adjusting screws look like this.

Turn the screw “H” with a screwdriver until the centers of the rollers on the foot of the switch and the small star coincide and proceed to the next step.

In the photo, I showed a red line, along which you can see that the switch roller is under a small star on the cassette, which means that the extreme position is set correctly.

6. Switch on the shifter to the lowest speed (number 1), which corresponds to the largest trailing star. We twist the pedals so that the chain goes to the extreme sprocket. And also align the center of the foot rollers with the center of the largest sprocket. All this alignment takes place using the "L" screw.

On the shifter, there is an indicator for switching the speed to number 1, if there are no numbers to the most extreme position, which should correspond to the largest star on the cassette.

Essentially, the "H" and "L" screws act as end stops for your derailleur, which keeps the chain from flying off while moving and keeps you alive.

We expose the extreme position of the switch foot so that the switch does not hit the spokes of the wheel. By aligning the axes of the largest sprocket on the cassette and the axis of the derailleur foot.

7. We drop again at the highest speed. Do not forget to pedal. The chain should be on the smallest star. Next, we switch to one speed and turn the pedals, if the chain does not jump or does not jump right away, then you need to slightly unscrew the adjusting screw that adjusts the cable tension (it turns out we are tightening the cable).

Then again we check and switch from the highest speed to one step lower (if the 8-speed cassette, then from 8 to 7 speed), if the switch happened immediately, congratulations you set the switch! You can check the remaining speeds will also easily and clearly switch both up and down!

The chain should jump to the adjacent speed. In my case, this is a 9 speed cassette. I switch from 9 to 8.

8. Adjust the distance from the largest sprocket to the derailleur roller. This distance should be about 4 mm, if the distance is greater, the switching clarity will be reduced. The adjusting screw on the switch is responsible for adjusting this gap. By unscrewing the screw, the distance decreases, screwing it in increases. the tuning is done on the largest star corresponding to the number 1 on your shifter.

Question: But what if I unscrew the adjusting screw to the end, and the chain still does not switch to 1 speed lower?
Answer: Most likely, you pulled the cable poorly by hand from step 4, or you did it with insufficiently tightened cable tension adjusting screws from step 3, and it is also possible that you did not pull the cable at the highest speed on the shifter described in step 1.

Question: I got to stage 7, but the chain was not on the smallest star why?
Answer: You may have pulled the cable too tight by hand in step 4, in which case try to loosen the cable tension slightly with the adjusting screw. If the chain still does not go to the smallest sprocket, repeat steps 1 to 4.

Share your experience with setting switches in the comments.

Every owner of a high-speed bike knows what a bicycle shifter is. These devices are directly involved in gear shifting, with their help the cyclist easily and simply controls the transfer of the chain through the cassette stars. The detail is small, but it depends on its state whether the bike will be as fast as it should be, or whether it will "get stuck" in one gear.

Shifters are gear shifters that are attached to the handlebars of a bicycle. Modern high-speed bikes are 90% equipped with two shifting systems - front and rear - respectively, each equipped with its own shifter. On the left handlebar is the drive mechanism for the front derailleur, on the right for the rear derailleur.

In the classic 3 X 8 gearshift system, there are 2-3 rear sprockets for each chainring.By analogy, one division of the left shifter includes 2-3 divisions of the right. On bicycles with a single gearshift system (rear cassette only) or on the planetary hub, one shifter is installed, on the right side of the handlebar.

The professional name for these devices is shifters. Their internal structure is quite simple, it includes several mating parts:

drive handle;
movable block;
winding;
free lever;
shift cable;
spring-ratchet lock.

The handle, which is operated by the cyclist, causes the position of the free arm to change. That, in turn, moves the block on which the gear selector cable is wound or unwound. The spring clip performs the function of securing the position of the cable on the drum unit and does not allow the switch to swing the chain on its own.

Thus, by changing the tension of the cable on the block, the corresponding gear is set. It is imperative that the shifting mechanism is fine-tuned, and one division on the shifter corresponds exactly to the chain tossing exactly one sprocket. If the shifter works properly, but the gears do not shift or skips two or three, then the speed switch must be adjusted.

Initially, bicycle shifters worked on the principle of sliding a cable and fixing the cable with a nut. Here, the gear was determined by the tension on the shifter body, approximately as described above. Later, ratchets were installed in them, and the method of changing the position of the cable is called index.

Modern bicycle models are equipped with several types of drive mechanisms:

grip-shift;
triggers;
brake - Dual control;
pistols.

Grip shifters change the tension of the cable by moving the drum around the steering wheel axis. The movement is carried out back and forth, in the center there is a pointer along which the gear is set. Other models can be equipped with an arrow display.

The advantages of these shifters include the geometric integrity of the devices, the absence of protruding parts and instant response when the drum moves. It is noted that grip shifts are easy to operate.

Among the disadvantages is:

random switching;
take up a lot of space on the steering wheel;
the swivel mechanism of budget models breaks easily.

Triggers are the second common type of shifters, where shifting is carried out by protruding levers: tension and release. The first upshifts, the second downs. The front and rear shifters work opposite to each other: the front up lever is down for the rear, and vice versa.

Benefits of triggers:

clear operating principle;
levers are light to the touch, do not distract from control;
there is no risk of accidental switching as with grip shifters - hands on grips do not touch the shifters.

Of course there are also disadvantages, taking into account which grip shifts are better than triggers:

if the bike falls, the levers may break;
tight pulling of the cable on fast transitions through 2-3 gears, which causes a delay in switching;
incorrect alignment with the brake pincers (however, this is more a "jamb" of the bicycle manufacturer than shifters).

Triggers come in several flavors:

lever and button above the steering wheel (Ez-Fire Plus) - budget "Shimanov" models;
with steering column placement of levers (Rapidfire) - Shimano high class;
Trigger: SRAM single lever shifters, new SRAM models with lever and button.

Dual Control, or brake shifters, are activated by moving the brake lever in a perpendicular direction. The novelty was presented by Shimano. Compared to the previous types, drive devices of this type are used in narrow circles and are installed on expensive foreign models.

Dual Control does not interfere with the bike's control even when the grip is moved.Also of great interest is their design, where the brake claw has two degrees of freedom. We can say that shifters of this type are integrated into the brakes. Along with this, there are a number of serious disadvantages:

cannot be installed on hydraulics;
poor compatibility with rear derailleurs;
are put only "from scratch".

Pistols - shifters especially for racing bicycles. Their design is similar to Dual Control in that the gearshift mechanism and brake actuator are integrated and controlled by a single lever. To brake, you need to pull the lever back to increase the gear inward, and to lower it, press the auxiliary lever under the claw.

A significant advantage of this mechanism is the ease of control in any grip, the disadvantages are the high price and low braking force.

Sooner or later, the shifter may stop working correctly or even refuse to serve further. Pulling or loosening the cable may not solve the problem, so the old mechanism will need to be replaced.

New shifters come assembled with a cable, so there is no need to assemble them from scratch. All operations are reduced to removing the old part, installing a new one and the obligatory adjustment of the switches.

Removing the grips from the bicycle handlebars. They are often thicker than the grip of the shifter yokes and will interfere with removal.
Disconnect the gearshift cables from the derailers.
Loosen the mounting bolts and remove the shifters from the steering wheel.

After that, you can put new parts on the bike:

Attach the shifters to the handlebars. Do not move the brake levers during operation.
Gently thread the cables through the frame to the derailleurs.
Connect new cables.
Adjust switches, test new shifters. Adjustment must be done with both cables attached to the switches.

If the shifters do not work very well, they get stuck on shifting, you can use the alternative option - bulkhead, cleaning and lubrication. In case of a malfunctioning part, you can put it from a similar model, then this is the repair of the shifter. In any case, you will have to disassemble it, and how to do this, we will find out further.

Bulkhead and repair using the example of Shimano shifter:
1. Unscrew the bolt of the lower cover, pull it out.

2. Remove the top cover, which contains the speed indicator.

3. We get to the ratchet mechanism with dogs. Common problems, which can be: entry of tendrils, dirt or lack of lubrication. In the first case, further disassembly makes sense if you insert a new washer with antennae from another shifter.

4. Unscrew the central nut.

5. We take out the pressure piece and levers.

6. Unscrew the screw that holds the case.

7. Remove the case, take out the ratchet mechanism with a cable.

8. Separate the ratchet from the plastic washer.

9. There is a pull-up dog on the body near the cable fixing, it should not be disassembled, since it will be quite difficult to assemble.

10. Disconnect the levers: pry the springs at the junction of the levers with narrow pincers.

11. Carefully wipe and lubricate all parts of the shifting mechanism. Installation is in the reverse order.

This is how the shifter is being repaired using an example. The most important thing in work is to keep all the details separate from each other in the field of view.

So, in this article we learned how the bicycle shifters are arranged and work, what types they are divided into, their pros and cons. It will not be difficult to change the shifters on your own to new ones; disassembly should also not cause any difficulties.

Gear shifting on sports bicycles is realized by the joint operation of several elements - front and rear derailleurs, a system of cables and shifters. It is about the shifters that will be discussed in this article. The speed switches located on the handlebars of the bicycle are called shifters or shifters. With the help of shifters, gear shifting is controlled.The left shifter is responsible for the front derailleur, and the right shifter for the rear derailleur tossing the chain. The rear derailleur throws the chain over the stars located on the rear cassette, the number of stars can be 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The driving stars are always either 3 or 1. In the latter case, there is no front derailleur.

Read also: DIY patriot trimmer repair

Bicycle derailleurs are divided into several types and over time they become more complex and technologically advanced. Let's consider several types in use today.Friction shifters are not used at all today, and only occasionally can you see them on old sports bicycles. They were usually mounted on a bicycle frame. Such a shifter consists of a lever with which the cable is pulled. The cable is fixed due to the force of friction; there are no special fixing elements. Hence the first drawback - if the tightening is weak, then an unauthorized downshift occurs, if too strong, then it becomes difficult to switch. In addition, the clarity of gear changes is poor. The more the cable is pulled, the further the handle becomes, which only adds to the inconvenience. Despite the fact that friction shifters are solid shortcomings, there was no need to choose at that time. Image - DIY repair of the bike speed switch on the handlebars

Friction shifters

Too often poor fellows approach me with the following. I watched a video on YouTube for three hours and turned the switch all day, but I never got it.

After 10 minutes I have everything ready. Magic.
The main reason lies in the fact that adjusting the switch is a delicate matter and requires very trained attention. Simply put, experience and sleight of hand and no magic.

The biggest reason for a rear derailleur is usually a bent cock.

* The cock is the piece that attaches the rear derailleur to the frame. It is specially made from a softer material. So that in the event of a fall or impact or jamming of the switch, it is she who breaks, and does not tear off half of the frame.
Therefore, it is quite easy to bend this part without even noticing it. Because of this, the switch is tilted and, whatever one may say, it will not include all gears. Usually this is expressed in the fact that the switch works correctly on some of the asterisks, then on others, after repeated adjustments. Therefore, take a closer look to see if the switch is parallel to the wheel at the back. Sometimes this displacement is very small and is not visible to the unintended eye.
To do this, you need to remove the switch and straighten the cock. After that, it is better to re-adjust switch A, it is better to buy a new one, and put the old one in reserve. Because the cock is the part that must break sooner or later.

The cable is what makes your derailleur move when it is commanded from the shifter on the steering wheel. And the shirt, this is the braid in which he slips

The bottom line is, the cables tend to slip worse over time. They become clogged with dirt and rust or fray.

By the way, in order to extend their service life, we carry out seasonal maintenance in our Krasnodar bicycle workshop.

If the shirt is not solid it's easy to check it's easy. You need to turn on the largest sprocket in the back on the go. Then, without turning the pedals and wheels, click on the heaviest gear on the steering wheel. It is advisable to pull back the rear derailleur while doing this. Then you can freely release the shirt and check the condition of the cable. The quickest way to clog up is the cable in the area of the rear derailleur.
If you see rust, then that's it. Only by changing the cable and shirt will the rear derailleur be fine-tuned.
The cable run must be perfectly smooth. If you feel that it is only a little rough, but to the eye the cable itself shines like new. So you need to change your shirt.
It is in the shirt that there is a sliding coating that wears out.
One way or another, I recommend lubricating the cable with thick oil.Thick oil, not grease! And NOT with a water bottle (WD-40)! This is very important, and more on this in a separate article.

As a rule, this problem manifests itself in the fact that the lighter gear immediately turns on, but does not want the heavier one to the nearest bump, or you need to turn it on two gears down.

What is it! Still buggy! In fact, the reason may lie in other mechanisms.
Have you noticed the stars? Has your bike run more than 2000 km? Haven't you heard that you need to change the chain on time? Everything! You are hit.

In my experience, most cyclists only use a few sprockets the most. And they are the ones that start to wear out in the first place. If you compare the width of the tooth on the largest sprocket and on the most used one, and by eye you can see that the thickness has decreased, then that's it. Only the replacement of the chain and cassette at the same time + possible replacement of the sprockets of the switches. Although more about this in a separate article.

How so? The fact is that the stars are grinded, as are the grooves for dropping the chain onto neighboring sprockets. The chain pitch changes and prevents the switch from resetting or throwing an asterisk.

Just a replacement for everything, just hardcore. It was necessary to take the bike to the attentive master on time.

Your division! What is he kidding! The shifter may be faulty. Shifters break or glitch extremely rarely, but it happens. The braiding of the cable often fluffs up and wedges the shifter itself. But if the shirt is okay. The operation of the shifter itself should be checked. Relax the rope as described above. We pull it with our fingers and begin to click the shifter. If for each click the cable is fed and tightened. So the shifter is in good order.
If not, you might be in luck. Sometimes the brake lever puts a lot of pressure on the body of the shifter itself and it may not work. Move the handle and everything works again.
Didn't it go down? We disassemble the shifter. Perhaps the cable just slipped off there.

Is it in place? Yes, sometimes the lubricant thickens inside and you need to lubricate all the cams with your favorite paddle.
Doesn't it come off? That's it, the shifter in the trash can, go ahead to buy a new one. Don't ask me how to fix the shifters, don't even try. Save your time and nerves.

Damn the day when I sat down at the wheel of this vacuum cleaner!

The reason is trivial, the switch itself can be weird or, in principle, finished.
Yes, I have a shimano! They exclaim to me. That's exactly what the emphasis is on O. In fact, there are a great many fakes on cheap Chinese lisapeds.
Yes, and even the real most cheap Shimanov switch does not respond with particular rigidity and reliability.
And top-end models get loose over time and begin to tweak.

I've changed! Almost everything has changed! Well, what else does he want ?!

Are you sure you have compatible components? FAQ?
If you got a bush bike, then it is not at all a fact that the parts installed on it are compatible with each other.

So, for example, shame shifters and shimano switches are not friendly with each other.
If, for example, you have 8 speeds on the steering wheel, and there are 9 stars, then of course they are not compatible.
Check how many speeds are on the steering wheel, so there should be as many stars in the back. Otherwise, they just have another step.

It is the same with the chain, at 9 speeds it will turn out to put on chain 8, and at 10 to put on 9. But they are thicker and will scale the neighboring stars and at that it is terribly buggy.

Such cases are not uncommon, even after service in the largest bike shops.

And this can only be tracked by a very trained master.

Well, you nafig with your bike, and so it will do! Save up money - buy a new one.

Wait, that's not all. The adjustment is great - it's a delicate matter. You can not take into account a lot of small points.

For example, run the cable unevenly to the derailleur. That is, screw it on the side of the bolt. It seems quite a trifle, but it affects the switch does not adjust correctly, whatever one may say.

Therefore, I recommend immediately contacting an experienced master.

And if you yourself want to become one, then you will have more ashanbikes for practice and patience.

And still there are problems with the setting of the front derailleur. And I'll tell you the rear is much easier to set up.

Bicycles have become a very strong part of our life. With their help, we rest, move to the store and back, and some even travel. And this is not surprising, since a type of transport such as a bicycle is much cheaper than any average car. In addition, it does not harm the ecosystem, and in general is good for health. And of course, like any other technique, it tends to break.

This can be either a banal puncture of a tire or a completely serious breakdown, for example, a broken front fork, etc. But all the same, the leading type of bicycle breakdown after a tire puncture is the speed switch. Most often this problem occurs with sports bicycles, since such a system is often not available on city or recreational bicycles.

Setting up the gear selector is not a tricky business, and anyone with even a little knowledge of the mechanisms can do it.

To independently configure all the mechanisms and put them into action, you need to do the following:

you need to check if the switch itself is bent. This can be determined by looking at the tensioner - it should be parallel to the stars on the rear wheel. If it's all about him, then you need to try to straighten it with pliers or other tools.
if everything is fine with the switch, then most likely the rooster is to blame (this is the mount on which the switch is placed). Most often, it also bends, and it has to be straightened periodically, so that at the first breakdown it needs to be replaced.

If everything described above is done or in order, then you can proceed to the actual setting of the switch itself.

This should be done as follows:

put the switch on the highest speed (that is, on the smallest star)
we find two screws - H and L. Turn the screw H so that the roller on the switch moves one mark with a smaller star
put on the lowest speed (large sprocket), and rotate screw L until the roller is aligned with the large sprocket
again we put on the highest speed, and we tighten the cable. In this case, you need to make sure that he got into the special prem. It should be pulled tighter!
check switching! If it switches very tightly, or does not switch at all, then you need to slightly loosen the cable, or, on the contrary, pull it.
if everything works well, then the job is done.

The reasons can be varied - this is a bent cock or derailleur, poor cable tension, corrosion on parts, etc. Usually, such problems occur if the derailleur is incorrectly set or no one has used a bicycle for a long time, which has caused corrosion on the parts of the diverter , and its movement is difficult.

The adjusting screws are the same H and L screws used when adjusting the rear derailleur. Their action is based on fixing the speed switch, which allows it not to wobble. Usually they are accessed only once, during the first setup, and they are no longer touched. But in the event of a breakdown of the cock or the switch, you simply cannot do without them. They are not overly sensitive, so they can be safely twisted and adjusted as needed.

Special attention should also be paid to cables with shirts. The shirt is the sheath of the cable. And special attention should be paid to them for the simple reason that if the cable or shirt is damaged, then at the most crucial moment it can break, and subsequently it will be impossible to switch speeds.

Therefore, they must be chosen very carefully so that there is no damage or traces of rust, and for each cable there is a different type of shirt. There are only three of them - a SIS braid, a SIS-SP braid and a twisted braid.Based on the selected cable, the correct shirt should also be selected. Otherwise, it may happen that the cable will rub the entire sheath, and it will fail.

The rooster (or cockerel) is the part with which the switch is attached to the frame. In addition, it provides more reliable protection of the frame from all-round impacts, such as a fall from a great height or a large overload of the bicycle. First of all, the rooster fails, and this saves the frame itself. After all, the rooster can always be changed, but the frame, if damaged, may not be repairable.

Therefore, this part is also very necessary, and if there is a need to purchase it, then when choosing it, you should pay attention to the following characteristics: its alloy composition (what metals were used in the manufacture), quality (no chips and cracks) and of course the price ...

It should not cost more than 500-600 rubles, of course it all depends on the wishes of the buyer. You can buy those that are much more expensive, but this is unnecessary.

These two parts are the main parts of the bike, since they are used to directly move. Most often, the stars are a cassette, which consists of 6-7 stars. It all depends on the number of speeds on the bike.

And the chains vary in pitch and length. The chain pitch is the size of one link on the sprocket or chain, and in accordance with the pitch on the sprocket, you need to select the chain with the desired pitch. The length is basically the same everywhere, but it can also be of an individual size. Then you will have to look for it for a very long time, or rivet it yourself.

The tensioner rollers are part of a mechanism that provides high-quality chain tension during gear changes or while the bike itself is moving. Without it, the chain will not keep at the same level, which will not allow you to pedal or switch gears.

There are two types of steering wheel switches - lever and cylindrical. Lever are a small lever located on the left or right on the steering wheel, with which the cable is pulled.

Cylindrical switches are switches that mount with a rubber or plastic handle to the edge of the handlebars. Switching here occurs by turning the handle down or up, then pulling the cable and moving the chain to the desired sprocket located at the back. They guarantee high-quality and fast shifting without getting off the bike and while driving.

The most important factor when adjusting a switch is accuracy. You can fine-tune it as described at the beginning of the article, but during implementation you need to pay special attention not only to the adjusting screws, but to the entire mechanism as a whole.

Adjusting the front derailleur is a little easier than adjusting the rear derailleur. An important factor here is its correct and reliable installation on the frame, and everything else is done within 15 minutes.

The correct front derailleur position is when the chain is on the largest sprocket and a distance of 1-3mm is maintained from sprocket to frame. Then we can assume that the switch is set correctly.

you need to set the minimum speed, that is, in the back, the chain is on the largest star, and in front on the smallest.
slightly loosen the tension on the cable and turn the screw L until there is a 1mm gap between the chain and the frame
we firmly fix the cable, before inserting it into a special groove.
we set the highest speed
adjustable with screw H the gap between the chain and the inner side of the frame
we check the performance
if the switching is tight, then we adjust with screws to the desired state
After all the manipulations, the bicycle should be washed and lubricated all parts (chain, sprockets, etc.)

The switches here are exactly the same as on the rear wheel.They are absolutely no different, and even located exactly the same.

The cables for the front derailleur differ from the derailleur on the rear in that they can be slightly shorter, or even slightly thinner. And shirts are also divided into three types, and each shirt has its own cable.

Of course, breakdowns and adjustments can be avoided if all the rules are carefully followed.

wash the bike and its parts as often as possible, and then dry it thoroughly, since dirt and corrosion are the main enemies of metal products
lubricate all parts with machine oil or grease (imported products do not cope very well, and often do harm)
climb on your own to repair mechanisms only in extreme cases, since inexperience can only aggravate the situation, so it is better to ask professionals or friends for help.

Video (click to play).

In conclusion, I would like to say that you can fix any thing yourself if you do everything correctly, following all the tips listed above. Or even start monitoring its condition from the very moment of purchase. And then you don't have to fork out for new parts, which, moreover, cost 2 times more than the bike itself.

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