The Get fit club!

Schmenke, its is good maintenance to re-index gears on any type of bike whether road, mountain or hybrid as the cables with stretch over time which will can result in gears slipping and shifters not functioning well. The amount you use your bike and number of miles you ride will affect the frequency you need to do this I.e re-indexing is done far more frequently on my road bike than my mountain bike (which does have thumb shifters). I would also try spraying WD40 as someone else said.

My other half does all if our bike maintenance although I did get a brief promotion to number one mechanic last year when he broke his wrist. He has built up a wealth of bike tools including a stand to help us do this. At a guess Schmeke, I would be inclined to say you should just take the bike to the shop, get it serviced and let them sort it although if it was me I'd try re-indexing first as this is a task you can do yourself which might fix the problem without the need to buy tools, spares or requiring you to take things apart or to a shop. :p Always try the simple fix first. :)

Indexing or re-indexing is just a fancy word for adjusting, in this case cable length, and there's really almost nothing to it. The cables leading to/from your shifters (and brakes) are going to stretch with use. When we're talking about cables, it's only the metal part that looks like a guitar string. The cable is inside of a cable jacket (white in Gregory's first picture), and it's basically just like a plastic covered, metal hose that the cable sits in. So if your cable stretches 1mm (for example) you'll want the jacket to be 1mm longer as well, otherwise: your chain will click between sprockets or skip gears, or in the case of brake cables you'll have to pull way up on the brakes before they start to work (kind of like having too much travel in a clutch). If you look at Gregory's picture, you'll see the little black piece where the cable enters the brake or shifter. That little piece can be spun in and out (by hand or pliers), effectively lengthening or shortening the cable jacket. On some bikes, this piece will be at the other end (near the brake or derailer). But, after all that, the problem you're describing doesn't sound like an adjustment issue (if the cables were out of adjustment the shifter should be just as easy to work - it would just leave you with clicking at the sprocket because you'd be between gears), it sounds more mechanical or like a cable seizing inside the jacket. If you do get new shifters, you should probably replace the cables & jackets too, or at least drip oil into them. And yes, to replace the shifter you'll have to remove the cable - so reindexing/adjusting will be required.

Sorry for the long paragraph. For some reason the 'enter' on my keyboard no longer works on this site.

The description of the problem sounded a lot like my trigger shifters when they stopped working. It's not that the cable is out of line as much as the triggers aren't grabbing.

But when in doubt, let the shop look at it. And if it's not important to have the latest gear start looking at bike salvage shops and craigslist for parts.

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Originally Posted by Gregor-y

...the triggers aren't grabbing...

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Yep, that's what it feels like.

I'm linking recently how my horizons are slowly expanding. A few months ago 30 miles was about my limit otherwise I'd be exhausted on returning. But after doing a 60 mile sportive, and 45 miles last weekend, it means I can now think of 50 mile rides a realistic for a Sunday morning run, which means I can pick new places to go. :D

But I do need to work on my average speeds, I'm still hovering around 11mph, whereas most local riders seem to average 15mph at minimum!

The schmenke trail :D

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/8...dbdb2e0e_c.jpg

Looks good schmenke, but where are the mountains? ;)

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Originally Posted by schmenke

The schmenke trail :D

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That would shake your teeth loose, and you'll burn to a crisp out in the sun. Even though it was very overcast I still got a burn on the first day since the paths were out in the open. On the second day we reached an older trail that had time grow a bit.
http://imageshack.us/a/img163/6307/tou2.jpg

I wish there was something like this closer to home.

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Originally Posted by J4MIE

Looks good schmenke, but where are the mountains? ;)

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Thanks. Need to first sort out the dodgy shifter before tackling the nearby mountains :D :mark:

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Originally Posted by Gregor-y

That would shake your teeth loose....

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Shakes something else loose too... :erm: .

So how did everyone do in May?

My aims at the moment are just to do more than the month before, so I've done 249 miles cycling this month, compared to 228 the month before, which is good going because in April I had that week cycling in Mallorca! I've done 76 miles walking too giving 325 miles for the month, my best ever monthly total :D

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Originally Posted by Mark

So how did everyone do in May?

My aims at the moment are just to do more than the month before, so I've done 249 miles cycling this month, compared to 228 the month before, which is good going because in April I had that week cycling in Mallorca! I've done 76 miles walking too giving 325 miles for the month, my best ever monthly total.

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With the trip I biked 540 miles this month. But at lunch yesterday I leave my office to find this:
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/2408/hit1v.jpg

I'm having the frame checked and hopefully that's still straight. The fork, wheel and strangely the crank are all done for, however. :(

I've managed only 195km on bikes, first two weeks this month I was sick , and this week work stuff prevented half of the inteded commuting on the bike. I really should be doing double/triple distances per month, like I managed last summer.

At least I got new cycling stuff. :D

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11791273/thu.jpg

No more stuffing a dirty bike into the boot.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11791273/thu_b.jpg

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Originally Posted by Gregor-y

With the trip I biked 540 miles this month. But at lunch yesterday I leave my office to find this:
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/2408/hit1v.jpg

I'm having the frame checked and hopefully that's still straight. The fork, wheel and strangely the crank are all done for, however. :(

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Man that's heartbreaking. looks like the bike fall and something drove over it.
I see this a lot around here. People don't care and push other people's bike to ground. Every time I go by a bike that lies on the ground I pick it up and leave it in as stable a position as possible.

Your front wheel, fork and the crank are done, not cheap to replace. :(
Can't say much about the frame from that view, however if the crank arm has been bent then the frame might be affected too, hopefully not.

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Originally Posted by janneppi

I've managed only 195km on bikes, first two weeks this month I was sick , and this week work stuff prevented half of the inteded commuting on the bike. I really should be doing double/triple distances per month, like I managed last summer.

At least I got new cycling stuff. :D

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11791273/thu.jpg

No more stuffing a dirty bike into the boot.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11791273/thu_b.jpg

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Your license plate is covered, there's a fine coming your way.

Weather has been crap here since a couple of weeks.
I had planned to bike last Tuesday and yesterday, nothing happened. Tuesday I had to work very late and since yesterday morning it has been raining cats and dogs.
Hopefully tomorrow and Sunday I can do a couple of hundreds of kms. Next week Sunday there's a race I want to ride in, hopefully the weather will allow for it.

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Originally Posted by ioan

Your license plate is covered, there's a fine coming your way.

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Actually my additional license plate is being processed through the Finnish bureaucracy. But police aren't too fussed about this in Finland so I most like wouldn't get a ticket with this setup. Most people use the more simple carrier which don't have extra lights.

Glad to see you have the port and starboard colours present and correct!

Hope you are back on the road soon.

I managed 444km on the bike and 50km walking and a couple of body Bootcamp circuit training sessions. I was on 418km cycling with a week to go and had been hoping to do 82km this week but its been to wet to go out with the exception of yesterday. Well, when I say too wet I only mean too wet when I've been keeping three bikes in my kitchen for almost three weeks. Hopefully I will do 500km on the bike in June instead. :)

Managed to ride 90 kms tonight, took me a bit over 3 hours though, this is worse then 2 months ago. :(
Reasons for that are a lack of training due to crap weather as well as the bloody wind that was blowing strongly today, still not happy I was hoping to be in the 2 hours 40 minutes bracket before next week end's race.

182 miles done in May. Compare this with 64 in April, 50 in March and 86 in February. Maybe it's because I got a new bike.... I saw this nice bike earlier today. Far too clean looking! I can only imagine the owner has it up there as some sort of expensive ornament. :p :http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/8...905d6c48_b.jpg[/img]

uppppppppppppppppp
Múi giá»

All three bikes that have lived in my house for three weeks have more muck on than that. :p

Or perhaps like me he cleans it after every ride?

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Originally Posted by Mark

Or perhaps like me he cleans it after every ride?

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I was speaking to Jamie yesterday. I'm just winding him up :)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Just came back from a three hour bike park session with my brother. 15 minutes of pushing bikes up a hill at 26C, rest for 10 minutes :D and 5 minutes of riding down enduro trails with knee pads and a fullface helmet.
Three liters of water was barely enough. :D

Even with two punctures in the last two runs and a broken spoke for my brother in the last run it was a very much positive day. Good fun.

I think I did about 80km in May, must do better!

Just would prefer to get a puncture on the bike rather than the car :s

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Originally Posted by Mark

Or perhaps like me he cleans it after every ride?

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Nah, you can't keep a mountain bike THAT clean. :p

I ran 135km in May. Last week I did almost 45km... if only I knew I would have run those last 200m too :laugh: . I found a better place to run now.... can't wait to go there again. That's all. Stay/get fit :) . See you around :p

Hey BB, just curious, how do you keep track of you mileage? Do you use one of those GPS units?
Recently I’ve tried the MapMyRun app but since it uses the google map engine, I’m not convinced it’s providing accurate distances (it seems its calculating high).

We mostly use Endomondo and Strava. Add me as a friend on either of those.

I use Endomondo for all and Strava just for cycling.

Yup, I use Endomondo for everything and import cycles into Strava. Really not interested in running at the moment but should do a bit I guess :s

Went out on my bike earlier and did 14km, quite pleased and went through some woods and lots of mud, so the bike is dirty eventually :D Aiming to get out every evening this week (apart from Wednesday when I have a speed awareness course.....) and then maybe do another orienteering event on Sunday, we'll see how fit I'm feeling by then :)

Yup, I use Endomondo for everything and import cycles into Strava. Really not interested in running at the moment but should do a bit I guess :s

Went out on my bike earlier and did 14km, quite pleased and went through some woods and lots of mud, so the bike is dirty eventually :D Aiming to get out every evening this week (apart from Wednesday when I have a speed awareness course.....) and then maybe do another orienteering event on Sunday, we'll see how fit I'm feeling by then :)

BTW schmenke, join Mark's challenge on Endomondo :up:

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Hey BB, just curious, how do you keep track of you mileage? Do you use one of those GPS units?
Recently I’ve tried the MapMyRun app but since it uses the google map engine, I’m not convinced it’s providing accurate distances (it seems its calculating high).

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Yeap... I use mapmyrun. I can't say it's 100% accurate... most likely not... but it seems to be close enough. I've used their site to draw a route (I guess that should be closer to reality) and it was pretty much close to the actual measurements via GPS.
I also went the other day for a run with someone and she told me I don't need to start the app because she can tell me that the track has 1.2 km... After 11 laps and some meters off track the app said 13.65km... so I incline to say it may be almost accurate.

Thanks BB. Good to know :up: .

I rode my old school bike to work yesterday and it was all right, but I can't get used to carrying all my work clothes on my back. Tomorrow the rear rack from my wrecked bike will go on this and it'll be my commuter until I figure out what to do for a new touring/commuting bike.
http://imageshack.us/a/img20/1927/2013930.jpg

1994 Trek 930. The tires are 12 years old and I'm surprised they're still holding air.

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Originally Posted by Gregor-y

I rode my old school bike to work yesterday and it was all right, but I can't get used to carrying all my work clothes on my back. Tomorrow the rear rack from my wrecked bike will go on this and it'll be my commuter until I figure out what to do for a new touring/commuting bike.

1994 Trek 930. The tires are 12 years old and I'm surprised they're still holding air.

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The tires will hold air as long as the air chambers are OK. ;)
Just being pedantic.

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Originally Posted by Gregor-y

http://imageshack.us/a/img20/1927/2013930.jpg

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Like the pacenotes :up: