Mountain Bike Gear Problem?

I have a 21 speed mountain bike, and something seems to be wrong. As I am running through the gears and have the gear in front set up to the largest one, the amount of force I put in does not make sense. In the rear, gear one two and three gradually increase the amount of force necessary to move the pedals, but as a i shift from 4-7 it seems like it is back into gear one and i notice no change in difficulty.
any suggestions?
thanks

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)


2 Comments »

  • Bob A said:

    First off you don’t want to use the first 1-3 gears when you are on the largest chain ring in the front. It causes chain and gear damage. The same thing with the smallest gear int the front you want to avoid gears 5-7. It’s called cross chaining and can cause a lot of damage.
    Can you shift through all the gears on the center chain ring ?
    Edit
    No, when I am in the largest gear upfront, I cannot shift lower than 3rd gear in the rear
    11 minutes ago
    This is the opposite of what you said earlier.

    # 17 February 2010 at 3:31 am
  • Superher said:

    derailleurs can be the touchiest yet most precise component of your ride. One can easily get out of whack and cause the issue you mention with a just the right hit from a rock, stump or in a spill. Hard to determine where things seem off in your gearworks, so it’s probably best to do two things. For about $50, go to a bike shop and get a tune up. (For $100, twice a year tune ups, or more, are well worth it!) Also, if you ride hard, get preventative and invest in derailleurs guards for $12-$20.

    # 17 February 2010 at 6:35 am

View All FAQ's