Went out for a spin yesterday on the road bike, it was the first time riding it in 2021. Half a mile or so from setting off my gears start playing up. Just not shifting properly and the rear mech kind of extends with every pedal stroke.

I stopped at the side of the road to see what the problem was.

A passing cyclist passed me then doubled back to see if I was ok. I mentioned my issue with the gears and he offered to have a look for me.
I said that would be great, thanks.
He then told me that my chain was too long, my gear cable needed replacing, my chain needed oiling, my b-tension screw needed winding in and my jockey wheels needed greasing.
I said I’d just go home and swap bikes and sort it later.
I did mention that the chain was brand new and was exactly the same length as the old one and the gears worked perfectly before changing the chain. So I thought it likely it was either worn jockey wheels or a worn cassette. He kind of just dismissed me like I didn’t know what I was talking about. I thanked him and we went our separate ways.

I’ve been cycling since 2005 and built my road bike along with a fair few more. I do all my own bike mechanical work including rebuilding wheels. So I’m not really new to cycling or bike repairs. Nice of him to stop though (a bus driver also stopped and asked if needed a lift, which I was truly appreciative of, but had to refuse as I was close to home and in the other direction).

Have any of you been treated like a newb when you’re not?

Yep but I’m guilty of doing it to others too no doubt.😁

Either way, it’s always nice when someone tries to help even if they might not actually be helping.lol

You’re not married are you?

Yep, 11 years. Some of them happily 😂

2005? You are a newb 😉

I’ve been cycling since I was 5 (1982) but only count it from when I got into it proper 😉

The new chain should be shorter than the old one due to lack of stretch. Only a noob wouldn’t know this! It’s the number of links that’s important.

😉

Only a newb would think chains stretch

Welcome to being a female cyclist….

I met a fella pushing a bike with a detached rear mech last weekend. He had snapped it off his new bike in a crash on the ice.

He cheered up a bit when I explained he’d just snapped the mech hanger rather than the mech itself, and told him how to research and buy a replacement – and that his mech looked fine still.

Hopefully he didn’t mind being treated like a newb, and he won’t need to follow through on his plan of taking it back to the LBS to complain and ask for a new mech.

Idiots everywhere.

How did you sort the indexing issue?

When I was working in Halfords funnily enough.

‘I don’t want a hand finished wheel, I’ve been cycling for 40 years, I know that machine built wheels are much better!’

He was buying the cheapest adult bike we sold, we were offering to replace the wonky (out of the box) wheel with one a mechanic had cast an eye, and spoke wrench, over.

I did mention that the chain was brand new and was exactly the same length as the old one and the gears worked perfectly before changing the chain.

Every cycle mechanic has heard that many many times! 😀

Same amount of links as old chain not exact length 😉

The jockey wheels are all chewed up, everything else looks fine (indexing fine with the chain off, cassette and chainrings look decent enough, mech hanger looks straight, mech looks straight, no tightness in the mech and no stiff links).

Edit:- Chain seems to get stuck between the jockey wheel and mech cage.

It’s a fancy KMC titanium nitride chain, in fancy gold don’t you know. 😉

It’s a fancy KMC titanium nitride chain, in fancy gold don’t you know. 😉

Less of a noob, more ATGNI then? 😉

“ Welcome to being a female cyclist…”

On a local history Facebook group I just witnessed this happening across an entire century. Photograph of someone’s grandmother during WW1, dressed in what turned out to be the uniform of a telegram messenger, standing next to her bike.

And a man had to comment: “Saddle wants lowering a bit”.

(The saddle height looked perfectly fine for a competent cyclist who wants to pedal efficiently).

FFS.

new chain old sprockets?
Thats probs the real issue…

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthumbs.gfycat.com%2FCoarseIdealAmericancrocodile-size_restricted.gif&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fgfycat.com%2Fdiscover%2Fharry-enfield-gifs&tbnid=zgLDcgigeSJ98M&vet=1&docid=4vOlD_4ugQs52M&w=333&h=250&hl=en-GB&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

Wish I knew how to post a GIF!

Anyone want to mansplain to me?😁

Funnily enough I had gear indexing issues today. Even flipped the bike upside on the side of the trail a couple of times and couldnt figure it out.

Turned out the rear Maxle was loose giving the wheel sideways play and it was throwing out the indexing.

I felt like a noob for not spotting it.

I check my chains regularly and it was only on the cusp of o.5 percent but replaced it anyway as I’d a spare chain.

The rear mech is also a lttle bit sloppy which I think could exacerbate the jockey wheel wear.

I’ll keep you all up to date as you are all so interested 😉

I’ve been cycling since 2005

TBH one of the most “Noobish” thing you can do is try to claim you have some knowledge and understanding of bicycles accumulated over ‘X’ years, while stood by the side of the road, having clearly assembled a faulty drivetrain and gone out for a ride with it…

Nobody knows everything, and we all make the odd cock-up.
When that inevitably happens it’s best to let smug gits thing you’re a numpty, and look for the learning opportunity…

It’s a fancy KMC titanium nitride chain, in fancy gold don’t you know.

Probably should have sprung for a new cassette as well then 😉

Anyone want to mansplain to me?

Copy the address (ends in .gif) click the IMG button, paste the address in there.

Now go make me a sammich.

Welcome to being a female cyclist….

And a female motorist! Last time I got a flat at the side of the road (I’d just been racing around the corner and the oversteer got the better of me but if my dad asks another motorist swerved and caused me to take evasive manoeuvres) no less than 6 men stopped to ask me if I needed a hand with a wheel change and I politely told each and every one no thank you. Considering it was me that fit the set of coilovers it had on it, I think I was capable of sorting it. I bet if I was a bloke not a single guy would have stopped.

Also burnt out a clutch on a previous car as the gear linkage had busted apart so was trying to get home stuck in 3rd gear and a chap pulled over to inform me that the beautiful smell the car was omitting was ‘my lectrics’ which I politely told him was wrong and that it was a burnt out clutch.

Thankfully I can’t remember a time I’ve been stuck on the side of the trail or road with a bike issue. If that time ever arrives I’m sure I’ll politely tell whoever stops what the problem is too!

I can’t believe a bus driver stopped to ask if you needed a lift, that’s like the best thing I’ve heard in a couple of weeks! Proves not everyone is a selfish wazzock which right now is pretty nice a thing!

I stopped to help a woman change a car wheel a few years back, she had a car full of kids and was doing it in the road with cars passing her about a foot away. I think I’d have done the same for a bloke. Not sure though.

And a female motorist! Last time I got a flat at the side of the road (I’d just been racing around the corner and the oversteer got the better of me but if my dad asks another motorist swerved and caused me to take evasive manoeuvres) no less than 6 men stopped to ask me if I needed a hand with a wheel change and I politely told each and every one no thank you. Considering it was me that fit the set of coilovers it had on it, I think I was capable of sorting it. I bet if I was a bloke not a single guy would have stopped.

Disgraceful when people are helpful and nice isn’t it.

Personally I’ve no issues at all at being offered help (and vice versa) – gender doesn’t come into it, as long as the offer is delivered as simply ‘can I help you?’. However too often as a woman it’s ‘do you know what you are doing?’, ‘can you manage, love?’, ‘I wouldn’t do it like that!’. Like you are a total newb just because your a woman. Or unsolicited advice, just while your riding along.

Fortunately woman’s cycling has increased – so there is less, oh a woman! Still get stared at in car parks because I’ve jumped out of a T6 with a decent full sus. Tbh I just laugh, but I don’t stare at everyone else – so why do it at me. Number of times I’d be at a trail centre and people would see a solo female rider and jump down the trail in front of me – only for me to be stuck behind them half way down. Not a newb, and yes not the best – masses of guys and gals are faster than me – but don’t automatically assume I’m shit.

Please note, not all guys are like this at all. But it is too common behaviour, that unlike the OP, it doesn’t stand out as a one off.

Disgraceful when people are helpful and nice isn’t it.

No see because at no point was I saying how disgraceful and utterly preposterous it was that they offered to help. I was merely comparing the likeliness of whether they would stop had I been male and their assumption that I needed help because I had breasts, which considering I already had the jack out n the wheel off was obvious.

With so much bike knowledge, any reason you accepted the strangers offer of help?

Or was it a case of a second pair of eyes/opinion? Or free labour 😀

I was merely comparing the likeliness of whether they would stop had I been male and their assumption

And what is that likeliness and how do you know? Not just them assuming is it.

My assumption is that a lot less people know how to change a wheel these days and I see a lot of people having their wheel changed by rescue services so maybe a lot of people need help.
My wife, mum, sister would never attempt to change a wheel whereas me, my dad, my brother in law would all happily change a wheel.
That clearly doesn’t mean that women cannot change a wheel but when talking about likeliness….

Well, this is all going predictably.

I’ve been cycling since 2005

You must be knackered then, no wonder you cocked up yer gears… 😉

On the Damsel in Distress stuff. I try and help people who are stood at the side of the road in extremis. Some of them are cyclists, some women. There is a genre of cyclist that will feign uselessness to avoid fixing a puncture/sorting a mechanical. In our Club, some of these are not even feigning, they’re just bloody useless.

Stop and offer to help – treating you like a newbie and his diagnosis was wrong.
Don’t stop and offer to – why don’t cyclist look after each other.

What is a person supposed to do?

On the Damsel in Distress stuff. I try and help people who are stood at the side of the road in extremis.

I go with something very neutral like “have you got everything you need?” rather than asking if they need help – which sort of implies that they’re incapable.

Having worked with paracyclists a fair bit, I’m also very cautious of using the phrase “do you want a hand?” because in at least 3 cases, they’d probably have used the one hand they did have to punch me…

I go with something very neutral like “have you got everything you need?”

Ha! That’s precisely the phrase I use.

The most recent times; a lady outside the local shops with a puncture (car), a lady at the top of a very steep hill with a knotted chain after a cack handed gear change (bicycle) and a chap at the side of the road waiting for International Rescue. Empty CO2 bulbs and a (good) spare Presta inner tube with a removable valve core ejected into the hedge – missing presumed dead (bicycle). Just a random sample.

My assumption is that a lot less people know how to change a wheel these days and I see a lot of people having their wheel changed by rescue services so maybe a lot of people need help.

My opposite neighbour was genuinely impressed that I was changing the car’s wheel for the spare the other week when it had a flat.

He is a heart surgeon, so it’s usually me that has feelings of inadequacy.

And what is that likeliness and how do you know? Not just them assuming is it.

My assumption is that a lot less people know how to change a wheel these days and I see a lot of people having their wheel changed by rescue services so maybe a lot of people need help.
My wife, mum, sister would never attempt to change a wheel whereas me, my dad, my brother in law would all happily change a wheel.
That clearly doesn’t mean that women cannot change a wheel but when talking about likeliness….

Try reading what she said again, actually pay attention like you would to a bloke then tell us again about likelihood.

I go with something very neutral like “have you got everything you need?”

This.

I really appreciated someone asking yesterday (we actually were faffing with suspension rebound!) and I ensure I never pass someone looking like they are fixing something or having a problem without asking that.

You can normally judge fairly accurately if someone knows what they’re doing or not. There’s a certain glum glassy eyed look that means either I don’t know what to do or I don’t have the correct tool/spare to fix this. Although when you come across someone with a puncture and no means to fix it I hope they learn a valuable lesson from it.

My assumption is that a lot less people know how to change a wheel these days and I see a lot of people having their wheel changed by rescue services so maybe a lot of people need help.

The one time I’ve needed a wheel changing roadside, there was no way I was going to attempt it without some backup. Elevated section of a motorway, very limited hardshoulder and besides I was right next to an emergency phone. I have free roadside recovery, I’m going to use it, not get filthy in the rain crouching next to a live motorway lane! If passing motorists thought I was a newb, that’s their problem, not mine!

Due to the location, they actually sent a towtruck, they didn’t want to be hanging around trying to fix it either. There was also a question as to whether I’d knackered the suspension (the puncture was from hitting debris).