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Gear shift system
7
Gear shift system
A bicycle’s gear shift system comprises a shiftable gearing mech-
anism and the corresponding operating elements. This system
allows the power generated by the rider to be better adapted to
the riding speed and route conditions.
Depending on the bicycle model, your bike will be fitted with an
automatic, hub-based, chain or hybrid gear shifting system.
•
Find out which gear shift system your bicycle is fitted with (see
Chapter
“Bicycle passport” on page 117
).
•
Read all chapters relating to your gear shift system.
•
If you own an e-bike, you should also read the separate user
manual for your e-bike.
With regular care and maintenance and an average amount of use,
the gear shift system will only suffer minimal amounts of wear and
tear. The gear cables can become stretched through use.
In order to avoid premature wear and tear:
•
Pedal slowly and without applying force when changing gears.
•
Shift down the gears in a timely fashion before ascents and
choose a low gear.
1.
Check to ensure that all components of the gear shift system
are free of damage.
•
If you notice damage to the components, consult your spe
-
cialist dealer.
2.
Check for damage to the casing of the gear shift cables or
torn filaments (visual check).
3. Hang your bicycle from its frame.
4. Turn the pedal crank.
5. Shift through all the gears.
6.
Check to see if all gears shift into place correctly and that no
unusual sounds can be heard when doing so.
7.
Check to see whether the gear shift cable catches anywhere
when shifting and whether any scratching sounds are pro-
duced.
•
If you hear unusual sounds or if the gears do not shift cor
-
rectly, ask your specialist dealer to inspect the gear shift
system.
