Changing gears

goose06

Hi I was wondering if you can help me, I picked up a giant scr4 last night and I'm embarrassed to say its been a few years since I owned a bike and for the life of me I can't figure out how to change the gears on it, so any of you out there can give me a quick run down on it it would be much appreciated because I'm knackered after cycling to work in the one gear :rolleyes:

Ciaran500

Is it a single speed? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-speed_bicycle

Raam

goose06 wrote: »

Hi I was wondering if you can help me, I picked up a giant scr4 last night and I'm embarrassed to say its been a few years since I owned a bike and for the life of me I can't figure out how to change the gears on it, so any of you out there can give me a quick run down on it it would be much appreciated because I'm knackered after cycling to work in the one gear :rolleyes:

You use the brake levers.
Assume you want to change the gears at the back:
Push the brake lever near your right hand so that it moves to the left to go to an easier gear.
Then there is also a smaller black lever which you push to the left. It is located just behind the brake lever (closer to your handle bars) It will click and the gear will change to a harder one. There are other groupsets which use slightly different ways for changing into the harder gear, but it isn't wildly different.

goose06

cheers I'll give that a go, hopefully my cycle home will be a bit more pleasant now

Chips Lovell

Actually, I think the SCR 4 might have Sora style levers, in which case you still swing the brake lever to move into an easier gear, but use the thumb button next to it to shift into a harder one.

goose06

Cheers lads, the gears were exactly like you said, good job too because it was windy going home through phoenix park, wouldn't have been too pleasant with only one gear.

Just another question for you, is it much of a job to repair the gears if they go, sounds like it is a complicated enough set-up

daymobrew

goose06 wrote: »

Just another question for you, is it much of a job to repair the gears if they go, sounds like it is a complicated enough set-up

Go where?
What type of fault are you expecting?

goose06

if they get damaged in anyway or the cable snaps in them,
sorry about the newbie questions

Raam

goose06 wrote: »

if they get damaged in anyway or the cable snaps in them,
sorry about the newbie questions

I'd just bring it to the shop, but that's because I can't fix 'em myself!

goose06

sound advice, i'll leave it too the experts if anything happens it

blorg

Shimano levers generally aren't servicable, you need to replace them. Having said that they are very reliable and should last a long time. I've never had one go on me despite crashing on them a few times (they look a mess but still work fine.)

Cable snaps are not a lever failure, you just replace the cable. I too bring to the shop, it's beyond my meagre abilities.

niceonetom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ

an EXTREMELY boring man tells you how to set the limits for shimano dérailleurs.

Chips Lovell

Replacing cables isn't that tricky and once you've done it once it's a doddle. Main thing is ensuring you get the housing lengths right and then its simply a case of adusting the derailleurs to get it shifting right.