Bicycle Mechanics - A newbie's newbie-ish questions

So here I am at 32 suddenly thinking to myself "I haven't ridden a bike since high school. Man, I used to love bike-riding", and out I go to get me a new bike. I decided to start with more or less a cheap piece of junk for a couple of reasons:
1. i couldn't afford expensive,
2. i've seen enough first time golfers swinging $1500 clubs to realize how a high price tag really, really emphasizes what a novice you are,
3. the best way to learn why something does or doesn't work well is to use something cheap. Usually something that works really well is invisible--kind of like having a concussion--you never notice basic brain functions like balance and thinking in coherent sentances when you don't have a concussion, but once you get one and can't do these basic things, suddenly the operations of your brain that you've taken for granted become very evident.

What I'm getting at, is I've been riding this bike (not a department store bike--I did know that much, but not much better than) for almost a year, and I know what I don't like about, but I don't know which parts cause it to behave like that. I'm hoping someone can help me understand what is causing the deficiencies that I'm noticing. Maybe some things are easily fixed or upgraded, and maybe i should just buy a new bike. But before I do that, I'd like to have a better idea of what I'm looking for.

oh, the bike in question is a mtb with trail tires. originally i bought something primarily for off-road use and occassional commuting, but have used it almost solely for commuting since i bought it. steel frame--i know that's a problem right from the beginning.

In the most general sense, even going downhill it feels like if I stop pedalling I'll come to a stop. I don't know how to describe it other than it feels like I'm always biking in mud. It's work to pedal it, even on level ground. I don't think I've ever gone what you'd call "fast" on this bike.

A couple more specific irritations and questions:
-I've read on a couple other threads people talking about their bike being geared to trail or road. i have no idea what mine is geared to, but i'm guessing that is something I should be looking at. how can i tell and what can i do about it?
-Its a 21 speed, and the 6th and 7th speeds on each chainring make a rhythmic sound, about once per cycle. its particularely bad on the middle chain ring.

Thanks for your patience. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

the second thread from the top will take you to the Barnett's bike manuals. Read them when you got time.

Check tire pressure, inflate to max (60ish probably), try it again. Underinflation will give you that molasses feel. (knobbie tires have more rolling resistance but don't worry about trying slicks yet). Ride it hard for a few blocks and hop off. touch the hubs and see if they feel hot. pick up the front end, spin wheel, if it makes any noise above a whisper, and doesn't spin very freely look at the brakes rubbing first, then pop it off (check that it's centered betwixt the forks first)and spin it again to see if the hubs are gunked up, overtightened, or shot. repeat with back wheel. If one of the hubs is hot after a couple blocks that's a tell tale. This will take care of the biggest causes of rolling resistance like you described.

Pedaling resistance can be be tougher to isolate but check the pedals for smooth free spin, could be bad/ dirty bearings. Turn crank by hand, listen/feel for any grindiness. Check the chain for frozen links, look for rubbing on the front der. this is the real easy stuff to find and you don't need swoopy tools. for more look at Barnetts and Park Tool web site

Barnetts describes gearing but that ain't your problem. ditto steel frame.

The little I know about fixing a bike I learned from fooling with a beater MTB, reading , and asking the guys. Have fun.

In the most general sense, even going downhill it feels like if I stop pedalling I'll come to a stop. I don't know how to describe it other than it feels like I'm always biking in mud. It's work to pedal it, even on level ground. I don't think I've ever gone what you'd call "fast" on this bike.

This could be a couple of things... Or even a combination of things. I will assume that the drivetrain is properly lubed, otherwise you would have asked about all the annoying squeaking noises while you pedal. :)

Check in this order:

1) Your tires are almost flat. Make sure that they have enough air in them. Check the tire's sidewall for a pressure range. Don't overinflate past what it says, as you risk blowing out the tire.

2) Your brakes could be dragging. This happens when the cable is adjusted too tightly and the brake pads rub against the rim even you're not pulling on the brake lever.

If this is the case, locate the barrel adjusters either on the brake caliper or the brake lever. These are the bolts with a hole in the middle that the brake cables pass through. Turn the adjusters clockwise (from top) to "relax" the brakes from touching the rim, but only enough to clear the rim; if you loosen the brakes too much you risk not having enough braking power as the levers will come to the bar before the brakes are fully applied.

If the brakes only rub on the rim part of the time, see #3...

3) Your wheels are out of true. Instead of being nice, flat circles, your rims are wavy and look like a warped record. Visit your local bike shop...

4) The bearings in your hubs are shot (or REALLY poorly adjusted) Take it to your local bike shop for advice.

Help me out guys, what have I missed?


-I've read on a couple other threads people talking about their bike being geared to trail or road. i have no idea what mine is geared to, but i'm guessing that is something I should be looking at. how can i tell and what can i do about it?

Your bike likely has "Trail" gearing, as you mentioned that it's a mountain bike. This could also be referred to as low gearing, meaning that the gear selection is suited to difficult, off-road conditions and still be easy to pedal. What you give up with low gearing is top speed, but you're less likely to need this off-road.

Since paved roads are easier pedal on than soft dirt or mud, they are geared higher to take advantage of this and to still provide tall enough gear for fast descents.

Of course, the above description is speaking in generalities, but you get the idea...


-Its a 21 speed, and the 6th and 7th speeds on each chainring make a rhythmic sound, about once per cycle. its particularely bad on the middle chain ring.

Your deraileur(s) are out of adjustment. Visit your local bike shop for a tune-up, or wait for someone else to reply who is better at describing the adjustment procedure... There's a bunch of real live bike techs on this board, so I'll leave it to them and their better qualifications...

But all in all, your bike shouldn't be as difficult to pedal and ride as you describe. It's supposed to be fun!

I'd get an estimate on what it would take to put it right before running out and buying new bike. But if you can afford it, theres absolutely nothing wrong with a shiny new ride that fits your riding needs better!

-Erik

No problem with steel in and of itself. I just bought a $1300 steel bike and many people swear steel is the best. It is cheap steel that is often overly heavy.

Like Chevy said, your hubs are likely bad or need repacked. If your brakes arent rubbing check to see how long your wheel spins given no external friction. Should go for a while.

In the bad gears check to make sure you don't have any bent teeth on the chain rings or cogs. Also compare them to a gear you dont ride often to make sure they are not overly worn. You should also be sure your chain does not have stiff links and your derailer isnt rubbing or doing odd things in these gears. Try flipping the bike on the saddle and handlebars and pedaling with your hands and locating the sound.

Can't beat a good steel bike there isn't even that much of a weight penalty on the really good steelys

Maybe what you're experiencing is simply the fact that it's an MTB with trail tires. Yes, make sure your tires are fully inflated (you'd be surprised; "hard" to the touch can still mean pretty low; use a good pump and a good, accurate gauge), make sure the brakes aren't dragging, make sure the hubs spin nicely. But you may just be feeling the higher rolling resistance of the trail tires. Go to a bike shop and test drive a hybrid bike, one with road gearing and thinner, less knobby tires. If you really are mostly commuting now, you should probably get some road-apporpriate tires. Have a bike shop gearhead show you how to r&i tires, and you can always switch back to the knobbies for those days when you wanna get muddy.

About the cyclic noise, what do you mean by "once per cycle"? Once per turn of the pedals? Or of the wheel? If it's once per turn of the pedals, look down at the front derailleur, and see if the chain rubs against it at the time you hear the sound. You may just have to tweak the front shifter enough to move the derailleur to stop that. Or the cable may need to be tightened to achieve the same effect (effectively, move the derailleur into a position that doesn't rub the chain). If it's more like once per tire rotation, esp. if it's on the smallest rear cogs, I'd suspect a sticky chain. Think of it, on the smallest cogs, the chain has to wrap around them with a more tight bend than on the bigger cogs. If the chain is stiff, it may have trouble wrapping that tightly. As mentioned, flip the bike over and pedal it in those gears. Sometimes you'll actually see certain links not bending enough to wrap that small diameter. Cleaning and re-oiling the chain (and manually loosening up those tight links) will probably fix that right up.

Great to be riding again, isn't it? I recommissioned my old sport bike a coupla years ago after letting it gather dust in the basement for eight years. Best decision I've made in a long time.

thanks for the feedback. i had already checked the brakes and derailleurs and couldn't find any issues. today i checked again and finally was able to locate the place where the chain rubbing and fix it. i think the problem really is the trail tires. all my high-school riding was done on road bikes and i'm obviously just not used to what trail tires feel like. i'm going to make more of an effort to get off road a bit more, if only to just not be one of those urban hummers that just clogs up freeways and 7-11 parking lots and never get dirty.

incidentally, how can you tell the difference between 'good' steel and the kind of steel that i seem to have?