Bicycle Mechanics - both front and back derailers aren't changing gears. (trek 2005 1000c)

I'm having trouble with my trek 1000c i've watched a couple of youtube videos about derailer maintenence. And while i learned a lot nothing ever happened no matter what i did. Both the gears were at the smaller gears. But recently just fidgiting with what i learned from youtube. I got it to shift to the middle cogs in both the front and the back. But now it won't shift up or down. I've checked my chian alignment and it seemed fine. but then again i check it on the cross over gears cauce i couldn't get it to shift to the higher gear on the front.

So i'm guessing by the youtube comment you guys can tell i'm new at this. So a bit of patience would help thanks :-D

sounds like your cables are either not tensioned (at all) or maybe installed improperly in the shifters, causing jamming or just not pulling on the cable end. It is hard to tell from your description.

I was thinking maybe the problem might be in the shifters but the shifters aren't the type i've had. Up until now i've had the cheap shifters that come with walmart bikes. So I couldn't really look into it cause the shifters on the trek are next to the vertical braks. I think they're the tap shifters. I looked into where they're locked and saw nothing strange. So i decided to hope on here and see what everyone thought

I have checked for cable tension i've put it from medioum to kinda tense to were it has some ply either way about less then half an inch. And still nothing.


Thanks for the reply.

Try going to here: http://parktool.com/repair/

Oh, and a quick point, you should try to keep from having your bike on small ring (front gear) and small cog (rear gear) or big ring (front gear) and big cog (rear gear). That is called "cross-chaining" and is very bad in terms of mechanics because you want to keep the chainline (the line made by the chain, including where is wraps around the gears) as straight as possible to prevent horrible grating noises, which imply extra/premature wear, so you can prolong the life of your equipment.

I'd say that your cables are not installed in the shifters correctly. Start by taking out the cable from the each derrailleur and just hold it firmly in your hand while resting your hand on the frame. As you click the shifters from gear to gear you should feel the cable pull or let go a hair with each shift. If it's not doing that then you do not have the cable installed in the shifters correctly.

What shifters do you have on the new setup? Also you ARE using the proper shifter cable with the smaller wire and smaller ends, right?

Yea I know about the cross thing. But because I can't shift to either bigger cog cause the bike returns to the natural position.

The wire's are the stock wires. and the shifters are Drop Bar Integrated Brake-Shift Levers

I'm starting to think the problem is the Shifters and I'll take a look at them now

Thank You for all the reply's I'll get back to you within the hour or maybe by tonight if i'm cussing at it.

K so i'm about to completely humiliate myself and tell you why it wasn't shifting up. (of course u've gotta remember i'm new at all of this.)

I was down shifting the entire time I didn't realize that the brakes were how up shifted up so i was just pressingthe down shift tab the entire time.

But now that i figured all my adjustments were wrong. I can't get to the biggest cog on the cassette. I've tried fiddling with the Low screw in the back of the derailer. But It won't go close enough to the wheel for some reason... I think it stands still it doesn't move as much as when i adjust the high screw.

So there's my newbie story and my current problem.
Thanks for wasting your time on the first problem *smacks face*

You need to be pedalling forward when you're shifting or the chain on the cogs will resist your efforts to shift to a larger gear. So you'll want the bike to be held up or flipped over or something so you can spin the pedals while setting limit screws and adjusting shifting. Also note the FORWARD. It won't work if you're just backpedaling.

If you haven't done it this way already you need to start with setting things up for the smallest cog at the rear and ring at the front. with the derrailluer sitting at this "relaxed" point set the small cog/ring limit screw so there's no noise. Now pull the cable end tight by hand and secure it with the clamping screw. Click the shifter up ONE click and play with the barrel adjusters on the cable stops and at the rear derrailleur until it shifts cleanly. Check it back and forth a couple of times. Try some other gears. Slightly adjust until it shifts as well going up as it does coming back down. On the front it's mostly about shifting up and down smoothly and then trim it so it doesn't rub on the sides of the derr. cage.

It also really helps to check out those great online resources that come with pictures. www.sheldonbrown.com (http://www.sheldonbrown.com) and the Park tools website procedures area.

K so i'm about to completely humiliate myself and tell you why it wasn't shifting up. (of course u've gotta remember i'm new at all of this.)

I was down shifting the entire time I didn't realize that the brakes were how up shifted up so i was just pressingthe down shift tab the entire time.

But now that i figured all my adjustments were wrong. I can't get to the biggest cog on the cassette. I've tried fiddling with the Low screw in the back of the derailer. But It won't go close enough to the wheel for some reason... I think it stands still it doesn't move as much as when i adjust the high screw.

So there's my newbie story and my current problem.
Thanks for wasting your time on the first problem *smacks face*

Go to your LBS and demand to test ride a road bike with SRAM shifters and then demand, again, to test ride a mountain bike with Shimano Dual Control Levers and be amazed and tempted to spend a lot more money in biking. :)