mikjames

I hate skipping/choppy gearing with a passion. The local bike shop basically gave up on the bike because the rear derailleur is permanently bolted to the frame...with a flimsy aluminum bolt. It's constantly falling out of alignment, to the point where I need to adjust the fine tuner before every ride. That only minimizes the skipping though, it goes into hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to throw me off the pedals while I'm standing up, trying to climb a hill. Is there any way to salvage this? Would converting it to a 3 speed or 7 speed solve the problem? I'd be willing to do either one. It's not a terrible bike in general, I like the height of the frame combined with the 29" wheels. The weight is good. All in all it's alright for the light/moderate city trail riding that I do. I don't need disc brakes, the lightest strongest frame, or whatever else goes into the 1000$+ 1-7 speeds from the "premium" manufacturers. I appreciate the value that made in china offers, I just want steady gearing.