Hey all noob in the house
 

Hey guys not only am I new to cycling but I'm also new to the PNW. Both my wife and I have bought GT Tachyons 1.0s and are trying to get into ridding for fitness. I'm kinda having some problems with my bike or (more likely) I don't know how to ride. I decided today that will be in the best shape of my life by my 40th which is in August so I need to get crackin.

I was a bit ambitious today and did 15 miles which I regret already. I took Meridian down into Puyallup which was cool but it was one hell of a climb back up. I'm not there yet, but atleast I have a baseline.

Durring the climbs my rear derailer kept making my chain hop around under load, which prevented me from getting into a rhythm. This might not be the right area to ak questions so I'll kinda leave it at that, I'm afraid that something is wrong. How do I asess the chain derailer, or is it best to get the bike into a tech?

Thanks guys.

Howdy! Maybe check the hi/lo adjustment:

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

It could be a bunch of things. It's probably a simple adjustment- if you're even the slightest bit mechanical, start here: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...nts-derailleur . Don't skip any steps, and don't be afraid to ask questions on the Bicycle Mechanics forum. They're pretty tolerant of newbies, and most are genuinely interested in educating people.

This sheds a lot of light on what seemed to me to be a black art when it came to adjusting the shifter. Very clear and concise.

Thanks for th info guys, I'll try to adjust tomorrow and see how it goes.

Don't do this yourself if the bikes are still new. You should be able to bring them in for a free tune up. Mention what you saw in the video to the mechanic and they should know what to do.