I'm pretty new at this road cycling. Bought a Schwinn off the rack and realized there had to be more. Got a Trek 1.5 and I've just been loving it. After a week or so I got the dreaded new "cable stretch" or something and was getting a little rub, here or there. I'd tweak the front derauiller and it would fix where I was at and then rub a little somewhere else.

I've been obsessing over how the shifter, cable, derauiller all work together and I've been reading stuff and hitting websites. I just couldn't get it together.

This morning I went out for a long ride, long enough to where my bike shop would open right about the time I came around by it and I was going to swing in and hit them up.

About an hour into the ride after an adjustment or two it came to me. I wasn't even thinking about chain rub and something just clicked in my head and everything I read suddenly made sense. I turned my bike around and shifted it into it's fastest gear, got off the bike, got the cable loose, made a quick adjustment and BANG. Everything is right where it ought to be. Every time I get a little rub in any gear I can trim it out with the controls.

It only took a month or so but I finally got it.

After that I managed to pull off about a 50 km ride that was FUN beyond belief. Just a real good time.

John

Welcome to the obsession.

That was like me a little over a month ago:

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/356374-plucking-my-own-little-epiphany-but-twist.html

You crossed that line I find a few too many can never figure out.

+1


Well done to the OP for learning how to do it him/herself!

We'll have you building up your own wheels before you know it.

I’m coming up on a month with my new bike and I’m now finding that I’m slowly becoming ‘one’ with my bike and can feel the shifters and brakes better and will be doing a bit of tweaking.

I remember way back when I got my first car and a friend said, ‘you’ll get to the point where you’ll know your ride and how you want it to feel when you drive’; I’m now beginning to feel the same way about my bike.

Question, do any of you guys own a bike repair stand? I’m beginning to think that it would be a nice thing to have for those basic adjustments and for overall maintenance.

I want one, because although I can hang it up by the pullup bar I have in a doorway, it would be much easier to walk around the bike if I had it on a stand.

Your bike has a fastest gear?

I know mine does. All 20 of them.