[Thewayshemoves]

Hey, I'm new here, and to biking in general. I've wanted to get into some mountain biking with some friends, but didn't really have the money to buy anything, so a friend of mine got a new bike and let me get his Mongoose for free. The only catch is it doesn't shift for some reason. I don't know very much about the derailleur(sp?) setup, so I'm trying to learn a little bit about that as it is. It works fine in the smallest gear, but if you try to go to any other gears, it'll pop back out of gear, or just won't hit the gear right. I hope that explains it somewhat decent?

The chain gets moved to the gear, but then pops back off after a feet feet, or the chain won't hit the gear and gets jammed/ends up back on the first gear.

I'm Aaron by the way, 24, from Alabama. Nice to be here, like reading the other threads.

 

[photosbymark]

Aaron welcome to the group. In this situation I'd find a local bike shop for the first time. What you can't know at this point is what does what with the adjustments, and getting it right yourself the first time would be difficult. It also could be many things that would take a real bike wrench to spot and correct. Since it was a free special, there is no way to know what someone might have done trying to fix it themselves first. Due to no fault of your own it could be WAY WAY off.

Since it was free, I'd recommend you spend the few bucks and adjustment would take to get it to work right or you are going to just get frustrated and not ride it. Many good shops though will explain what they are doing while they do it so you can learn. They may not make much doing the adjustment, but if they treat you right and you like cycling they are counting on you to remember that and come back to get your next bike.

Probably not much wrong, but someone needs to check things like cables and give it a good look to make sure it is safe just in case. The most important thing is to get it right so you can have fun.

 

[Thewayshemoves]

There's a little place near here where I bought some street bikes back when I was a teenager and rode a lot and they're still open, so hopefully the same guy works there and does the same good work. I'll run by today and see what he's got going on. I used to ride all the time, but never with gears, haha. I'm definitely into learning more. Thanks for the advice, I'll take it there before I mess it up any more myself, haha.

 

[SprocketGirl]

Aaron, first welcome...
i completely agree with mark. a good LBS local bike shop will show you what they do to fix it. so, if it is a simple adjustment you can do it yourself next time.
keep posting and riding.
Alison

 

[Thewayshemoves]

Got it adjusted, the guy was really great, showed me how to adjust everything, so much less complicated than the cars I work on . I've been riding all day, it's so nice to be able to just get out and go places without putting gas in something. The only drawback right now is my butt is so sore, haha.

 

[SprocketGirl]

awesome... your butt will get used to it and soon not get sore as long as you keep spinning. yep they are easier to fix, cheaper to operate and way more fun... some of the reasons i dont drive.

 

[Thewayshemoves]

I'm assuming you get to ride in the desert some too? Or do you just stay on roads? I've always wanted to backpack or something in the desert, all I got here is a little mountain and a lot of woods, haha.

 

[SprocketGirl]

i do ride off road as well sedona is a pluthera of trails... fly-fishing is my other favorite activity.
i do road ride more but mountain trails have some of my time reserved for them.

 

[Thewayshemoves]

I love to fish, but only fly-fished once.
I just really enjoy being outside a lot, and this bike is going to make that about 100x easier and cheaper, lol.

 

[SprocketGirl]

that truly is the best part it keeps us out and about, as well as fit and happy.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Glad you got your bike working!

SG, have you ever heard of Richard Wheatley fly boxes?

 

[SprocketGirl]

oh--- my gosh!!!! you know of them. i have been asking for a certain wood one for Christmas every year since i first saw it. some are so nice they literally create a tsunami in my pants... that may be a little too graphic, if so sorry. but they are art and amazing!

Hack---- we are fly fishing sometime, i don't care if you like it or not we are going and we are taking the coldest beer on the planet and we will have Wheatley boxes tweeds and we will have vintage Paul H. Young rods and we will be the happiest people ever...

 

[Industry_Hack]

Can I give you the aluminum one my mum's husband gave me? It has my name engraved on it, but you could just tell anyone that asked that it was a gift from the coolest stranger ever. If you don't want it, there is a guy in Washington with the same name as me - I will send it to him. Either way, it's very important that I give it away.

 

[Thewayshemoves]

...they literally create a tsunami in my pants...

I just laughed so hard at that. Haha.

 

[SprocketGirl]

Can I give you the aluminum one my mum's husband gave me? It has my name engraved on it, but you could just tell anyone that asked that it was a gift from the coolest stranger ever. If you don't want it, there is a guy in Washington with the same name as me - I will send it to him. Either way, it's very important that I give it away.

i would love to have it... can i pm you my address? and are you serious or just messing with me?
the language barrier at times does confuse me... a little is always lost in translation. so, if i missed sarcasm or a joke or something just let me know.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Serious. It was given to me by someone I don't like, and it would give me a warm fuzzy feeling (but no tsunami) to give it away. It does have my name engraved prominently on the top, but you'll always know who gave it to you. Or you could put a little "Stolen from" sticker on it.

 

[baj32161]

^^^Just another reason this forum rocks!!!

Aaron, welcome aboard.

Cheers,

Brian J.

 

[Thewayshemoves]

Hey, thank you all for the welcomes. I hope to become more learned so I can participate here more, haha.

 

[photosbymark]

Glad it worked out ok for you. Oh you can participate more anyway. Believe it or not the excitement of new people getting involved in cycling keep old hands motivated, and reminds us of good times past.

I have been on several forums where a newbe asks a question and almost immediately you hear go look it up on google or we answered that last month. You won't see that here. This group is even patient with trolls.

 

[Garilia]

I just had to check this and find out the origin of tsunami pants. So let me get this straight, Richard Wheatley's wood gives Shprocket Grrl a tsunami in her pants?

:yikes: