Taking care of the Gears

Even though LifeCycles are electric bikes the gears are still useful and you will need to have them changing smoothly

When your bike is first new the gear cable has not been used and everything works well, after the first few weeks of use the gear cable may stretch a little and as a result the gears may not change so smoothly. This is quite normal on a new bike and is easily remedied.

This simply means that you must take up the slack in the now stretched cable, and there is a thumb wheel to make this adjustment, usually no tools are required.

Firstly you need to be able to spin the rear wheel and change the gear so you can see what is happening to make the adjustment. You can of course turn the bike upside down but we don't recommend this because firstly it is then awkward to get to the gear shifter and you may damage the equipment on the handlebars with all the bike resting on them.

The easier way is to put the bike on its stand, and then you stand on the same side of the bike as the bike stand and gently pull the bike towards yourself. You will see that the rear wheel lifts off the ground. Keep the bike in that position.

Note the black plastic thumb wheel where the gear cable enters the gear mechanism.

Now lean over the bike and turn the pedals with your right hand while changing the gears, one at a time with your left hand.

Watch how the gears change, and when one of the gears doesn't change properly, i.e. the chain doesn't lift cleanly onto the sprocket wheel, change hands, turning the pedals with your left hand leaving your right hand is free to adjust the black thumb wheel.

So now with your left hand, keep turning the pedals and watching the gear trying to settle onto the sprocket, and with your right hand adjust the thumb wheel in each direction until the gear changes properly.

Now change hands again, turning the pedals with your right hand and changing the gear shifter with your left.

Keep trying each of the gears adjusting them until they all change properly.

Sometimes the gears need to be under load to operate cleanly. So get them to change as well as you can, then take the out bike for a ride to test the gear changing.

If one particular gear doesn't change nicely, make a mental note of it, and then repeat the exercise and try it again.

It's a bit of an art but it is quite simple to do. Be sure to always make small adjustments, don't go too far in any one direction so you can always go back the starting position and begin the process again.

Don't worry if you can't do it. If you are near to us pop the bike in and we will do it for you, no charge. Or call us for free advice.  

Or any good independent bike shop will be able to help you. The gears on LifeCycle Electric Bikes are made by Shimano who are the best and largest bicycle gears manufacturer in the world. The gears fitted to the LifeCycles are superb, and built for many years of hard use. It is quite normal for the gear cable to stretch at first, but once it has settled down it should need no further adjustment.