Over the last few months my rear derailleur — 1996 eight-speed Shimano XT — has been harder and harder to change; I can change up to a bigger ring, but down is a problem, and I need to change two or three cogs and then back up. Jo has also pointed out that her changer is sticking and she was just about stuck in one gear almost all the way to and from work — not much of a problem around either of our commutes, which is why we haven’t done anything about it.
This morning I took a look at Jo’s rear shifter; the cables look corroded and stick, so I suspect there’s no point in trying to adjust anything until they’re replaced.
Starting to have a quick look at Norky bike, I found that the shifter had jammed completely and I couldn’t move the thumb-lever at all! A little fiddling and it released, shifted up and down a few times, then jammed again. Undoing the tiny dust-cover screw and then the three chassis screws meant I could remove the shifter body — not sure if the cable was still in the guide where it’s meant to go. A little bit of fiddling up and down and I convinced myself there’s nothing I could do, better off to check it in for a service — but where, we’re not entirely happy with the last few services from the last place we’ve been, I get the feeling that things were done “on the cheap” or with odds and ends parts because they classify me as a cheapskate and a friend. Local bike shop has butchered things twice when I tried to get a quick repair, then stuffed me about when I tried to get a wheel trued so I’m not inclined to go there for service, although they’re fine for bits and pieces. Next nearest is Fitzroy Cycles, up in Carnegie on Dandenong road.
I put it all back together and started contemplating my options; repair or replace, adjustments or new shifters, proper service, its all just money…
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