Mountain Bike Shifting Systems

Series Summary

Mountain biking is not only a fun hobby but it can also be a great cardiovascular workout. Biking through rough terrain and shrubbery on driven trails is a test of stamina and requires conscious awareness of one's surroundings at all times. The modern sport of biking primarily originated in the 1970's and has gotten more and more popular since then. Today it is more popular than ever. With the health boom of the late 90's cycling has gained massive momentum as a legitimate sport.

Sometimes things just go wrong with bikes. It is a mechanical device with moving parts after all so maintenance is needed regularly and in this free video clip series some of the most common failings of mountain bikes is addressed. This includes the chain, the shifter and the derailleur. All of these things and more are addressed by, Mickey Denoncourt, our expert who has been working on bikes for years. Here he will walk you step by step through each adjustment and repair so you aren't just a rider, you're a mechanic too!

Video Transcript

"There are two manufacturer's that make shifting components for mountain bikes. One is called Schimano out of Japan and company called Schrams which is based in Chicago, Illinois. Their products are increasingly similar to each other every year. I am holding in my hand right now a Schimano rapid fire shifter. This unit shifts the rear of the bicycle. It is attached with a shift cable and the cable flows through some housing to a rear driller and housing goes in there and as I click a gear, it moves the dérailleur across a range of gears on back of the bike. So this is a 9 speed shifter so here's its got some started at the hardest gear and you can hear as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 clicks so that's how I get the easier gear. To get a harder gear I pull with my finger, forefinger, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 clicks so this is a trigger for your finger and a paddle for your thumb. Schrams latest shift offerings, this is an X-7 which is an equivalent level of quality of this elect shifter. The shift offerings are operated with just your thumb. I am a fan of this because it allows me to keep my forefinger on the brake lever. So you will see as I run through the drive train on this bike, I hit the shifter here and it shifts up a gear there. So I hit the shifter, goes up the gears, my finger is still on the brake lever and it is shifting down. I noticed while I am shifting this thing, there seems to be some issues, so I am going to take a look at those. "