[bergbryce]

I bought a new K2 zed 3.0 mtb about a year ago. didn't know much about bikes then, still don't, but know more now at least about components, but still am befuddled as to why I have to take my bike to the bike shop every two weeks for something else. ive had to replace many components, upgraded to xt on the new pieces, chains continue to break. new drivetrain, chains break, new rear derailer, you guessed it. cheap chains, good chains, break, broken, bunk. i never had any problems with the $200 GT I bought before college and here i've spent probably close to a grand all told on this bike and it shifts like crap when/if it shifts, is on it's 4th chain.
i've learned to use the gears on the left handlebar (the three) vs the 9 or so on the right, is more efficient and saves wear on the components, right? I've been reasonably good about cleaning off the chain/crank/rings after riding in messy conditions. But in reality, I ride mostly to and from work and when I'm on trails, it's like wide fire-service type trails with lots of ups and downs. Some single track, not much though. WTF?? :madman: I need a bike that is good on climbs because I do lots of ups and downs. Did I just get a crap bike and need to replace it? Got any suggestions for the type of riding I do?

 

[nokin]

I bought a new K2 zed 3.0 mtb about a year ago. didn't know much about bikes then, still don't, but know more now at least about components, but still am befuddled as to why I have to take my bike to the bike shop every two weeks for something else. ive had to replace many components, upgraded to xt on the new pieces, chains continue to break. new drivetrain, chains break, new rear derailer, you guessed it. cheap chains, good chains, break, broken, bunk. i never had any problems with the $200 GT I bought before college and here i've spent probably close to a grand all told on this bike and it shifts like crap when/if it shifts, is on it's 4th chain.
i've learned to use the gears on the left handlebar (the three) vs the 9 or so on the right, is more efficient and saves wear on the components, right? I've been reasonably good about cleaning off the chain/crank/rings after riding in messy conditions. But in reality, I ride mostly to and from work and when I'm on trails, it's like wide fire-service type trails with lots of ups and downs. Some single track, not much though. WTF?? :madman: I need a bike that is good on climbs because I do lots of ups and downs. Did I just get a crap bike and need to replace it? Got any suggestions for the type of riding I do?

Sounds like you will need to learn the rear derailluer. Too strong and only shifting the front means broken chains and chain and sprocket wear. Also the front can take some finesse ei backing off on the cadence abit to shift SMOOTHLY. Also you should purchase the ZENN Mountain bike repair book,:thumbsup: an excellent book it is.

 

[med]

Also you should purchase the ZENN Mountain bike repair book,:thumbsup: an excellent book it is.

I'll second a recommendation for this book! Between it and this forum I've turned into a pro overnight! Well, not really, but I've learned a hell of a lot reading these forums, and that book as well. Also, I hate correcting people (as I hate to be corrected myself) but in the interests of helping bergbryce finding the book, it's called "ZINN and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance", by Leonard Zinn.

 

[Berkeley Mike]

New goals for riding.

While you may not have had problems with your other bike you may have changed what you expect the bike to do. So it may not be the bike or the shop.
New riders break lots of stuff because they lack subtlety in expressing their power. I start lots of riders and the sounds evoke from their drivetrains while shifting nearly guts me. It takes a long time to understand timing, patience, torque and such.

 

[bergbryce]

thanks for the tips

thanks for the tip on the book. Am looking it up on amazon right now.
How to learn to be nice to my drivetrain though? Ride with more experienced riders and listen to their shiftings, I guess

 

[GuruAtma]

The main thing is that you should be peddaling lightly when you shift. If you're hammering while you shift, you'll have an unhappy chain/derailleur.

 

[Jwiffle]

as others have mentioned, practice feathering while you shift--pedal with less power while making the shift, then resume pedaling with power. with practice you will learn to do it without sacrificing any speed or momentum, even uphill.

another thing that should be mentioned is gear combination and chainline. If you are mainly using the front chainrings for gear changes, it may be that you are selecting poor gear choices. You want to avoid being in the large gears in the rear and the large chainring in the front, or the small-small combination. You want to keep the chain as parrallel as possible to the bike to keep wear down. Basically, use the small chainring in the front with gears 1-4 in the rear, middle chainring with gears 2-7 in the rear, and the large chainring with gears 6-9 in the rear. Many gear combinations overlap, so you should always be able to find the right gear while having a good chainline.

Hope that helps!

 

[nokin]

I'll second a recommendation for this book! Between it and this forum I've turned into a pro overnight! Well, not really, but I've learned a hell of a lot reading these forums, and that book as well. Also, I hate correcting people (as I hate to be corrected myself) but in the interests of helping bergbryce finding the book, it's called "ZINN and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance", by Leonard Zinn.

Thanks for the correction Med. I realized it after the fact. I shouldn't be typing on any forum after four Heinekens

 

[Berkeley Mike]

Take it easy.

Be considerate of a machnes limits and force things less: keep things lubed (no squeeking at all) and clean (no gunk build-up at all), plan ahead a bit more, shift before you need to, and back off a bit on the torque when you shift. That should get you started.