I just picked up this bike about a month ago off of FB marketplace. Typically I’d ride the bike in a middle gear and be perfectly fine. My bike would go remarkably fast, and when biking with friends I’d pedal half as much as they would.
I decided to take it to my local bike shop two weeks ago because i needed new pedals and I figured it would be a good idea to get the bike checked out since the original rider hadn’t used it in a few years.
When I picked it up from the tune up, they told me they had to change the chain and gears, and I ended up going back and needed new tubes as well. However, since the day I picked up my bike it rides significantly slower than before. Going up hill I’m almost struggling, and I can’t find a gear that feels comfortable at all. One is too easy but the next one is too hard.
I’m not sure what the problem could be because the shop said the bike is in great condition. Any ideas on what could have happened that is causing my bike to be significantly slower?
I’m just bummed because it’s become a lot less enjoyable to not have a gear that I feel comfortable riding in!
by nw_o_4
17 Comments
“When I picked it up from the tune up, they told me they had to change the chain and gears”
You answered your own question. Ask them what your gearing was before vs now. You most likely need to adjust your biking to your new ratios. Don’t be stuck staying in the same gears, find your new gears. Also biking, you should go for high cadence and low torque so you don’t damage your knees.
Is a brake rubbing? Do the wheels spin freely? Hard to tell without doing some poking around.
If they replaced the cassette they may have aggravated a bad hub, but that’s a long shot. Probably a brake pad rub.
Hard to tell if you’re saying the different gearing just isn’t what you’re used to or if it feels more sluggish just rolling. I ride fixed and when I feel the latter, it’s usually something to do with the tires being underinflated, rubber with more friction, or rarely the wheel being misaligned slightly. In that case obviously check if the brakes are dragging on the rim at all and that the rear axle is seated straight.
Edit: Did they put new Gatorskins on? Some of those tires absolutely draaaaag on the street compared to other tires. In the city, Panaracer/Pasela are my favorite balance for cost and feel.
Sounds like you’re between gears right now. Either train up to make the harder gear feel comfortable, or slack off for a while to make the easier gear feel appropriate when going uphill. Best of luck! 🙂
Air in tyres.
Youre welcome.
This isn’t related, and I don’t know how the bike fits you, but that seat looks really really low which will impact your ability to get the power out of you, and into the pedals.
what are those handlebars
If they replaced your front chainring it would change the ratio of your gears. Maybe it’s smaller than it used to be.
Like other mention likely new gear ratios but could also be something like thicker (heavier) inertubes which add weight but also add rolling resistance.
Fixed a rear flat this morning and headed out 15 miles and back the same route. Going out felt really sluggish. I rode a Bike MS 150 mile ride in late June but have only done a few rides since, so I blamed myself and was amazed how quickly I lost it. When I turned around to come back I checked over the bike and my rear tire was rubbing on the frame. Oops. Fixed that and felt like a god on the way home!
They likely used a wider range cassette than what you had on originally, resulting in larger jumps between gears, which is why you feel that one gear is too hard but the next is too easy. In my experience, shops tend to only carry one or two cassette sizes for a given speed (that sentence feels clunky but we’ll go with it) so for example if you had an 11-28 originally, they may have put an 11-34 on because it’s all they had on hand. They still should’ve asked you about that before doing it, since this is exactly the kind of outcome a shop should be trying to avoid, IMO
Could it be your *expectation* of increased speed after the tune-up isn’t matching your actual speed?
Flip your bike upside down and spin the wheels. They should keep spinning for a while.
They could have put the wheel back wrong which could lead to: a) the rim rubs on the brakes b) the wheel bearings are squeezed or over tightened.
are you in NYC what shop did you go to?
If one gear is too easy and the next is too hard, you may just need to:
1. Get used to a higher cadence when climbing. It’s more efficient, look it up to get an idea.
2. Just adjust – you will need a bit to get used to how it feels. It shouldn’t be any worse, but if youre used to it feeling a very specific way you’ll feel slower for a bit.
When I don’t ride one of my bikes for a while, I’m a bit slower/quicker to fatugue because the biomechanics are just a little bit different.
Bigger front chainring. It was larger before
The only thing I can think of: if you have loose bearing wheel hubs (ie Shimano), over-tightening the quick release skewers or bolts can cause the bearings to bind up and drag. Also, the brakes could be dragging if they got bumped out of alignment.
The only other thing that would cause actual sluggishness (as opposed to perceived sluggishness from a gearing change), would be the bottom bracket bearing cups being over tightened, but this is likely a cartridge bottom bracket, and it doesn’t sound like they touched it.