Learn me: bicycles

Keith wrote: Doesn't matter how many years you do it, that first ride of the season takes a toll!

troof.

I just played soccer for the first time in 2.5 years and same principle applies. lol(ow.)

EastCoastMojo wrote:

mad_machine wrote: nah, it's not that. The mechanism won't ratchet back to allow me to even grab the cable for the big ring. I am thinking I have to take the control apart and see if the ratchet broke when I lent the bike to a friend for a few days.

On older trigger-style shifters the factory grease dries up over time and gets gummy, not allowing the ratchet mechanism to operate. Sometimes it can happen seemingly overnight. Flush with carb cleaner, action the shifter a few times, flush it, action it again, continue until you are no longer getting brown gunk out of it, spray with a thin lube like GT85 and you should be good to go.

I used to use carb cleaner, but it's nasty E36 M3 to be spraying indoors, and in general. Depending on the severity of lack of ratcheting on the shifter, I'll either use a citrus degreaser followed by compressed air followed by lube or just straight acetone followed by compressed air followed by lube. Seems to be as successful as carb cleaner, albeit with a few more flush cycles.

my first ride after year out of the saddle was 15 miles long.. I was a little sore, but nothing that even slowed me down

Keith wrote: Doesn't matter how many years you do it, that first ride of the season takes a toll!

Some of us have been riding a mag trainer all winter. Actually, it's been a mild enough winter that I've managed to get out at least once every 2 weeks (on the road [well, paved bike path], that is).

I'm ready for the Spring and some awesome longer 60+ degree road rides.

I'm rebuilding my main bike in a couple of weeks--can't freakin' wait.

EastCoastMojo wrote:

mad_machine wrote: nah, it's not that. The mechanism won't ratchet back to allow me to even grab the cable for the big ring. I am thinking I have to take the control apart and see if the ratchet broke when I lent the bike to a friend for a few days.

On older trigger-style shifters the factory grease dries up over time and gets gummy, not allowing the ratchet mechanism to operate. Sometimes it can happen seemingly overnight. Flush with carb cleaner, action the shifter a few times, flush it, action it again, continue until you are no longer getting brown gunk out of it, spray with a thin lube like GT85 and you should be good to go.

Just wanted to say thanks! I ran some carb cleaner through it and regreased.. got all 24 gears back!