Problems with the KHS
04/07/10 10:49 Filed in: Cycling
The problems: The rear brake didn’t really work, neither the front nor the rear shifted properly, it appeared that the rear derailer was bent, the crankset was loose, as well as a pedal, and the hubs needed an overhaul.
I firmly tightened the cranks and pedal, hoping that it had not been ridden like that for too long, in which case the cranks might continue to loosen if the bottom bracket spindle was rounded. I got some new cables and tried to adjust the front derailer, but the shifter wouldn’t go into the H/High position, so I figured the issue was with the shifter, not the derailer. I should point out that I’ve never worked on a bike with indexed shifting, and I’m not sure I like it. It seems overly complex, with more to break; also, it doesn’t allow for gear trimming. I ended up disassembling the shifter to try to correct the problem, only to discover afterward that the culprit was sticky grease. A little lubricant sprayed in the shifter loosened it up almost immediately. Afterward, the adjustment of the derailer was much smoother.
I firmly tightened the cranks and pedal, hoping that it had not been ridden like that for too long, in which case the cranks might continue to loosen if the bottom bracket spindle was rounded. I got some new cables and tried to adjust the front derailer, but the shifter wouldn’t go into the H/High position, so I figured the issue was with the shifter, not the derailer. I should point out that I’ve never worked on a bike with indexed shifting, and I’m not sure I like it. It seems overly complex, with more to break; also, it doesn’t allow for gear trimming. I ended up disassembling the shifter to try to correct the problem, only to discover afterward that the culprit was sticky grease. A little lubricant sprayed in the shifter loosened it up almost immediately. Afterward, the adjustment of the derailer was much smoother.