Splatter Paint
Retrobike Rider
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My son has been telling me his commuter bike rear gear change is ‘clunky’. It also doesn’t shift well down the block.
- We cleaned the drivetrain thoroughly, no change.
- We checked / adjusted the indexing, no change.
- We replaced the cable inner and outer, no change.
So, not telling him what it was, I swapped out his 200GS rear mech for an early noughties LX item. Instantly he said the gear change was better, less clunky and a lot quieter. Problem solved.
I’ve often wondered whether ‘upgrades’ half the time are only a perceived improvement, because we know it is LX/XT/XTR and therefore expect it to be better. Clearly though, there are differences.
In case you’re wondering why a 30 year old bottom of the range mech is still being used daily, my son bent the original Altus item (it is a modern bike). The only thing I had to hand to get him mobile was the 200GS mech. I then bought a mid-range 20 year old mech to replace it…. Cheapskate
- We cleaned the drivetrain thoroughly, no change.
- We checked / adjusted the indexing, no change.
- We replaced the cable inner and outer, no change.
So, not telling him what it was, I swapped out his 200GS rear mech for an early noughties LX item. Instantly he said the gear change was better, less clunky and a lot quieter. Problem solved.
I’ve often wondered whether ‘upgrades’ half the time are only a perceived improvement, because we know it is LX/XT/XTR and therefore expect it to be better. Clearly though, there are differences.
In case you’re wondering why a 30 year old bottom of the range mech is still being used daily, my son bent the original Altus item (it is a modern bike). The only thing I had to hand to get him mobile was the 200GS mech. I then bought a mid-range 20 year old mech to replace it…. Cheapskate
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