Fresh meat, please be gentle!

[Touring Remo]

Hi guys,

Im new to all this peddling stuff....
I've entered myself into the butget range of mountain biking with a GT Aggressor XC 2. I bought it from halfords as a kit and built it myself last night. I am really impressed with it as i havn't been on a bike for about 8 years or so.

I've got a few questions though if i may...

Im planning on doing 50/50 road and off road riding (through woods/fields etc) Is there a set tyre pressure i should use or do i need to get a small pump so i can adjust them as i go?

Also im having touble setting the Shimano Deore gears up, i've got the two screws on the top of the main crank and another two on the back of the selector on the rear gears (sorry, i don't know the technical names yet). One screw is right in and one is out. I can't see behind them so im not sure what they adjust. Is there any good websites for setting up gears? The front set are fine but the rear won't go into 1st gear but sits perfectly in all of the other gears, it just sits there jumping and then falls back onto the 2nd gear.

Also, one other thing, i've got a lock out and preload adjusters on the front forks. Obviously you lock the forks while on the road, i get that. But with the preload....i've turned it all the way to the + and - and ridden across some fields but i can't seem to notice any difference. Do i need to balace this with the adjustment on the lock out, or again should i just set it one way or the other? Or just leave it alone in the middle?

Thanks in advance, sorry about my lack of technical knowledge/words. I do aim to get better at this.

Many Thanks,

Tim.

[timbo48]

Hi Tim

Try the Park Tools website, that should help you set the gears up properly. Must admit it's the first time I've heard of Halfords selling kits as opposed to whole, and working bikes. Normally that would have been done for you with a free service to sort out stretching cables. As for tyre pressures, try 35 to 40 psi depending on the tyre and the off road conditions. If you're riding tarmac all the time go up to 65 psi (max inflation is on the tyre sidewall). Also the knobbier the tyre, the more roll resistance you get, so tyres are a compromise, whatever you have fitted. The less tread, the less grip offroad and so on. It's worth investing in a track pump to keep at home but take a mini pump when you go out, punctures are a reality. As for the forks, without knowing what type of forks are fitted it's difficult to say what you need to do about adjustment. The ones at the lower end of the price range have minimum adjustment and very often it's difficult to tell the diference between one end of the scale and the other. Fiddling around with tyre pressure helps. Tyres and suspension are really a personal thing so just keep experimenting, you'll get there in the end and no doubt spend more money on the way. Good bike, by the way.

[dubbs]

Go on some proper bumpy stuff, nice rutted drops and that'll teach you plenty about preload adjustment :-)

Have a quick google for gear setup - loads of sites showing you how to do it properly (I have to admit I just take mine to the LBS!)

Preload - there should have been something with the forks explaining how to setup it up - are they coil or air shocks?

[Touring Remo]

I have Suntour XCR 120mm forks. I did get an instruction guide which got a bit confusing, but i'll have a crack at going through it again. I guess most of it is trial and error and personal preference.

Thanks,

Tim.

editted to add: i bought it in a kit so i could build it, just so i know how to put it back together if i ever need to.

Edited by Touring Remo on Wednesday 6th January 13:54

[LRdriver II]

Dont touch those limit screws (the two small ones on the back of the derailleur body). With the shifters in 1st,you need to be turning the barrel adjuster instead (follow where cable enters derailluer body and turn that plastic barrel one way or another until you get the chain up into 1st. But really be careful as if you have played with the limit screws, the chain could jump too far and into the spokes(tearing the derailleur off) but if you have the bike in a stand, then thats not a risk.

Haines do great Bike manual btw.. well worth it.

[Touring Remo]

So if i have moved those screws, is there a way of getting them back to standard? is there a base setting for them? or will i have to go back to halfords and have a look at there fresh out of the box standard one?

Cheers all,

Tim

[MonkeyHanger]

There's a few good videos on Youtube that will show you how to adjust the gears. A search should find them easily enough.

Also, if you're planning to maintain / repair the bike yourself, get a decent workshop stand. It will save you many, many headaches.

I'm looking forward to getting back out on mine now that i'm fully recovered from a torn bicep

[BliarOut]

Touring Remo said:

So if i have moved those screws, is there a way of getting them back to standard? is there a base setting for them? or will i have to go back to halfords and have a look at there fresh out of the box standard one?

Cheers all,

Tim

Wind the inner screw in until it won't go into first then gradually back it off till the limit of travel is correct. Your ears will tell you when it's about right

[Nick_F]

You can download all the set-up and servicing instructions from Shimano's website. It's not hard to do if you go through each step in the right order and it gives you the confidence to start from scratch.

[Touring Remo]

Thanks all, I'll give it a going over tomorrow night.

All your help is much appreciated

[clarkey318is]

They're great frames those, too. I had some Rockshox Pikes on mine (a couple of years ago now, 140mm travel but I ran it an 90mm and it could lock up for road riding)
Have fun with it!

[tjdixon911]

Don't know if you've got this sorted yet but I have always found this useful for indexing the rear gears;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ&fea...

[Touring Remo]

Hi,

Yeah i did get it sorted thanks very much. Since managed to sort the missus' bike too.

Had my maiden voyage on the bike today going to work this morning. All good although the seat is ass numbingly hard. But yeah, all good

Cheers all,

Tim.