Those who ride bicycles will have found themselves at least once needing to adjust the gear. This happens when two particular situations occur:

• the controls do not respond well and when trying to move the chain onto another chainring, the gear does not engage or makes noise

• the chain falls off every time you put it into first or last gear.

In this case, if you are a cyclist with a minimum of mechanical knowledge, you will be able to adjust your bike's gear independently with the help of some tools and by following a specific procedure. In this article, we explain how to do it, step by step!

Adjusting the gear independently

If you have chosen to take a trip in self-guided mode or if you use the bicycle as a means of transportation during your days, know that you can adjust the gear independently. The most complex part is undoubtedly understanding the cause of the problem, afterwards it is important to follow some procedures.

Understanding the mechanisms

The first thing to do is to understand the mechanisms of your bike: the rear derailleur is the component that moves the chain between the different sprockets, allowing you to vary the ratio. It is a very stressed component, especially if used incorrectly and for this reason it is easy for it to lose its setting, even if it is not worn out.

To start the gear adjustment you must position the bike in such a way that the rear wheel is free to rotate, using a suitable stand or by overturning it and resting it on the saddle and handlebars. Afterwards, position the chain on the smallest sprocket, release the tension cable checking that it is not damaged and finally tighten the registration screw, further reducing the tension.

End-Stop Adjustment

The next step concerns the end-stop adjustment, which takes place by turning the pedals while acting on the screw (also known as H) with one hand. You should try to tighten and loosen until the chain turns without noise and the pulleys become parallel to the sprocket.

Then take the cable again and put it back in place by lightly tensioning it by hand, finally tighten the screw that blocks the cable with an Allen key. At this point you must adjust the tension well and you do it by unscrewing the tension register, which will give more tension to the cable. To test if it works, you must make the chain climb all the sprockets and then downshift. If it struggles to climb or descend, you will respectively need to increase the tension or decrease it. Each test that is done by making the chain go up and down is advisable to do with a quarter of a turn at a time.

The next step involves adjusting the L end stop, bringing the chain onto the largest sprocket and the smallest chainring at the front. The pulleys must be parallel to the sprocket and you should try to manually push the derailleur while turning the pedals. The chain in this case must not fall off, but it must not go beyond the large sprocket nor move towards the spokes.

Adjusting the spring tension

Afterwards, adjust the spring tension also by acting on the screw that adjusts it. Try again by making the chain go up and down: in this case the important thing is not to hear noise because it would mean that the gear is not yet adjusted well.

Chain Lubrication

The last step involves chain lubrication.Certainly to make these adjustments you need a screwdriver, several Allen keys and a little lubricant. If you are interested in learning more about bicycle mechanics, you can also read our advice on brake adjustment.

We hope to have helped you shed a little light, but if you think it's too complicated, don't worry: remember that on all our self-guided trips you have included telephone assistance 7/7, which will help you in case of need and for more serious damage, the mechanical assistance will come to your rescue along the entire itinerary.Ready to start your next biking adventure?