I have a diamondback coil ex and it will not change into the high gears. the gear shifter on the left side of handle bars will not shift into the higher gears. the shifter on the right side is working just fine. i would like to fix the problem myself if possible. the bike has been sitting for a long time now.

Left side is rear shifter pushed all the way forward is 1st the easiest gear shifting down (pulling toward u)changes it in to a lower harder,faster gear .,., as with the front with it on the smaller gear it will be the easiest to pedal in all rear gears., moving it up to larger gear will make it harder to pedal and go faster.,., hope this helps

The rear derailleur needs adjusting, once to establish limits (so it can't go past high gear or low gear). Everything else is up to you fine-adjusting the shifter to make the bike run quietly. If you're careless about your gear changes, you'll get MOSTLY into one gear but not quite perfectly, so the bike is always trying to start shifting into another gear - that's the sound you hear, the sensation you feel. Fine-tune your shifter positions each time you shift - you'll find a "sweet spot" where the bike runs almost perfectly silently.

No, they can't readily do that at the factory, not with chain drives. There are just too many things that can affect gear changes, and things are in a slightly different position every time you remove & replace the rear wheel, or even loosen & retighten it. Unless you're ready to spend vast dollars on a foolproof shifter system, shifting cleanly is going to be your job and your job alone. It's one measure of your bike riding skill... and the better you get at that skill, the better you feel about it.

...and your bike will like you for it.

Hello,

Have a helper lift the rear wheel of the bicycle slightly off the ground.

2
Kneel beside the bike and turn the pedals slowly by hand. Using the shift lever, adjust the front derailleur so that it rests at about the midpoint of its movement range.

3
If the initial problem is that the chain won't shift onto the largest rear gear, locate the two small side-by-side adjustment screws on the rear derailleur. Turn the left (or upper) adjustment screw counterclockwise a quarter turn with a small Phillips screwdriver. If the initial problem is that the chain won't shift onto the smallest rear gear, skip to step 6.

4
Continue turning the pedals and shift through all the rear gears. If the chain will still not go onto the largest rear gear, shift the chain back down to the smallest rear gear. Turn the right (or lower) adjustment screw clockwise as far as possible before the chain begins to click or rattle.

5
Shift through the gears again to test. If necessary, turn the left (or upper) screw counterclockwise another quarter turn.

6
If the initial problem is that the chain won't shift onto the smallest rear gear, begin by turning the right (or lower) adjustment screw counterclockwise a quarter turn. Shift through the gears to test.

7
If the chain still won't go onto the smallest rear gear, shift the chain to the largest rear gear. Turn the left (or upper) adjustment screw clockwise as far as possible before the chain begins to click or rattle. Shift through all the gears to test.

8
Follow steps 1 through 7 for the front derailleur, which operates on exactly the same mechanism as the rear derailleur (you still lift the rear wheel in step 1). There are two side-by-side adjusting screws that control alignment.
If otherwise,
Tighten the high gear screw, the one that hits a cam when you shift to the smallest sprocket, until you can no longer shift into high gear. Put the shifter in high gear position and while turning the pedals, unscrew the high gear screw until the system engages high gear again. Shift between high gear and the second smallest several times, backing the screw out a little more, just until the derailleur shifts smoothly.

2. Tighten the low gear screw until you no longer get first gear. Repeat the process for this low gear limit - back the screw out just until the bike shifts smoothly from the second largest to the largest sprocket.

3. If you cannot engage high or low gear, or if the above technique does not work for high or low gear, the cable may be improperly adjusted.
Shift into high gear and push the shifter all the way to the end of its travel. Loosen the cable inner wire anchor bolt. That's the bolt with a hole through which the derailleur control wire is clamped. Pull the slack out of the wire, and retighten the anchor bolt.

If your bike has index shifting, you'll find an adjusting barrel either at the derailleur or the shifter. The adjusting barrel is a hollow screw at which the cable outer housing stops, but which the inner wire continues through. Fine adjust the cable tension by turning the adjusting barrel until the clicks on the shifter correspond with proper shifting at the derailleur.

If your bicycle does not engage high gear, or is slow to engage high gear, even though properly adjusted, the cable is probably the culprit. Replace the sticky or rusted cable, and the problem will usually go away.

If you have done everything right, but the bicycle does not shift reliably, the most common reason is that the chain and freewheel are too worn to work properly. If you replace one, you must replace both. A new chain on an old freewheel or visa versa usually skips, and the new part wears out very quickly.

Another possibility is a bent derailleur. The guide pulleys, those little wheels that take up the chain slack, must pivot on the same plane as the freewheel sprockets. Derailleurs become bent when the bike falls over on the right-hand side. Whenever you set a bicycle down, or put it in a car, set it on its left side to protect the derailleur. You can sometimes straighten out a bent derailleur by simply bending it back and readjusting the limit screws.


Hoping this will help to solve the problem, do take care....

hi.

these can be adjusted, but the first thing to do is to change the entire gear cable.
spraying the whole thing with wd40 or simillar may help, but the lining of the outer cable has almost certainly worn and is causing the problem you are having.

this is very common. bike makers tend to use relatively cheap cables, and they can wear and cause problems quite easily.
oil the new cable before you fit it and you should not have any more problems.

hope this helps

I strongly suggest taking the bike and your son into a bike shop. They will be happy to show him not only how to shift the gears, but why and when. Also they may even throw in some maintenance tips.

The easiest settings will be labeled 1 and the hardest the larger number. if you were too look at the bike where the chain is, the gears that are closest to the frame are the easiest and the ones far away are the hardest. In the back this means the largest gears are the easiest in the front they are opposite, smallest gears are the easiest.

There are a number of good books and many free instructional videos on youtube that show shifting principles. The biggest issue for 10 year olds is whether they can reach the levers comfortably.

these buttons are for you to change gears manually. should be able to slide shifter over into a slot and shift gears up/down by moving shift arm.

If this is the road bike model, then most likely the shifter and brake lever are the same. To brake pull back on the lever, to shift move the lever toward the center of the bike.

The Right lever works the REAR gearing. This makes small changes. The bigger lever will shift the gears toward a larger gear and make the cycling easier. The small lever works the opposite.

The Left lever works the FRONT gearing. This makes large changes. The Bigger lever will shift the gears toward a larger gear and makes the cycling harder. The small lever works the opposite.

If you don't have these types of levers, I can give you different instructions but the essentials of big lever/ small lever and Right/ Left are the same.

Hi Art! First of all, congratulations on your 1967 Triumph... that's a beauty!!!

Basic things to know before riding a bike is it's parts.

Clutch is the lever you press on the left side of the handle bar.

Front disc brake is the lever on the right side of the handle bar.

Shifter is the one you're stepping on when shifting gears and is located on the left side of the engine if you're on it.

Now, you must first know if the gear is on Neutral by pushing the bike before starting the bike. If it's hard to push then the shifter is not in neutral. Press the shifter by your left foot until you are able to push the bike with ease.

Hop on the bike and start the engine. Most bikes have ignition starters but if your bike doesn't have one, then you have to turn keys to on position and use the kick starter. Rev the engine by pressing the throttle grip on the right side of the handle bar.

Engine is running and in idle position. Press the Clutch lever (left hand) and press the shifter once (left foot) DO NOT RELEASE THE CLUTCH YET!!!

Slowly press the throttle with your right hand until you hear or feel the engine purr...

Slowly release the clutch (left hand) until you fell the bike move forward.

If I am not mistaken, shifting the gears of the triumph is 1-down and 4 up...

Every time you shift gears, you need to press the clutch to release the gears.

Hope you'll have fun!!!

Ride safe my friend!!!

Don't forget your riding gears!!!

^_^

usually there are 2 levers on each handle bar, one lever lowers the gear while the other one raises the gear. usually the right handle bar has the shift for the gears on the rear wheel, while the left handle bar has the shift for the pedal gears

the gear lever on the left controls the front derailleur which will have two different size sprockets...when you first start to ride you want it on the smaller of the two. The gear lever on the right controls the back or rear derailleur with a gear cluster of five small to increasing larger sprockets...when first starting to ride you want that on the largest one .....five in the rear and two in the front (5x2=10 variable speeds to chose from). as you increase speed slowly lift up (because this lever will be located down) on the right shifter to help maintain an even speed to help you go faster..when your on the smallest gear in the back and want to go even faster then pull down on the left shifter to go to the larger sprocket you are now in ten gear.When coming to a stop reverse the shift levers and repeat...if the chain rides off the sprockets when shifting especially in the front derailleur it means the shift guide is bent to far to one side or you derailleur needs adjusting same goes for the rear..there are two little screws stops with springs that you use to make these fine adjustments. My family owned a Schwinn shop, i was a mechanic for a good 12 years and i havent heard the name La tour in a long time i owned one myself and have a traveler still today. Tip..keep chain lubed, WD-40 will work fine, and also lube the gear cables with a light grease...also dont rotate the handle bars up for easier comfort because in an emergency stop situation all your weight will transfer to the brake levers and you fly forward over the handle bars.