Newbie der problem

In article said:

I can't get into the lowest (biggest) sprocket. I can shift into
the sprocket, but it won't stay in that gear, it always slips
immediately back into the next gear

You can initially try turning the threaded cable adjusting barrel, where the
loop of cable goes into the back of the derailleur. Looking from the back of
the bike, turn it, say, a half turn counterclockwise, making sure that this
doesn't cause the derailleur cage to touch the spokes. (If so, back off
immediately!). See if that helps, and if so, that it hasn't caused
mis-shifting on other gears.

Art

In article said:

I can't get into the lowest (biggest) sprocket. I can shift into
the sprocket, but it won't stay in that gear, it always slips
immediately back into the next gear

You can initially try turning the threaded cable adjusting barrel, where the
loop of cable goes into the back of the derailleur. Looking from the back of
the bike, turn it, say, a half turn counterclockwise, making sure that this
doesn't cause the derailleur cage to touch the spokes. (If so, back off
immediately!). See if that helps, and if so, that it hasn't caused
mis-shifting on other gears.

Art

yup, sounds like the cable stretched...might be a good idea to replace it
since it's a couple years old.

check out this on the Park Tools site:

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQrindx.shtml

"David Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought a bike used off the net last year, and it's been great
so far. It's an older Specialized "Epic Comp" with the unlikely
combination of a carbon frame and aluminium fork. The previous
owner seemed to know what he was doing, and I am now starting to
learn.

Recently tho, I've got a problem shifting.

I can't get into the lowest (biggest) sprocket. I can shift into
the sprocket, but it won't stay in that gear, it always slips
immediately back into the next gear. I don't hear the shifter
"clicking". This had worked fine for about 16 mos, and now it
doesn't. I can ride in the lowest gear by manually holding the
shifter in the shifting position, but it always returns to the
other gear as soon as I let it go.

The der is a 600, the STI is Shimano 105 - I think the original
owner added this.

All else seems to be fine.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it thru
google.

Any advice? What needs adjusting?

TIA,

Dave

ps - I'm panicking a bit, as I've signed on for my first race - a
1/2 IM duathlon on Sunday. Undertrained, overweight, and now a
gear problem?. Yikes.

David Harris said:

Any advice? What needs adjusting?

Read the information in the link below, in addition to the Park Tools
page posted by another respondent.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#rear

The most likely adjustment needed is, as another poster mentioned, on
the cable. It's also the easiest, in my opinion.

Good luck on your race!
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

Werehatrack said:

David Harris said:

Any advice? What needs adjusting?

Read the information in the link below, in addition to the Park Tools
page posted by another respondent.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#rear

The most likely adjustment needed is, as another poster mentioned, on
the cable. It's also the easiest, in my opinion.

Good luck on your race!
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

Well all you guys were right. I made the cable adjustment, and
that was the ticket.

I'd found the Sheldon Brown site (most excellent), but got a bit
lost in trying to figure out which adjustment to try first. And
I live in fear of making it worse at this late stage...

So I'll spend a bit more time checking that the other gears are
still working, and I think I'm good to go.

Thanks to all for your advice, and the links. I've got a lot to
learn about this thing.

Dave