How To Adjust Your Gears And Stop Them Clicking, by GCN Tech on YouTube. 8 min 4 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 4 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Put the bike in a stand or turn it upside down so you can spin the cranks and watch the rear derailleur while shifting.
Shift through every gear and note where the chain clicks, skips or rubs. This tells you if the problem is indexing, cables or something else.
For SRAM AXS eTap, use the shift buttons on the derailleur to fine-tune each gear. Press and hold the button to enter micro-adjust mode, then shift up or down until the chain runs quietly.
For mechanical gears, shift to a middle cog. Turn the barrel adjuster on the derailleur or shifter a quarter turn at a time until the chain sits centred on the cog.
Check the inner and outer cable. Look for fraying, rust or a kink, and replace the cable if it drags or sticks.
Check the derailleur hanger with an alignment gauge. If it is bent, straighten it or fit a new hanger, since a bent hanger throws off every gear.
Spin the chain backwards and look for stiff links. Work the stiff link free by hand and add a drop of lube.
Check the chain and cassette for wear with a chain checker. Replace the chain if it is stretched, and the cassette if the teeth are hooked.
Ride the bike and shift through all gears again. Make small barrel adjuster tweaks until every gear is quiet.
Tips and common mistakes
Make one small adjustment at a time and test it before changing anything else.
Clean and lube the chain before indexing, since a dry or dirty chain can cause clicking on its own.
Do not force a bent hanger straight with pliers, as you can crack it. Use a proper alignment gauge.
Check the hanger first if the gears were fine and suddenly started clicking after a knock.
Questions
Why do my gears click only in some gears?
That usually means the indexing is slightly off or the hanger is bent. Adjust the barrel adjuster in small steps and check hanger alignment.
Do I need a special tool to adjust SRAM AXS gears?
No. You use the shift buttons on the derailleur to enter micro-adjust mode and fine-tune each gear.
How often should I check my chain for wear?
Check it every few hundred kilometres with a chain checker. A worn chain wears the cassette and chainrings quickly.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
