A bike question?

Question

on the right side, there are buttons on the handles.

there's 2 of them - one of them makes the gear go up by one and the other makes it go down by one.

then on the left side, there are also two buttons but i dont know what they do.

when i push one, a string gets tight and when i push the other button, it gets loose again

Answer 1

Do the buttons (levers, I think) click when you push them? That means they are indexed to the gear spacing. Indexing never works well on the left (front) shifter and they go out of adjustment easily. Try pushing it again and see if it moves the front shifter (derailleur). If it does, just twist the barrel adjuster clockwise to tighten the cable until it successfully shifts with one click. If it doesn't move at all, it's probably come loose at the point where the cable bolts on to the derailleur.

No offense but it sounds like you aren't that familiar with bike repair: if it comes to this point it's time for the local bike shop. What would be hours of frustration for you sounds like it could be minutes of adjustment for an experienced bike mechanic.

Answer 2

Buttons? Do you have an electric bike? Gears are shifted using levers, with the one on the left controlling the front derailleur and the one on the right controlling the rear derailleur. If the gears don't shift properly when you move the levers, you should have it looked at by a competent mechanic.

Answer 3

its the gears, they are probably stuck and need oiling.

Answer 4

The left buttons control your front derailleur (the bit that makes your front gears change). It has probably got stuck, so you might need to clean it. Loosen the cable then pull the derailleur sideways a little bit until it frees up. You might need to lubricate it. Your local bike shop can advise you on what to use.

Answer 5

start pedaling and move the buttons.  This will change the gears