How does a 10 speed Mountain bike transmission work?

Question

i have a 10 speed Magna Powerclimber on a 16 inch frame and i can't shift, and knowing me if i can find out how it works i can fix it with little or no effort.

Answer 1

sounds like you're at square 1. It'd be best for yo to study the info on a a web site.

Parktools and sheldon brown are 2 very popular site.

Answer 2

Wow. OK, I'll take a stab at it. Your bike is going to be kind of difficult to learn to adjust and shift but you'll be fine with a bit of patience.

First you have to make sure your drivetrain is adjusted correctly. The metal thing by the back wheel with 2 pulleys is called a rear derailleur and the crescent shaped thing that is attached to the frame by the pedals is called a front derailleur. There are 2 shifters- one found on the left side of the handlebars and one on the right side. The left controls the front and the right controls the rear.

Now, while pedalling the bike forward (you must be moving), shift the front to "1" or "L" and the rear to "H" or "5". Now, follow these directions...

1) Shift the bike so the shifters read 1 (left) and 5 (right).Take note of the cable running from the right shifter to the rear derailleur. Is there slack in it?

2) If there IS slack in it, locate the barrel adjusters at the shifter and/or the rear derailleur. Turn the adjusters evenly until there is no slack (and no tension) on the cable;

3) If you run out of adjustment, s***w the adjuster(s) back in except for 2 or 3 threads, loosen the cable fixing bolt on the derailleur, pull the cable through with a pair of pliers, and retighten. You don't need the power of Atlas to tighten this... just a bit beyond snug is fine.

4) For the LEFT shifter controlling the front derailleur you can follow the above steps except there will be no barrel adjuster on the derailleur. There should be one on the shifter only.

As a general rule you can think of the left shifter as a dial channel selector on a TV and the right shifter as a fine tuner. "1" or "L" on the left and right side will be your easiest pedalling gear while "2" or "H" on the left side and "5" or "H" on the right side will be the hardest pedalling. NEVER use "H" or "2" on the left side and "L" or "1" on the right.

Shift while pedalling forward and moving- NEVER shift standing still, and shift only one side at a time. Move the shifters slowly until the bike stops making clattering noises. You'll get the hang of this quickly. I hope.

One more thing... your bike is intended for ON ROAD USE ONLY. Do NOT take it on trails.