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What should I do if my bike gears are not working?

It is to be expected that the gears will occasionally need adjustment. With regular use, the gear cable stretches, the cable housing settles into place and compresses slightly, which causes the cable to loosen. When the cable is loose, the gear adjustment is off, and the gears do not function properly. This can cause clicking, rubbing, or prevent the gears from shifting.

For bikes with hub gears, the adjustment can be done at home. Below are quick adjustment instructions by the number of gears.

3-speed hub gear – Shimano Nexus 3

  1. Set the shifter to gear 2. Move to the bell crank at the rear wheel, see the adjacent picture.
    1. (A) Cable adjustment barrel
    2. (B) Push rod
    3. (C) End of the hub
    4. (D) Red line on the push rod
    5. (E) Yellow lines
    6. (F) Yellow part of the link

  2. Turn the cable adjustment barrel (A). When the yellow part of the link (F) aligns within the yellow lines (E), the gears are correctly adjusted.

  3. Tighten the securing nut of the cable adjustment barrel (A) against the bell crank.

5, 7, and 8-speed hub gears – Shimano Nexus 5 & 7, Alfine 8

  1. Set the shifter to the correct adjustment gear for your gear number:
    1. 5-speed, set to gear 3
    2. 7 and 8-speed, set to gear 4
  2. Locate the alignment marks on the rear hub’s cable cassette. The alignment marks are found both on the top and bottom of the cassette; use the mark that’s easier to see. Turn the shifter’s cable adjustment screw (A) until the alignment marks are lined up.

Always shift through the gears after adjustment to ensure they are functioning properly. After this, the shifter should be set back to the adjustment gear, to confirm that the yellow lines still match after shifting gears.

If your bike has electronic gears, adjustment is generally not necessary. If the gears are not working as intended, their operation can be adjusted from the e-bike’s display settings menu. Refer to your e-bike’s display manual for detailed instructions.

If your bike has a derailleur, adjusting the gears is more complicated. We recommend contacting a qualified bike repair shop to resolve the issue.

If the issue is not resolved with the above instructions, or if there is any confusion or uncertainty about the adjustment, we recommend seeking help from a qualified bike repair shop to solve the problem.