Adjusting your gears: bike shop or 10 minutes at home?

The good news: most of the time, it's free

"My gears are skipping" sends a lot of people to the bike shop for what is often just a turn of the barrel adjuster. The derailleur cable stretches slightly over time, especially on a new bike after the first few rides. You can tension it back with the barrel adjuster (also called the barrel) — no tools needed.

The adjustment in 4 steps

1. Shift onto the smallest sprocket (hardest gear).
2. If the chain is slow to climb when you change up: turn the barrel adjuster a quarter turn anticlockwise (more tension).
3. If it skips when you shift down: a quarter turn the other way.
4. Fine-tune in small quarter-turns until shifts are clean.

Detailed instructions in rear derailleur adjustment and front derailleur.

When the bike shop really is justified

• The derailleur pulley catches the spokes or the derailleur is bent (derailleur hanger damaged after a crash).
• Cable or housing is shot: if turning the barrel adjuster makes no difference any more, the cable is seized or frayed.
• Electronic transmission not paired or in fault.

That's diagnosis plus parts — a workshop will sort it faster.

AI mechanic tells you which situation you're in

Not sure if it's "barrel adjuster" or "bent hanger"? Describe what's happening (skips on climbing, on dropping, on which sprockets, how long it's been doing it) to L'Atelier's AI mechanic. It will tell the difference between simple adjustment and a real mechanical problem, and walk you through it step by step if you can do it yourself.

You save a trip to the shop when it's just a quarter turn. For the rest, see repair it yourself or go to the shop.