Bike Problems /:

[Awakening]

I just bought a new bike online and there seems to be a pretty major problem with the rear derailleur and shifters. I can't move the shifters up or down at all and they just overall won't move and won't shift. The rear derailleur looks as if it's squeezed in on itself so much that it's bent at an angle and that's possibly the reason the shifters won't move. I can show some pictures of the problem, but I really don't want to take it to a bike shop or wait over a week to return it and get a new one. Any help would be awesome because I'm new to geared bikes and have no idea what I'm doing. I tried searching the problem first but all of it was for something different.

 

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If you need anymore pictures, let me know.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

While the pics aren't very clear, I'm not seeing anything wrong with the deraulleur. I looked up some photos of the TZ, and that top piece apparently is supposed to look like that. 

 

Put the bike upside-down (or balance it on its front wheel and sidestand), go to the derailleur's side and slowly turn the crankset clockwise so that the wheel starts turning.  While turning the crank, push the front-most part of the derailleur inward (the hinge closest to the "Z" of TZ). 

If it does shift that way, the derailleur itself is not the problem and you need to check the cables and the shifters themselves. 

[Awakening]

8 minutes ago, Captain Chaos said:

While the pics aren't very clear, I'm not seeing anything wrong with the deraulleur. I looked up some photos of the TZ, and that top piece apparently is supposed to look like that. 

 

Put the bike upside-down (or balance it on its front wheel and sidestand), go to the derailleur's side and slowly turn the crankset clockwise so that the wheel starts turning.  While turning the crank, push the front-most part of the derailleur inward (the hinge closest to the "Z" of TZ). 

If it does shift that way, the derailleur itself is not the problem and you need to check the cables and the shifters themselves. 

 

I pumped the tires up today and apparently the shifters don't do anything when the wheel isn't turning. I feel stupid.

 

The shifting really needs indexed and the front cassette won't go into the largest gear, but I know all of that can be adjusted and it isn't broken.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Yeah, you do need to be rolling to shift.  

 

Indexing isn't too difficult :

 

Put it in the highest gear (smallest cog), then back off 2 or 3 gears by moving the shifter 2 or 3 clicks. 

Rotate the crank so that the wheel is turning, then adjust the small silver barrel where the cable meets the derailleur.  Turning it counter-clockwise will push the derailleur inward, turning it clockwise will move it outward. 

Adjust it until you don't hear the chain rattle anymore while being on the gear that you aimed for when you moved the shifter. 

Shift up and down a bit (whilst turning the crank, of course) to see if it's sluggish at shifting in either direction and adjust just a little more towards that direction if needed.

 

If it still doesn't reach the largest gear after this adjustment, you'll need to set the limit screws.  Here's how :

There are 2 philips screws on the back of the derailleur itself (there's a third one where it mounts to the frame, but ignore that).  One of them has a "H" stamped close to it and the other one an "L", for High and Low gear.  I assume by "largest gear" you mean the one with the most teeth, the one on the inside.

Turn the "L" screw a quarter turn counter-clockwise.  That'll allow the derailleur to go a little further.  Now turn the cranks again and try to shift into that largest gear.  Repeat if necessary until it does go all the way to that gear, but no further than that.

 

If you're unsure while adjusting these screws, just remember how much you turned them in which direction.  That way you can always undo your adjustments.  But it's really not that difficult if you follow these instructions.  I'll look up a YT vid on how to adjust them, so that it's more clear.

 

EDIT :

 

 

 

It's always a good idea to have someone help you with this though, especially if it is your first geared bike.