Problems with gear
Posted by Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 16 comments
I got a pretty expensive e-bike from my father christmas 2024. DBS Helo 420. I started using it last spring and used until summer. I always thought it was not the best with the gears. It has 9 gears.
Now that I started using it again this spring, the 7th gear is kind of unusable. The chain lags and jumps (not up and down in gear level, just on the same cog).
Is this a mistake from the factory? Should I ask them to look at it?
I also took it to a bike shop last week, and the guy did a (also expensive) service on it, and I told him I had some problems with the chain skipping on certain gears. The problem still persists, so I dont know if the cog and the casette needs changing, or if it is the setting of any gear wire or chain. I am not good with bikes, but disappointed that the bike shop guy didn’t fix it, even when I pointed out what was problematic for me.
Any tips?
A colleague suggested that many ebikes dont come with good enough gears, because they cant handle the force from the motor well enough. Is this true?
Thanks!
unseenmover@reddit
probably just the RD cable needs to be replaced, adjusted..
Active_Ad_5322@reddit
The shop was told that the chain slips in 7th gear and they didn’t address it by checking chain wear and cassette wear, then they are a bad shop. When you say “also expensive” regarding the repair, what was done? There should be a work order with the breakdown of the services. Was the chain and cassettes replaced?
Any decent shop should have immediately used a chain wear tool and a cassettes wear tool on every cog.
As far as your college saying that the chain and gears aren’t good enough is only half right. The chain snd cassette CAN handle the force. Strength is not an issue. But depending on the model of chain, constant riding in the higher PAS modes will accelerate wear. Proper shifting is key for longevity.
Just get a e-bike rated chain to ensure more km.
And go to a different shop that will actually measure your chain and cassette.
Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit (OP)
I just pointed out to the guy that the bike was pretty new, I hadnt done anything with it, and rode it only one season, and that I wanted him to check the front wheel (which I thought didnt go completely straight) and the gears, because it skipped/lagged on certain levels. «Oh, so you want a service then?» he asked. I said: «Well, yeah, I guess so. I just want the gears to work and the wheel to be good».
When it was done I tried asking him what he had done, and he was kind of dismissive. He said the front wheel needed to be «popped» properly. It wasnt. So I guess the rubber had not popped properly in place, cause the minor «wonky» behavior. And I asked about the gears, and he just said he had adjusted them. When I was curious as to how, he didn’t seem to take it to well, and I just wanted to learn a little bit about how it works, and he said he adjusted them, and sarcastically wanted to know if he was supposed to give me a course in adjusting gears. I didnt want to seem ungrateful or unhappy, so I just said, «No, of course not, thank you so much» and went on my way. He also fixed the tire pressure. I really dont know what else he did. It cost around 120$. But I live in Norway and stuff is very expensive here. I am just disappointed that the bike isn’t working as I want it to yet. And I dont know if I should expect this to be fixed by the bike shop, or it is bad manufacturing, or if I have used the bike wrong?
Active_Ad_5322@reddit
I’ve been a bike mechanic for 25 years and unfortunately, there are many “mechanics” like that one that have no people skills and get offended when asked what was done.
Too many just fiddle with the bike and don’t have the skill set to properly diagnose. The way you describe the issue in 7th gear should have been addressed. It’s either a worn cog from riding mostly in that gear or possible a bent tooth from a gear change while the motor was in high torque.
Hopefully there are other shops in the area that you can try out. Ask for them to just address the slipping that you are experiencing. If they attempt to say it “just needs a tune up” or they blame the motor or anything that is not a focused look at the single issue, then just take your business elsewhere.
Btw, the tools to check chain wear and cassette wear are reasonably affordable. Being able to gauge the wear of your drive train is something that I feel all cyclists should have access to.
Relative-Display-676@reddit
if 7th gear is the one you use all the time, chances are that cog can be worn and your cassette needs to be replaced.
Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit (OP)
If I sent a photo, would you be able to tell me if it is too worn down?
Relative-Display-676@reddit
you can post it here and we'll take a look.
Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit (OP)
Relative-Display-676@reddit
yep, that 7th cog is worn down and you need new cassette.
Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit (OP)
I think it is pretty fun learning new stuff. Is changing the cassette something I would be able to do myself (on an ebike) watching YouTube tutorials, or is it pretty difficult? Either way, should I go with premium parts, or does it not matter much? Should I also swap the chain, and/or other parts as well when I am at it?
Relative-Display-676@reddit
it's not difficult as long as you have proper tools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KAaP7pbFV0
will probably cost you same if you do it yourself and buy your own tools or take it to bike shop and have them do it.
doing it yourself you'll have tools for later use or you can resell them later if you don't need them.
Visual_Armadillo_131@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much! I think I want to try and do it myself. Ill watch the video and get the proper tools!
J_Bunt@reddit
Yes, there seems to be more wear on the 7th gear.
_HillCruiser@reddit
Replace chainring, freewheel and chain.
Keep chain lubricated or it dries out, starts stretching and skipping.
sverrebr@reddit
Measure the chain with a chain checker. If it is elongated more than 0.75% change the chain. If it is significantly more (like 1% or more) you may need to change the cassette and crank cogs as well. (Note that less wear does not rule that out)
Chains and cogs wear together, so riding on a worn chain wears the cogs and using worn cogs wear any new chain. Ideally you would always change both, but in practice you can change chain 3-4 times before the cogs are too worn provided you change the chain early enough. (It is debatable though whether it is better to just let it ride and change both chain and cogs when it fails or change chains earlier in a proactive fashion)
Once you start skipping though wear has likely progressed pretty far and the fact that it skips on some but not all gears may point to excessive wear on the cassette, so i would not be surprised if it needs to be changed.
Chains, cogs and cassettes are all wear parts and must be replaced periodically.
JoeRidesBikes@reddit
Start with replacing your chain.