New 21-Speed bike having shifting problems, should I ask for a new one? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

kirakira8 · 07-03-2007, 04:53 PM

Got a 21-speed bike (electra Townie) at the store Monday. On it's maiden ride, the chain kept coming off when I shifted into 1st gear for hills. So I brought it back to day and they 'fixed' it and gave me some shifting advice (like making sure the bike was in mid-2nd-gear range before switching to 1st gear...for instance, from 2-4 to 1-3 rather than doing a 2-1 to a 1-1).

Well I just got back from a ride where:
1) the chain came off once when I shifted into 1st
2) Three times I shifted into 2nd and the bike would not shift...it just made funny noises and stayed in 1st. Finally I shifted to 3rd and the bike sort of freaked out, but finally got into 3rd.

Is this bike a lemon (should I ask for a new one), or is this just a simple issue that needs more finagling with? I'm bringing it back to the shop tommorrow. I love the bike except for this one issue. I just don't think a brand new bike should be having these problems.