Why Your New Bike Shifts Weird (And Why It Is Normal)

Your new bike shifts weird. The gears feel notchy, hesitant, or imprecise compared to the demo bike at the shop. Before you assume something’s wrong, understand what’s happening.

Cables Stretch

New cables—especially housing—settle and stretch during the first 50-100 miles of riding. This changes cable tension, which affects shifting precision. It’s normal. After a few rides, the stretching stops.

The Free Adjustment

Most shops offer a free 30-day tune-up specifically to address cable stretch. Take them up on it. They’ll adjust your barrel adjusters (or re-tension the cables if needed) in about five minutes.

What’s Not Normal

Chains that skip under hard pedaling, gears that won’t engage at all, or derailleurs that throw the chain off the cassette—these aren’t break-in issues. These are setup problems that shouldn’t have left the shop.

The Exception: Electronic Shifting

Di2, eTap, and AXS don’t stretch. If electronic shifting feels off on a new bike, it’s either a configuration issue or a genuine problem. Those systems should work perfectly from day one.

Give mechanical systems time to settle. Don’t panic at the first imprecise shift.