Bike temporarily feels like it switches into a lower gear when rapidly braking? It’s hard to describe this, and I’m not sure whether there’s something wrong with my bike.
Say I’m cycling along a long straight in sixth gear. If I brake enough to slow down rapidly (like round a corner) my bike suddenly acts as if it is in a lower gear (i.e. first gear), then after a few rotations of the pedals the bike snaps back into sixth. I find this infuriating as I suddenly need to pedal faster temporarily otherwise I will lose my speed.
I spoke to a friend about this but they insisted it was intentional and due to the bike’s “Shimano gear system”, but I haven’t experienced this on other bikes at all (they remain at sixth at all times).
Is there something wrong with my bike? And if so, what?
Edit: Added some photos. It seems to be an Apollo bike from Halfords.
This seems very much to be a case of freewheel/freehub pawls (the mechanism which allows the wheel to rotate without turning the cassette and pedals) sticking and not springing back into drive mode immediatly, after coasting.
You say when braking, but it might be when coasting or backpedaling before a corner, which happen alongside braking.
It usually happens when the lubricant in there gets old, thick and sticky. Or if it's been contaminated somehow.
&quot;I suddenly need to pedal faster temporarily otherwise I will lose my speed&quot; - this may be a sign of some partial pawl engagement, or it just seems like engagement because of excessive friction in there.
I'd analyse this carefully with the bike in a bike stand or upside down, or have it checked at a local bike shop and get the faulty part serviced or replaced. You can do it at home, there are instructional videos on Youtube on how to service freehubs and freewheels, but you'd need special tools, and sometimes they are not worth servicing.
I don't think the bike actually shifts gears. You say the bike &quot;feels like&quot; and &quot;acts as&quot; if it is in a lower gear, and I'm pretty sure you'd have noticed the sound and feel in the pedals if actual shifts were taking place.