Some issues with new bike

[newcycler]

The Bike is a Nucleus Vitas VR and i've not cycled since I was a kid, so since receiving this bike a few weeks ago i've done a lot of fiddling. I have two issues.
1: If I go down to any gear, that gear plays nice, the sound is clean and quiet. If I go up to the same gear, it feels pretty much the same but sounds like marbles rolling on a table. I don't understand why. The gear shifting/indexing seems fine.

2: I think i have some "chain suck". Going uphill or holding the bike while pressing hard on the crank, just letting it move slightly, there is a continual plunking/plucking sound, and it seems to be that the front cassette doesn't release the chain cleanly. The bike has done <35 miles mainly on the promenade where it's sandy, or dirt paths.

The store is OK for me to send the bike back to them, but that's a lot of hassle (and would I need to find a box big enough????) so any solutions you guys might have would be valuable. Thanks.

[hamster]

It simply sounds like the gears need adjusting.

[freeflow]

Park Tools website (as well as YouTube) has useful videos on adjusting indexing on gears.

[freeflow]

Park Tools website (as well as YouTube) has useful videos on adjusting indexing on gears.

[newcycler]

Park Tools website (as well as YouTube) has useful videos on adjusting indexing on gears.

I know, i've been watching them. My gears shift fine and there is no indexing noises. It's just inexplicably that if i go down to a gear, that gear will be nice and quiet but if i go up to the same gear, it will be much louder with a noise that sounds a bit like marbles rolling on a table.

[Beagler]

Is the chain length correct. This affects tension on gears.

[backnotes]

If it is this bike

https://vitusbikes.com/collections/nucl ... -bike-blue

it has Box Four 8 speed gears - I had never heard of these. There's an installation and adjustment video here at the bottom right

https://boxcomponents.com/products/box- ... rs-8-speed

At around 8:42 it explains how to use the barrel adjuster on the shift lever on the handlebars to improve shifting. Probably pretty much the same as the Park Tools video, but gives the direction to adjust in to improve the shifting up or down etc. You can also see what the gears / chain / rear mechanism look like in terms of clearance etc. when they are all working properly.

If this isn't your bike / gears then this will be of no help at all, of course! If a simple adjustment doesn't help then you will get lots of other advice here.....

[newcycler]

Is the chain length correct. This affects tension on gears.

Don't know, it was prebuilt from ChainReactionCycles

If it is this bike

https://vitusbikes.com/collections/nucl ... -bike-blue

it has Box Four 8 speed gears - I had never heard of these. There's an installation and adjustment video here at the bottom right

https://boxcomponents.com/products/box- ... rs-8-speed

Yeah it's that bike but the video doesn't solve my problem. I can change the barrel adjust in increments from falling down to falling up but it doesn't change the issue that when I shift up, the gear I land on will be noisier (and actually will have more chain resistance contrary to what i said earlier), than if i had lowered to the same gear.

After more testing, i've found that theres about a 1/10 chance when I shift up, that it will shift properly and be quiet.
I've also noticed there is about 1-2mm of play on the rear cassette. Don't know if that's significant.

[hamster]

The difference between down- and up-shifting is cables sticking. Lubricate the cabling and it should be better.
Ther should be no play in the cassette.

If that fails, it's worth getting it to a shop and having the derailleur hanger alignment checked.