Vintage gears on bike

Question
I have an old Free Spirit three-speed bike. The gears have always had trouble as one gear does not work altogether (the pedals move, but won't catch) but it has started to be a real inconvenience. When I hit a bump, break, or without any provoking, my gears will switch to a very high resistance. I am a causal rider, but it makes the ride unpleasant alot of times. Please let me know what I can do to help... I know practically nothing about bike maintenance/repair.

Answer
Corinne,

I looked up some Free Spirit 3-speeds.  They are internally-geared, which means the gearing system is entirely within the rear hub (the silver cylinder around which the rear wheel rotates).  The fact that it is internally geared makes it very difficult for you to make repairs yourself if there is something wrong inside with the gears.

But first, check this: there is a thin cable that runs from the shift lever down the bike frame to the rear hub.  When you shift, does the cable slide smoothly all the way?  Does it pull smoothly in and out where it enters the hub?  The symptoms you describe may relate to a shift cable that is sticking and not allowing the gearing to shift completely until you encounter a bump or vibration.  A possible quick fix for this is to try working some thin lubricant into the cable housings (the tubes through which the cable slides).  The superior fix is to replace the cable and the cable housings.

If you are not very comfortable tinkering with your bike, the best idea is to go to a bike shop and ask them to have a look.  In the case of gearing problems, you definitely don't want to mess with disassembling the internally-geared hub.  For a cable problem, you can try lubricating the cable inside the cable housing, but it would be best to have a friend who is familiar with bikes show you how (in order to avoid getting oil everywhere).  If you decide to replace the housings, try going to a bike shop.  They can do it fairly quickly and cheaply.

I hope this helps!

Graeme