Front Derailleur Set-up / Adjustment

Front Derailleur Set-up / Adjustment

Author
Discussion

roboxm3

Original Poster:

2,420 posts

197 months

Sunday 23rd January 2011
quotequote all
Evening all.

Due to all the good advice received for setting up my shoes/cleats/pedals, I am now going to pester you for advice re. the front derailleur.

When I received the bike from the shop (online), the gears didn't appear to be set-up correctly. They advised that I take the bike to a local shop and send them a copy or the receipt and they would refund any costs, all fair enough.

However, after getting the bike back from the local shop the front shifter doesn't seem to be doing its job (wouldn't shift down) and after spending the last 2hrs messing about with it (with the aid of various online guides), I'm about 3mins away from launching the bike down the stairs and forgetting that I ever fancied cycling (I haven't got a great deal of patience at the best of times).

If anyone could tell me, step by step, how to set-up and adjust the front derailleur, including where the limit screws should start etc etc (essentially as though it's just come out of the box), it would be greatly appreciated.

I've managed to get it working at shifting up, or down but never both properly and I seem to run out of limit adjustment or cable tension before I can get it working 100%.

Its Shimano 105 stuff, if that helps / makes any difference.

Please save my bike and my sanity.

Many thanks

Rob

roboxm3

Original Poster:

2,420 posts

197 months

Sunday 23rd January 2011
quotequote all
haha that pretty much sums it up for me!! ...obviously not a great deal of help but at least now I know that I'm not the only person to have inadvertently adjusted and fallen foul of the parallel adjustment screw!!

roboxm3

Original Poster:

2,420 posts

197 months

Monday 24th January 2011
quotequote all
smifffymoto said:
Youtube is your friend.
I thought that YouTube was my friend too...

Watched the video, made some notes, went back to the bike, followed the instructions...

...ran out of adjustment on the screws frown

Tried another video...

...cable too tight to allow shifting mad

Tried again from scratch based on the knowledge I thought I'd gained during attempts 1 and 2...

...nope!! furious

I've found the Shimano pdf which includes a guide on how to set it up, so I'll give it another go tonight, starting with the adjustment screws in the middle of their range and utilising the cable tentioner, if that doesn't work I may shortly be selling off the parts from a broken bike!! hehe

roboxm3

Original Poster:

2,420 posts

197 months

Monday 24th January 2011
quotequote all
MonkeyHanger said:
smifffymoto said:
Youtube is your friend.
As is a decent work stand...
Yeah the 2-man method, where one acts as stand / gear changer, while the other pedals and tinkers isn't the best!!