"Anon" (tjsielsistneb)
01/17/2014 at 01:36 • Filed to: Bicycling
1
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"Anon" (tjsielsistneb)
01/17/2014 at 01:36 • Filed to: Bicycling | 1
| 15 |
I finally got around to tuning my bike today and boy was it an adventure! I lubed up my derailleurs (the bike equivalent to a transmission), tightened up the response on the disk brakes, and worked on getting my SRAM x3 rear derailleur to shift as good as possible (which for a budget derailleur it's pretty decent though not as good as I 'd like). After all of this was done I finally got around to the front derailleur which has been giving me issues for quite some time with shifting rough and in certain gears making noises. Well I finally get it adjusted to where it shifts ok however then the chain starts running into the side of the derailleur so I loosen it only to have it shift like crap. Finally after about 20 minutes of messing around with it I get it to shift into all three gears (not very well but shifting) excluding the combination of 1st gear on the front cog and 1st on the rear. But who really needs a granny gear anyways?
In conclusion I don't know what I expected from a $15 front derailleur but the quality is terrible and I wouldn't recommend it.
Aaron James
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 01:52 |
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You should get one of those fancy electronic push button deals. I didn't even know such sorcery existed until I stumbled upon it on youtube one day.
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Anon
> Aaron James
01/17/2014 at 01:55 |
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If they weren't in the $6000 range I would.
TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 02:02 |
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Ha! Ive gotten used to just kicking the chain into place when I rode my bicycle on a regular basis. Sounds like you need a new cable, though. That happens when they stretch out.
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Aaron James
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 02:02 |
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That's insanity, I had no idea they were that expensive. For 6 grand it better pedal itself too.
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Anon
> Aaron James
01/17/2014 at 02:18 |
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Well it's new tech and as with any new tech, early adopters pay the R&D costs. Also most of the time they base the electric models off their top end gear sets which alone costs around $2500. Also I was wrong, you can get a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (that's the electric one) for about $4100.
Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 03:39 |
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I hate Shimano shifters, I can never get them set right. Try changing your cables, if that dont work I dunno
erspimp03
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 04:12 |
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You should check out Shimano Airlines, the shifter system with pneumatic operation. It was the shizz back in the early 2000's. Nothing was hardcore like a Brooklyn Machine Works (BMW, ironically) bike with an Avalanche fork and Shimano Airlines! (this setup would have run you >$10,000, not adjusting for inflation)
As for the derailleur, you need to adjust the min/max travel screws as well as the cable. They are at the very top in the picture you posted.
promoted by the color red
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 04:55 |
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I've been using one for the past four years and I think it's alright. As TheLOUDMUSIC says, check your cable tension (and I believe you're supposed to set it while on the granny gear). Since your bike is pretty new, the 3 month mark is a good time to do it. Don't let the derailleur cage take on any weird or severe angles.
Shimano stuff is usually pretty good. I did most of my maintenance while straddling my bike in an apartment patio with an Allen wrench and a screwdriver and nothing "broke".
Good luck and have fun!
wrblue11
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 07:30 |
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and this is why i ride a singlespeed
timateo81
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 08:32 |
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assuming you have a triple crank, you're never going to get it to both:
A) shift properly through all gears
B) not rub chain in at least some gears.
My experience with Shimano derailleurs is that you have to find a very small "happy spot" in your adjustment. You should never find yourself riding with the largest chainring and the largest cassette gear at the same time, so rubbing there is ok. Same for smallest chainring and smallest cassette gear. Work your way in from there; the end result will be a derailleur that doesn't rub in the gears you use most often.
Also, google sheldon brown
hamburgler sammich
> Anon
01/17/2014 at 09:04 |
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I have the same front derailleur... and have fought through the same exact issues.. After riding through a season of this, and losing the chain in traffic.. I finally broke down and let the local bike shop tune it properly ($10 Groupon FTW)... Still makes some noise in 3rd gear, but it shifts like a champ...
Now, if I could get a set of discs that don't get all wobbly/noisy...
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Anon
> hamburgler sammich
01/17/2014 at 09:57 |
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My chain has fallen off too! I'll probobly end up buying a new front derailleur from my local bike shop because they'll tune it for free if you buy it from them. I would really like to get a SRAM X0 because of their almost indestructible nature however those are 9 speeds and my bike is but a lowly 7 speed. :(
Oh and the disks on my bike are really good and I'm guessing not that expensive since my entire bike costs $600 new. When I get home I'll comment again and tell you what they are. Whatever they are, I recommend them. They're like Jeremy Clarkson once said, "The only way you could stop faster is by hitting the tree you where trying to avoid!" (However I do not use my bike on downhill off-road so I've never gotten them terribly hot.)
bob and john
> Anon
01/21/2014 at 11:16 |
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ex bike shop mechanic
1: make sure its straight not just the mounting, but the cages isnt bent either
2: set ur limit screws (do this without the cable on)
3: make sure the shifter itself has enough movement for the triple crank in it. for lower end shifters, i'd try to stay away from the push-button stuff. you can use a grip-shift for it. it make it easier to change the trim in gear
4: make sure the cable runs smoothly thgoh the casings and that there are no kinks.
5: when attaching the cable to the derailleur, attach it when the derailleur is at rest (the spring is doing its own thing. so if ur spring pull the derailleur to the inside, attach the cable when the derailleur is on the tiny cog.
6: make adjustments as needed.
you would incredibly surpised how much just this checklist would help.
u;ve done so many of these its not even funny anymore...
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bob and john
> Aaron James
01/21/2014 at 11:17 |
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fun fact: i've personally seen a 13,000 CAN bike. yeah., i know.c dont get my wrong, i do like an expensice bike. my mountian was like 3000, and i built my road bike for 2500. but 13gs!??!?!
Rich Chiavaroli
> Anon
04/26/2014 at 16:29 |
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I just got done fighting with this derailleur and the problem is that there's no micro adjustment for the cable. What I did was disconnect the cable and get the inside adjustment where it should be. Then reconnect the cable and tension it correctly. It can't be tight, but it can't be too loose either. That was really the key for me. I had to readjust the tension on it a few times to get it right, but after fiddling with it for way to long, it's working well.