Need help with Rear Shifting

From: [email hidden] (s)

Quoted message said:

I was hoping someone could help me with a problem I am
having shifting into the two lowest gears on my roadbike.
I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get the chain to
actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just fine into
every other gear but if I try to get the chain into the
two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog. Now, I
have bought a new chain to replace one that broke and was
wondering if I should buy a new cassette or chainrings,
if that has anything to do with it. Again, I have tried
every single adjustment I can but the dang chain just
will not sit in the chainring of the first two gears. Any
ideas? Thanks.

First, is your problem on the front gears (chainring) or the
rear (cogs)? From the sound of it, you are referring to the
rear. It also sounds like an adjustment problem to me, even
if you have tried "every adjustment" you could. Let's walk
through it.

First, will the chain shift all the way to both "ends" of
each set of gears (front and rear)? of so, you cable length
is fine, as far as range is concerned.

As for the limit screws, if the chain is falling off the
outermost cogs or chainrings, you need to tighten the screws
IN further. if they don't want to go onto the outer gears,
loosen the screws slightly. On the front derailer, the limit
screw for the small chainring is usually marked L for low
and H for the high, or large gear. On the rear, this is
reversed. L is for the large and H for the small gear.

Once you have those right, onto the cable adjustment in
regards to indexing the rear derailer which, again, I ass-u-
me you are having trouble with.

Shift the chain onto the smallest gear in the back and the
smallest in the front (or middle, if it's a triple). Find
the cable adjusting barrel on the back of the rear derailer
where the cable housing goes in. While turning the cranks,
slowly UNscrew this adjuster until you hear the chain just
start rattling against the next largest cog. When it does,
screw it back in SLOWLY _just_ until the rattling stops. You
want the exact point before the rattling starts.

Now shift onto the next largest cog and repeat the
process. do this for the first three or four smallest
cogs. When you have them all set, the entire rear set
should shift smoothly.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear
for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

nospam-<< I was hoping someone could help me with a problem
I am having shifting into the two lowest gears on my
roadbike. I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get the
chain to actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just fine
into every other gear but if I try to get the chain into the
two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog. Now, I
have bought a new chain to replace one that broke and was
wondering if I should buy a new cassette or chainrings, if
that has anything to do with it. Again, I have tried every
single adjustment I can but the dang chain just will not sit
in the chainring of the first two gears. Any ideas? Thanks.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

yep, take a trip to a competent bike shop, pay a few bucks,
watch, learn and go ride.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"

s said:

I was hoping someone could help me with a problem I am
having shifting into the two lowest gears on my roadbike.
I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get the chain to
actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just fine into
every other gear but if I try to get the chain into the
two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog. Now, I
have bought a new chain to replace one that broke and was
wondering if I should buy a new cassette or chainrings, if
that has anything to do with it. Again, I have tried every
single adjustment I can but the dang chain just will not
sit in the chainring of the first two gears.

I think you're saying the chain won't go onto the two
largest cogs on the rear. Try this. Put the bike in a repair
stand, or suspend it from hooks or ropes. Remove the rear
der cable. Turn the cranks and try to shift into the largest
cogs by pushing on the derailleur itself. If the chain still
won't go onto those cogs, your der limit screw is probably
misadjusted. If you *can* shift onto those cogs, the problem
is either in your shifter or cable/housing. Also make sure
the der cage is vertical and in-line with the cogs.

Art Harris

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 13:06:51 -0400, [email hidden] (Chris

Zacho 'The Wheelman') said:

From: [email hidden] (s)

Quoted message said:

I was hoping someone could help me with a problem I am
having shifting into the two lowest gears on my roadbike.
I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get the chain to
actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just fine into
every other gear but if I try to get the chain into the
two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog. Now, I
have bought a new chain to replace one that broke and was
wondering if I should buy a new cassette or chainrings,
if that has anything to do with it. Again, I have tried
every single adjustment I can but the dang chain just
will not sit in the chainring of the first two gears. Any
ideas? Thanks.

First, is your problem on the front gears (chainring) or
the rear (cogs)? From the sound of it, you are referring to
the rear. It also sounds like an adjustment problem to me,
even if you have tried "every adjustment" you could. Let's
walk through it.

Yes rear.

Quoted message said:

First, will the chain shift all the way to both "ends" of
each set of gears (front and rear)? of so, you cable length
is fine, as far as range is concerned.

Yes, but once it gets to the first or second gear it kind of
rides up and out and off the chainring cogs.

Quoted message said:

As for the limit screws, if the chain is falling off the
outermost cogs or chainrings, you need to tighten the
screws IN further. if they don't want to go onto the
outer gears, loosen the screws slightly. On the front
derailer, the limit screw for the small chainring is
usually marked L for low and H for the high, or large
gear. On the rear, this is reversed. L is for the large
and H for the small gear.

Once you have those right, onto the cable adjustment in
regards to indexing the rear derailer which, again, I ass-u-
me you are having trouble with.

Shift the chain onto the smallest gear in the back and the
smallest in the front (or middle, if it's a triple). Find
the cable adjusting barrel on the back of the rear derailer
where the cable housing goes in. While turning the cranks,
slowly UNscrew this adjuster until you hear the chain just
start rattling against the next largest cog. When it does,
screw it back in SLOWLY _just_ until the rattling stops.
You want the exact point before the rattling starts.

Now shift onto the next largest cog and repeat the process.
do this for the first three or four smallest cogs. When you
have them all set, the entire rear set should shift
smoothly.

Thanks. I'll try this again, but I pretty much went through
what you described. Using the barrel adjustment I could
never get the chain to sit in the first and second gear rear
chainrings. If you looked at the cahin as it went around it
would kind of ride up and then fall out to the next gear.
Third gear has been the best I can do. And it rides really
nice in that gear and the rest.

Quoted message said:

- -

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear
for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

I may do just that, but I was hoping to solve this problem
on my own. Unfortunately my experience with bike shops
around here, it won't be a few bucks and they won't repair
it while you're waiting and they certainly won't call to
tell me that they are getting ready to fix the problem so
come watch the repair.

On 14 Jun 2004 12:50:22 GMT, [email hidden] (Qui si parla

Campagnolo ) said:

nospam-<< I was hoping someone could help me with a
problem I am having shifting into the two lowest gears on
my roadbike. I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get
the chain to actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just
fine into every other gear but if I try to get the chain
into the two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog.
Now, I have bought a new chain to replace one that broke
and was wondering if I should buy a new cassette or
chainrings, if that has anything to do with it. Again, I
have tried every single adjustment I can but the dang
chain just will not sit in the chainring of the first two
gears. Any ideas? Thanks.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

yep, take a trip to a competent bike shop, pay a few bucks,
watch, learn and go ride.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Hope its not the shifters. I just put new cables in. This
problem only started when I had to replace my chain. Thanks
for the reply.

Harris said:

s said:

I was hoping someone could help me with a problem I am
having shifting into the two lowest gears on my roadbike.
I cannnot adjust the derailer enough to get the chain to
actually sit in the chainring. It shifts just fine into
every other gear but if I try to get the chain into the
two lowest gears it slides up and out of the cog. Now, I
have bought a new chain to replace one that broke and was
wondering if I should buy a new cassette or chainrings,
if that has anything to do with it. Again, I have tried
every single adjustment I can but the dang chain just
will not sit in the chainring of the first two gears.

I think you're saying the chain won't go onto the two
largest cogs on the rear. Try this. Put the bike in a
repair stand, or suspend it from hooks or ropes. Remove the
rear der cable. Turn the cranks and try to shift into the
largest cogs by pushing on the derailleur itself. If the
chain still won't go onto those cogs, your der limit screw
is probably misadjusted. If you *can* shift onto those
cogs, the problem is either in your shifter or
cable/housing. Also make sure the der cage is vertical and
in-line with the cogs.

Art Harris

[QUOTE]Originally posted by S
[B]Hope its not the shifters. I just put new cables in. This
problem only started when I had to replace my chain. Thanks
for the reply.


Try the attachment of the rear derailer cable again following:

<http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html>

If that still doesn't work, it may be that the chain is at it's desired pitch and the old cassette no longer matches.

s said:

Thanks. I'll try this again, but I pretty much went
through what you described. Using the barrel adjustment I
could never get the chain to sit in the first and second
gear rear chainrings.

Try to get the nomenclature correct or you will confuse
everyone trying to help you. There are no rear chainrings.
Chainrings are in the front.

When you shift into the smallest cog in the rear, click the
STI small lever a couple of more times to ensure that it is
in the correct position. Then adjust the cable tension such
that one click of the large sti lever will shift the chain
cleanly to the next cog without making noise.

Art Harris

Oops. Sorry. I just kind of fix what's broke and go ride.
Guess I thought if there was a ring (eight in the rear and
two in the front) and a chain goes on it it's a chainring.
Now I know.

I appreciate the help from everyone. Unfortunately I believe
I'll have to break down and get a new rear cassette. It may
fit my new chain better.

At any rate it's only 1st and 2nd gear. I still have 14
others that work fine.

Harris said:

s said:

Thanks. I'll try this again, but I pretty much went
through what you described. Using the barrel adjustment I
could never get the chain to sit in the first and second
gear rear chainrings.

Try to get the nomenclature correct or you will confuse
everyone trying to help you. There are no rear chainrings.
Chainrings are in the front.

When you shift into the smallest cog in the rear, click the
STI small lever a couple of more times to ensure that it is
in the correct position. Then adjust the cable tension such
that one click of the large sti lever will shift the chain
cleanly to the next cog without making noise.

Art Harris