Bicycle Mechanics - FD shift into 3rd gear like a MOFO.

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gascostalot
05-15-08, 09:59 PM
My bike is all put together and running good, but shifting the FD into the largest cog is a PITA. I tried adjusting it and while the low adjuster screw does something, the high adjuster screw doesnt do anything. Finally I adjusted to a point were it shifts into 1 and 2 effortlessly, 3 with a lot of effort, and without any contact. I'm not sure what to do without having full adjustment, should I get another FD?

Jeff Wills
05-15-08, 10:24 PM
More info please. What kind of bike? What kind of shifter? What kind of derailleur? What kind of crank?

I've encountered what you're describing when there's a mismatch between the derailleur and the shifter. Without more details, it's impossible to know.
gascostalot
05-15-08, 10:30 PM
IT's a 93 Trek multitrack 720, FD is stock, crank is stock, shifter is a Shimano ST-EF50-7R 7sp Brake/Shift Lever set (http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=BPC323724)

the_mac
05-15-08, 11:37 PM
First try to manually shift through all three gears up front by pulling on the derailer cable by hand. Shift to lowest gear on your shifter, and then grab the cable where it's exposed and pull, if you can get into third that way, then you need to adjust the tension/indexing of the shifter cable. If you're having problems shifting into third by pulling the cable, then you need to adjust the derailer first (either it's misaligned, or the H limit screw needs backing off).