Bicycle Mechanics - Shifter or Derail. Problem

I have an older MTB with Deore shifters, & when shifting the front the derail won't stay in position; ie, if I had a super thumb & could just keep it on the shifter it would stay on a certain chainring; course, this is not an option.

Being really cheap, I tried taking a shifter off a discount store bike that was given to my kid, & it won't work either (it says it's STI). I can shift from granny to middle ring, but after a little bit it just clicks itself back down into granny.

Don't really think I have a derail. problem, but didn't know if I had the cable too tight, or was just being too cheap.

Sounds like you need to go back to basics as to how to set up your front derailleur. Here's two links to two comprehensive and really informative sites:

LINK ONE - CLICK ME (http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html)

LINK TWO - CLICK ME (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml#drivetrain)

Just be slow, thorough, methodical, and patient.

Good luck!

I could be wrong, but my experience has been, when the derailleur won't stay its because the cable is not tight enough. Which is why it took me so long to figure out the derailleurs. (I just thought it would be opposite) If the cable is not tight enough, it doesn't pull the der. out far enough.

And are you sure it doesn't say "stx" on those shifters, since STI isn't usually a thumb shifter, except the new XTR.

I have an older MTB with Deore shifters, & when shifting the front the derail won't stay in position; ie, if I had a super thumb & could just keep it on the shifter it would stay on a certain chainring; course, this is not an option.

Being really cheap, I tried taking a shifter off a discount store bike that was given to my kid, & it won't work either (it says it's STI). I can shift from granny to middle ring, but after a little bit it just clicks itself back down into granny.

Don't really think I have a derail. problem, but didn't know if I had the cable too tight, or was just being too cheap.Well, maybe the shifter is hosed and won't hold the derailer in position against the spring tension in it.

Well, maybe the shifter is hosed and won't hold the derailer in position against the spring tension in it.
That is also a possibility, i think before he does anything he needs to check the cable adjustements. Certainly a cheaper way to fix the problem if it works

That is also a possibility, i think before he does anything he needs to check the cable adjustements. Certainly a cheaper way to fix the problem if it worksIn that case, he ought to go to the repair section at www.parktool.com and start at the beginning with proper derailer position and alignment,rather than just fiddling around.

I know it. I think there needs to be sticky in the mechanics forum titled "BEFORE POSTING CLICK ME"
and it will say....
Before askoing any question, have you checked the park tool website
have you checked sheldon brown

I know it. I think there needs to be sticky in the mechanics forum titled "BEFORE POSTING CLICK ME"
and it will say....
Before askoing any question, have you checked the park tool website
have you checked sheldon brown


I thought the whole purpose of the forums, was that we could ask each other and get the needed advice or help finding the resources necessary for answers.

I thought the whole purpose of the forums, was that we could ask each other and get the needed advice or help finding the resources necessary for answers.Yeah, and sometimes ya get too many wrong answers. Some of the same questions get asked almost daily. Gets a bit weary writing the book on derailer adjustment and a few other simple things, when others have already done it. Park Tool and Sheldon are two of the best underutilized resources. Whats that deal about giving as woman a fish or teaching her how to fish?

I could be wrong, but my experience has been, when the derailleur won't stay its because the cable is not tight enough.
If the derailer moves,when the thumbshifter is rotated,and then falls back, that is not the issue.

Yeah, and sometimes ya get too many wrong answers. Some of the same questions get asked almost daily. Park Tool and Sheldon are two of the best underutilized resources.

You got me there, Sheldon is the man. I've never been to parktool.com, but you would think they would be helpful.

I could be wrong, but my experience has been, when the derailleur won't stay its because the cable is not tight enough. Which is why it took me so long to figure out the derailleurs. (I just thought it would be opposite) If the cable is not tight enough, it doesn't pull the der. out far enough.

And are you sure it doesn't say "stx" on those shifters, since STI isn't usually a thumb shifter, except the new XTR.

Nope, it say STI - Deore DX. Guess with all the responses, I must have sounded like a real dummy, cause I've tried all the basics. I've just never had a shifter go bad, & the cheaper one may be just that - too cheap.

Well, maybe the shifter is hosed and won't hold the derailer in position against the spring tension in it.


That's pretty logical, & maybe the "cheap shifter" wasn't built to withstand enough tension for "real" components, because the cheap does lock it into place, but then clicks back to 1 (ya, it has the 1,2,3).

It's fun fiddling around. By the way, I've already got the pages of my repair manual dirty.

I thought the whole purpose of the forums, was that we could ask each other and get the needed advice or help finding the resources necessary for answers.

That's what I thought, maybe run across someone who'd had the same problem.

Yeah, and sometimes ya get too many wrong answers. Some of the same questions get asked almost daily. Gets a bit weary writing the book on derailer adjustment and a few other simple things, when others have already done it. Park Tool and Sheldon are two of the best underutilized resources. Whats that deal about giving as woman a fish or teaching her how to fish?


I think it goes " Give a man a fish, feed him once. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime"
Or did you mean " A woman without a man, is like a fish without a bicycle"

Yeah, and sometimes ya get too many wrong answers. Some of the same questions get asked almost daily. Gets a bit weary writing the book on derailer adjustment and a few other simple things, when others have already done it. Park Tool and Sheldon are two of the best underutilized resources. Whats that deal about giving as woman a fish or teaching her how to fish?

But's that the great deal about forums, you don't "have" to answer.

Or did you mean " A woman without a man, is like a fish without a bicycle"

That gave me laugh I needed.

Actually thought about this on the way to work. I bet the Deore shifter is shot, age, use, whatever, & the other shifter wasn't built to handle the spring tension of the Deore FR, just like someone mentioned above.

Thanks for the replies.