YATES

I just bought my brand new 2005 Specialized Allez about a week ago because i'm looking into getting into roadbiking. However whenever i shift using the front gears, it doesn't work (usually shifting up from smallest gear (granny) to the middle gear). Usually i get a weird cranking noise and every once in a while my chain will come off completely and I have to put it back on manually. I have only been able to shift once or twice succesfully using the front gears.... any suggestions? should i just bring it to the bike shop and have them fix it? or is there something i can do on my own that will fix the problem?
Any quick responses would be greatly appreciated!

supcom

Sounds like the cable needs adjusting. Take it back to the bike shop and they should fix you up in no time.

Joe Dog

I have an Allez and like it a lot. It's probably a new-bike cable stretching problem - entirely to be expected with a new bike. Like Supcom said, bring it back to where to where you got it and have them give it the once-over. You might want to wait a bit and put more miles on it so you get you money's worth out of the break-in tune-up. Good luck and enjoy the ride!!

poopncow

If that doesn't work, take it to another bike shop because they are muppets. btw: when you shifting from the granny ring are you by any chance also on a small cog? If so you may want to also adjust your technique. This will cause SOOOOOO much slack in the chain that it may cause the chain to flap off during a shift.

Now I'll refrain from ranting about Shimano Front deraileurs and the all or nothing indexing.

EGreen

Glad to hear there are some fellow owners- and a satisfied customer- of the Specialized Allez! (I just bought the Allez Elite 1 month ago) I am having ongoing difficulties with the front deraleur (same as you describe) to which a guy in the same shop I bought it from sneered at it, said the difficulties were to be expected, as the componants were inferior. Gee Thanks! Hey, I like the bike -It's a great ride, and I'm bringing it to another guy who assures me that he'll tune it up, right and proper.

Retro Grouch 

If you want to try to fix it yourself, go to the Park Tool website. It has detailed instructions on bicycle tuneing and repairs. Now here's the secret: Disconnect your shift cable as if you had just bolted the front derailleur on for the first time, start at the very beginning of the instructions and do each step in order. Every adjustment that you make on a front derailleur affects the subsequent steps so they are sensitive to the sequence in which you make the adjustments.

Oh - and anybody who wants to rant about Shimano front derailleurs (even Sora front derailleurs) is full of bologna. They work fine.

Joe Dog

I don't agree. Mine is not the "Elite" - it is the cheapest version (the Sport, I think), so mine should be even more inferior - and mine shifts just fine! Make 'em fix it, there is no reason it should not work well for you. Good luck.