Originally Posted by
msvphoto
...we have been having trouble with our FD not shifting reliably into the small ring if there is _any_ tension on the driveline at all (which really sucks and is something I have been working on fixing--the old reverse pull Sun Tour Comp V has a very loose cage so my next step is to swap it). As long as I go to the small ring way early we're fine, but if I miss the opportunity...
You aren't alone with this issue. Of course, the front derailleur shifts the part of the chain under pull-the-bike tension, whereas the rear derailleur shifts the chain under tension only from the derailleur cage. Novices, on solo bike or tandem, often complain "Why doesn't my FD shift cleanly? I need it to climb a hill near my house." They think they can just click the index lever and it will magically change gears. And of course too the key is to shift the front early, and correspondingly upshift on the rear if necessary.