Originally Posted by
DannoXYZ
The magic step is aligning the outer-cage parallel with the chain in highest gear. This angle will vary from bike-to-bike and can even change on the same bike with different gearing. These various differences in angle is why shops train their monkeys to set the cage parallel to the chainrings instead. It will allow consistent positioning and quick production. However, it will also yield consistently mediocre results. Acceptable to most people who won't know any better. But once you've learned to set the cage-angle based upon the chain's angle, the differences in shifting-performance is dramatic!
Hm, what do our other highly experienced mechanics make of this? I'll give it a shot the next time I set up a FD, but a second opinion would be nice.
Originally Posted by
Turtle Speed
I have a 7-speed bike whose FD I adjusted, but I'm still having problems. When the chain is on the middle chainring, I get rubbing on the inside of the FD cage when the bike is in 1st and 2nd gear. When it's in 6th and 7th, I get rubbing on the outside of the FD cage.
Does this mean my chainrings are out of true?
Possibly. But you should just look to see if your chainrings are out of true; spin the cranks and see.