Originally Posted by
Beaker
this is is one of the best resources out there on adjusting your rear derailleur. Your description really sounds like a derailleur adjustment problem - if you find that you can switch gears very quickly going up but it's very hesitant going down the gears then chances are that it's your rear derailleur cable tension. The little barrel adjuster that sticks out of the derailleur can be turned clockwise or counter-clockwise and makes small adjustments in where the chain is positioned relative to the cogs.
Yes, this is exactly where I started and I am seeing an improvement after turning the barrel adjuster tighter. The chain is not dragging between shifts as much as before now. It's better now but a bit snappy I guess I have to keep trying different settings and keep re-reading the guide until I get perfect shifting. Although I have little experience, I am pretty sure when ultegra gears are tuned correctly they shift so smoothly it's hard to notice when they do.
Originally Posted by
Beaker
the only other piece of advice about switching gears while riding is to change gears earlier than you need to - if you're trying to change from a harder to an easier gear while pedaling very slowly with a lot of force, you will not make a smooth shift. Shifting gears while pedaling more quickly is the way to go.
good luck!
That's really useful to know. The rep at the Trek dealer kept telling me the shifting problem I was having was the result of poor timing on my part but could not explain what he meant by timing. This clarifies things.