Friction shifter skips and needs constantly trimmed
08-15-20, 02:45 PM
#1
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Friction shifter skips and needs constantly trimmed
I have a 1984 Team Fuji I'm having a shifting problem with. It constantly needs
trimmed and skips gears a lot.It also won't shift down to gears 1,2 and3
when it's on the large chain ring.The freewheel looks fine and I just put a new chain on it.
On the large chain ring the rear derailleur won't move past the 3rd gear.Would a new
style chain on an old freewheel cause it to skip gears?
trimmed and skips gears a lot.It also won't shift down to gears 1,2 and3
when it's on the large chain ring.The freewheel looks fine and I just put a new chain on it.
On the large chain ring the rear derailleur won't move past the 3rd gear.Would a new
style chain on an old freewheel cause it to skip gears?
08-15-20, 03:02 PM
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Shifters on the down tube? Friction? Probably doesn't matter.
1, 2 and 3 being the larger of the gears on the rear?
If so, then sounds like your cable is too loose. Maybe it slipped in the holdfast or someone screwed the barrel adjuster all the way in. Or someone mucked around with the low limit screw. If that new chain is an eleven speed chain, then maybe I could imagine it is too narrow externally to grab the next gear enough when trying to shift, but I'm really having trouble imagining that.
If 1, 2 and 3 are the smaller of the gears on the rear then maybe you need to clean and lube your DR, replace a frayed cable or figure out if someone mucked with that high limit screw. Or maybe that barrel adjust got screwed most of the way out.
Some of the cogs on the freewheel could just be worn out and won't offer the chain enough to grab. Is it jumping or anything when you try to shift to the lower ratio gears on the back? (the bigger ones)
PS... could be a bent DR hanger.
1, 2 and 3 being the larger of the gears on the rear?
If so, then sounds like your cable is too loose. Maybe it slipped in the holdfast or someone screwed the barrel adjuster all the way in. Or someone mucked around with the low limit screw. If that new chain is an eleven speed chain, then maybe I could imagine it is too narrow externally to grab the next gear enough when trying to shift, but I'm really having trouble imagining that.
If 1, 2 and 3 are the smaller of the gears on the rear then maybe you need to clean and lube your DR, replace a frayed cable or figure out if someone mucked with that high limit screw. Or maybe that barrel adjust got screwed most of the way out.
Some of the cogs on the freewheel could just be worn out and won't offer the chain enough to grab. Is it jumping or anything when you try to shift to the lower ratio gears on the back? (the bigger ones)
PS... could be a bent DR hanger.
08-15-20, 04:54 PM
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Bike won't shift into low gears / big cogs: Loose shift lever, stretched / slipped cable, low limit screw, b-screw (the original Suntour Cyclone rear derailleur may not have one these, my 1980 Superbe doesn't. Ditto for a barrel adjuster.) Bent derailleur hanger.
Bike won't shift into high gears / small cogs: High limit screw, worn springs, bent derailleur hanger.
You can check to see if you've got the original parts on it here. If so, and if you like friction shifting, you're in luck... that Cyclone is one of the best-friction-shifting derailleurs ever made, and if the BL (Blue Line, Cyclone with colors,) shifters are the Power Ratchet type, they're the second or third best friction shift levers ever made, behind only the 86-87 Superbe Pros and the GOAT, the Mavic / Simplex retrofriction levers.
If you don't like friction shifting, get a new derailleur. Other than, maybe, unfindable Suntour Accushift parts, nothing will index with it. Suntour had a different pull ratio and cog spacing pattern than anyone else, which doesn't matter in friction but is critical for indexing to work. I've tried it several times, and I always end up having to choose which 5 out of 7 cogs I want to shift right. If I get everything exactly right. And it "works" for about a week. There are people who claim to have great shifting with, like, a Superbe Pro derailleur, 10 speed Campy shifters and a Shimano cassette. I have no idea how they do this, other than being Bike Ninjas.
Oh, and great bike!! Please consider adding it to the big "show us your Fuji" thread on the Classic & Vintage board. Lots of Fuji-philes over there. Mine's an 85 League, and I dig it. Yours has the lighter and springier-feeling 0.9/0.6/0.5/0.8 mm quad-butted VaLite 9658 tubes. The Club and League had the slightly heavier and stiffer 1769.
--Shannon
Bike won't shift into high gears / small cogs: High limit screw, worn springs, bent derailleur hanger.
You can check to see if you've got the original parts on it here. If so, and if you like friction shifting, you're in luck... that Cyclone is one of the best-friction-shifting derailleurs ever made, and if the BL (Blue Line, Cyclone with colors,) shifters are the Power Ratchet type, they're the second or third best friction shift levers ever made, behind only the 86-87 Superbe Pros and the GOAT, the Mavic / Simplex retrofriction levers.
If you don't like friction shifting, get a new derailleur. Other than, maybe, unfindable Suntour Accushift parts, nothing will index with it. Suntour had a different pull ratio and cog spacing pattern than anyone else, which doesn't matter in friction but is critical for indexing to work. I've tried it several times, and I always end up having to choose which 5 out of 7 cogs I want to shift right. If I get everything exactly right. And it "works" for about a week. There are people who claim to have great shifting with, like, a Superbe Pro derailleur, 10 speed Campy shifters and a Shimano cassette. I have no idea how they do this, other than being Bike Ninjas.
Oh, and great bike!! Please consider adding it to the big "show us your Fuji" thread on the Classic & Vintage board. Lots of Fuji-philes over there. Mine's an 85 League, and I dig it. Yours has the lighter and springier-feeling 0.9/0.6/0.5/0.8 mm quad-butted VaLite 9658 tubes. The Club and League had the slightly heavier and stiffer 1769.
--Shannon
08-15-20, 06:07 PM
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Bike won't shift into low gears / big cogs: Loose shift lever, stretched / slipped cable, low limit screw, b-screw (the original Suntour Cyclone rear derailleur may not have one these, my 1980 Superbe doesn't. Ditto for a barrel adjuster.) Bent derailleur hanger.
Bike won't shift into high gears / small cogs: High limit screw, worn springs, bent derailleur hanger.
You can check to see if you've got the original parts on it here. If so, and if you like friction shifting, you're in luck... that Cyclone is one of the best-friction-shifting derailleurs ever made, and if the BL (Blue Line, Cyclone with colors,) shifters are the Power Ratchet type, they're the second or third best friction shift levers ever made, behind only the 86-87 Superbe Pros and the GOAT, the Mavic / Simplex retrofriction levers.
If you don't like friction shifting, get a new derailleur. Other than, maybe, unfindable Suntour Accushift parts, nothing will index with it. Suntour had a different pull ratio and cog spacing pattern than anyone else, which doesn't matter in friction but is critical for indexing to work. I've tried it several times, and I always end up having to choose which 5 out of 7 cogs I want to shift right. If I get everything exactly right. And it "works" for about a week. There are people who claim to have great shifting with, like, a Superbe Pro derailleur, 10 speed Campy shifters and a Shimano cassette. I have no idea how they do this, other than being Bike Ninjas.
Oh, and great bike!! Please consider adding it to the big "show us your Fuji" thread on the Classic & Vintage board. Lots of Fuji-philes over there. Mine's an 85 League, and I dig it. Yours has the lighter and springier-feeling 0.9/0.6/0.5/0.8 mm quad-butted VaLite 9658 tubes. The Club and League had the slightly heavier and stiffer 1769.
--Shannon
Bike won't shift into high gears / small cogs: High limit screw, worn springs, bent derailleur hanger.
You can check to see if you've got the original parts on it here. If so, and if you like friction shifting, you're in luck... that Cyclone is one of the best-friction-shifting derailleurs ever made, and if the BL (Blue Line, Cyclone with colors,) shifters are the Power Ratchet type, they're the second or third best friction shift levers ever made, behind only the 86-87 Superbe Pros and the GOAT, the Mavic / Simplex retrofriction levers.
If you don't like friction shifting, get a new derailleur. Other than, maybe, unfindable Suntour Accushift parts, nothing will index with it. Suntour had a different pull ratio and cog spacing pattern than anyone else, which doesn't matter in friction but is critical for indexing to work. I've tried it several times, and I always end up having to choose which 5 out of 7 cogs I want to shift right. If I get everything exactly right. And it "works" for about a week. There are people who claim to have great shifting with, like, a Superbe Pro derailleur, 10 speed Campy shifters and a Shimano cassette. I have no idea how they do this, other than being Bike Ninjas.
Oh, and great bike!! Please consider adding it to the big "show us your Fuji" thread on the Classic & Vintage board. Lots of Fuji-philes over there. Mine's an 85 League, and I dig it. Yours has the lighter and springier-feeling 0.9/0.6/0.5/0.8 mm quad-butted VaLite 9658 tubes. The Club and League had the slightly heavier and stiffer 1769.
--Shannon
which is equilly good
08-15-20, 06:42 PM
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In the pic showing the downtube shifter, it sure looks like the cable has a lot of slack considering the rear DR is on the high limit with no chain installed
08-15-20, 07:20 PM
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It's none of that . The problem is I'm an idiot. I hate to admit it but I broke the chain 2 links short instead of 2 links long.
I repeat I'm an idiot.
I repeat I'm an idiot.
08-15-20, 07:33 PM
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I'm sure none of us have ever done that. I certainly will never tell anyone that I did the same six years ago.
08-16-20, 05:14 AM
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Good question. I have that cyclone RD on my 84 Fuji TS. Utterly reliable and well behaved. FYI I'm quite fussy about rear DO alignment and RD hanger alignment. I've sorted out many RD shifting problems at the LBS by correcting the RD hanger alignment. Both indexed and friction. If you've not checked those two, try it. Worth the time.
08-16-20, 10:49 AM
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Good question. I have that cyclone RD on my 84 Fuji TS. Utterly reliable and well behaved. FYI I'm quite fussy about rear DO alignment and RD hanger alignment. I've sorted out many RD shifting problems at the LBS by correcting the RD hanger alignment. Both indexed and friction. If you've not checked those two, try it. Worth the time.
I haven't thought about checking drop-out alignment though... what is it responsible for?
EDIT: sorry thought it was OP
Last edited by holytrousers; 08-16-20 at 10:53 AM.
08-16-20, 06:47 PM
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Put a new chain on and it works fine now. I need to tweek it a little bit.I doesn't shift quite as smoothly
as the suntour derailleurs on my Lotus or Sequoia.The shifters are a little stiffer and I have to trim a little more
which I rarely have to do on the other 2.
as the suntour derailleurs on my Lotus or Sequoia.The shifters are a little stiffer and I have to trim a little more
which I rarely have to do on the other 2.
