fred987634

Hi,

I just read this page: https://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html and have a question. It says:

*
Shifting to larger sprockets is accomplished by tightening the cable;
if such shifts are slow, the cable is not tight enough--
turn the barrel counterclockwise to tighten it.
*
Shifting to smaller sprockets is accomplished by loosening the cable;
if such shifts are too slow, the cable is not loose enough--
turn the barrel clockwise to loosen it.

But which way am I facing when I do this? Towards the front of the bike or towards the rear?

The issue is that my rear derailer will shift to bigger sprockets fine, but was skipping and jumping as it shifted to smaller sprokets. (This after I changed a rear tire for the first time and also cleaned a bunch of road tar off the bike.)

I turned the barrel at the top of the downtube a couple clicks clockwise (as I faced the rear of the bike) and that helped a lot. However, it doesn't quite want to sit on the smallest cog exactly right. It clicks and seems generally unhappy on that gear, while the rest seem to work ok.

Ideas? Thanks.

55-11

Limit screws. Have you adjusted those yet? If not, you probably need to... at least the high limit screw (turn it counter-clockwise [as you are looking directly at the screw's face] to let the rd travel away from the hub) . When you do, you only need to move it very, very tiny increments. It should solve your problem (next time make sure the limits are set before the barrel adj. Let us know how it turns out.

Bill Kapaun

Do you have index shifting?
Basically on the smallest cog, you want NO tension OR SLACK on the cable.
If the cable is dirty/needs lube, the DER spring might not be quite strong enough to pull the cage etc. to full "return". Maybe the DER mechanism itself could use a shot of spray lube/flush.
What chain ring are you on?
How does it sit on the 2nd smallest cog?
Maybe you just have turn the adjuster back a bit?

vpiuva

You are facing the correct direction (standing behind the adjustment barrel with it in your hand) to follow any instructions for tightening/ loosening. If it works in all of the cogs except the smallest you might check the limit screw. See if you can push the RD further toward the small cog by hand. If you can't, loosen the limit screw a little (turn CCW). If you can push it, you have a little too much cable tension.

Alternatively, your problem as described may also be caused by cable friction. New cables, or lubricating your existing cables, may solve the problem.

re-edit: I see 55-11 and BK were a little quicker on the draw.

Al1943

It doesn't matter which way you are facing as long as you are looking down on the barrel adjuster.

You turned it the correct way and you could try another 1/2 turn, but your problem may be something different.

First be sure your rear wheel is seated all the way into the dropouts. With the wheels on the ground loosen the skewer then re-tighten.

Excess friction in the shift cables from dirt or corrosion can be the cause of shifting hesitation, especially when shifting to smaller cogs as the cable is going out. You may need new cables and cable housings. Or you can try lubricating the cables. If you loosen the small housing at the rear derailleur you can slide it forward on the cable exposing it for lubrication. If you try this have the chain on the smallest cog before loosening the cable. Follow the instructions for derailleur adjustments at https://www.parktool.com. New cables and cable housings can make big improvements to shifting performance, especially with STI shifters.

Al

55-11

No V... although DMF and I share the same graphic, and often the same opinion, we are not the same person, but thanks for the acknowledgement. Also, for your help re: the stratos hub.

Retro Grouch 

I think that's bad advice. If it ever worked right the limit screws don't need readjusting.

fred987634

Thanks for all the advice so far. This is a newish road bike. Shifting always worked fine before, so I think I won't mess with the limit screws - I'll leave that for the shop. In the process of cleaning off (a lot) of road tar, I am sure I sprayed the tar remover all over the cables. So perhaps that has worked as a lubricant and altered things somehow. PS. They should post a sign when they put new tar on a road. Yuck.

55-11

Originally Posted by 55-11
Limit screws. Have you adjusted those yet? If not, you probably need to...

RETRO's REPLY
{[I think that's bad advice. If it ever worked right the limit screws don't need readjusting.]}


Retro... my assumption is that due to the "gunk", the OP was forced to take the rear wheel off, wipe down everything (and by that I am sure the RD was included) and reinstall. If it was tar he would most likely had to have used effort to remove (unless he knows the wd40 deal). There is no telling if he hit the screws, the barrell or just didn't put the wheel on straight. Either way, when that wheel is re-installed and it doesn't work correctly, whether you agree with me or not, it should be treated as if the wheel were being installed for the very first time. And when installing a new wheel to a frame and aligning the RD, what's one of the first and most important things to set ...? The Limit Screws.

Bobby Lex

1. A good way to remember which way to turn the barrel adjuster (without having to worry about which direction to face) is this:

--if you are having shifting problems going from the bigger cogs to the smaller cogs, then turn the barrel adjuster toward the smaller cogs.

--if you are having shifting problems going from the smaller cogs to the bigger cogs, then turn the barrel adjuster toward the bigger cogs.

2. Your "road tar" comments got me to thinking. Did you clean off the road tar (if any) from the cable guide under the bottom bracket? (A lot) of road tar there could lead to serious shifting issues.

Bob

dafydd

I would check to make sure the housing's seated properly and there are no kinks in the cables. if it downshifts fine but is clunky upshifting, i would tend to guess your cable/housing is dirty or kinked.

tellyho

The way I remember which way to turn the barrel is to think about what's happening when I turn it.

Turning the barrel clockwise screws in the plastic sleeve and shortens the housing and gives more cable slack.

Turning the barrel counterclockwise unscrews the sleeve and makes the housing longer, increasing cable tension.

If you have slow shifts, you have a friction problem somewhere in the system. Lube the pivot points on your derailleur and clean and lube the cables.

gcl8a

Another (more visual method) is to note that the derailer moves in the direction of the top of the adjuster barrel.