Dancing Skeleton

I have a Force group with Red levers.
I'm having constant problems with poor shifting up front. Delays & rough shifting from the 34 to the 50, drops to the outside, and the occasional drop to the inside. It drives me nuts
There have been several hands on the bike, and shifting gets to the point where it's OK, but I still have problems. I'm debating getting a refund on the FD & going with a Shimano Ultegra 6600 or 6700. I've got a new 6600 sitting around that I could put on the bike.

Will it work? Do I have to change cable routing? Any tips or thoughts?

Thanks,

Peter

joejack951

Dropping to the outside is a clear indication that your high limit screw is not set properly (could also be a loose bottom bracket I guess, check that too). Dropping to the inside could again be a limit screw issue. How much clearance do you have from the derailler inner cage to the chain when using the small/big combo? It should be very little (1-2mm max). The combination of both limit screws being improperly set could easily explain your poor shifting. My advice would be to learn how to adjust your deraillers on your own. www.parktool.com has a great write up on setting a front derailler. Follow all of the steps and you'll get your shifting sorted out.

Aside from the fact that you don't need a new derailler (just a properly set up derailler) a Shimano front derailler requires a different cable pull ratio and will not work well with your Red levers.

dsbrantjr

Peter2: +1 on following the Park Tool instructions. Start at the beginning and don't skip any steps. Also check that your cables are properly prepped and installed. It is possible that the limit screws have been adjusted too loose to compensate for cables which don't move freely, which might account for your chain drops. Also check the front derailleur height; it should clear the large ring by only about the thickness of a dime. Too high will definitely contribute to sloppy shifting