Front derailleur not staying on big ring

[areyouactuallymoving]

I've picked up a second hand bike and I'm trying to sort out the gearing (I'm not experienced in this kind of thing and am sure I'm not using the right terminology). With the front derailleur, the chain will go fully over to the big ring, but as soon as I let go of the shifter, it goes back to the small ring.

Any deas of how to fix this?

 

[iluvmybike]

You need to adjust the cable to be tighter

 

[areyouactuallymoving]

The cable is as tight as it can go. The chain moves across fine and as long as I hold the shifter over it stays there. It seems to be more that it's not holding in place rather than the cable nor being tight enough (I think).

 

[iluvmybike]

Have you checked that the cable is sliding freely through the outer? If that is ok then sorry but it can only really be be it is cable tension - if you have no adjustment left at the barrel or inline adjuster as it is then select the little ring then undo the cable at the mech, screw barrel adjuster right back in then pull cable tight at mech and then use barrel adjuster to tension further.

 

[I like Skol]

What kind of shifter? Does it click as you press it, can you click to release it after pressing to change to the big ring?

 

[Smokin Joe]

If it has down tube friction shifters then the shifter needs tightening.

 

[Cycleops]

As above, if you're using downtube shifters it sounds like the shifter is not holding the derailleur in place. So check that first.
Once that's sorted might be as well to release the cable and start from scratch. Plenty of videos on YouTube.
Please post a pic of the set up.

 

[ColinJ]

There are end-stops which can be adjusted to limit the range of movement of the mechanism. I have had the same effect when the outer end-stop was ever-so-slightly too far in. I could force the derailleur over enough to get the chain up onto the big ring but when I let go of the lever the mech moved slightly inwards again and pulled the chain back down onto the little ring. Try adjusting the outer end-stop very slightly to see if that helps. (Don't overdo it or your will be dropping the chain off the outside of the big ring. And make sure that you are adjusting the correct end-stop.)

 

[areyouactuallymoving]

Thanks all. I'll try that tomorrow and then post a pic of the set up if that doesn't work.

 

[I like Skol]

I wouldn't go adjusting the stop screws before we establish what the shifters are and what is happening when moving/clicking the shifter. The fact it does initially move onto the big ring suggests the stop screw is roughly in the right position. Also there are usually two stop screws right next to each other and it is not always obvious which is which, so very easy to mess it up completely.

 

[areyouactuallymoving]

Sorry, wasn't thinking properly with last reply. I don't have downtube shifters.

I've tried adjusting the limiters and that doesn't seem to work either (even with the high limiter right out doesn't fall off other side either.

It got Shimano ST-2300 16 speed shifters, I'm not at home but the photo shows the bike and set up (it's a Carrera TDF Limited Edition 2012–2013) in case that helps.

 

[Cycleops]

16 speed, so that's 8 on the back and a double front shifter I'm assuming.
As I said previously. Start from scratch. Release the cable and follow one of the YouTube videos, rather than try to explain the process.
Might be worth, when you've released the cable, to pull it taught and operate the shifter to make sure it's functioning correctly so that can be ruled out.

 

[bikingdad90]

If I remember rightly then 2300 shifter was both a double and a triple, have you taken account of the index shims, no more clicks in the shifter?

 

[boydj]

Your cable is probably too tight. When the chain is on the small ring there should be just a little slack on the cable, but tight enough to get it up onto the big ring. If it's too tight when it's on the small ring, then there will be a pull on it when the chain is on the big ring. Back it off just a touch until you find the sweet spot.

BTW a double chainring is easy compared to setting up a triple.

 

[Chislenko]

You can see why people get confused, one opinion the cable needs tightening, one the cable is too tight!