Gear indexing woes.

[simonB2014]

So, replaced gear cable and struggling to get indexing right.

Chain on smallest cog.
Wound the barrel adjuster in.
Set lower and higher limit screws.
Clicked the shifter 1 click up.
Unscrewed barrel adjuster until chain moved onto next cog up.
Click the shifter 1 down but chain won't drop back to smaller cog.

Any ideas what I'm going wrong?
Our could other things be at play?

Thanks

 

[wisdom]

Is the cable tight enough before you adjusted the barrel adjuster.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Here's the go-to video which may help

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ

 

[figbat]

I've never had to 'take up the slack' with the barrel adjuster like that. With the cable detached I set the H limit, then set the barrel adjuster one turn out from fully-in, then pull the cable tight and clamp it to the derailleur. This is usually enough tension for the shift to happen as soon as I ask for it. I'll then use the barrel adjuster for fine tuning to avoid noise. Which is a long-winded way of repeating what @wisdom said.

I did once have up-shifting issues which I could not solve with cable tension - this turned out to be excessive cable friction, despite new cables. It was down the the number of bends and their radii (this was a home-brewed bike).

 

[ianrauk]

Start from the very beginning using the excellent video that @Dogtrousers linked to above.
You follow that and you will get it sorted.

 

[Blue Hills]

Best system i ever found was the one described in the park tools big blue book of bike maintenance.
Pretty sure the text is online.
That too starts from the beginning.
Foolproof (ie me) in my experience.
Of course it helps if you don't go above 9 on the back

 

[Dogtrousers]

Of course it helps if you don't go above 9 on the back

You naughty boy.

 

[Blue Hills]

You naughty boy.

will watch your vid later - am sure it's good.

Park Tools rear:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment

Park Tools front:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment

Haven't read those links in detail but pretty sure it's the same as in the book.

But would still buy the excellent book - far more compatible with mucky hands.

And if your hands aren't mucky you aren't doing it right.

 

[Milzy]

I don't do the click shifter 1 click up bit?