HALP!!! I've screwed my gears up trying to adjust them!!

[RSV_Ecosse]

Both gear cables on my bike have never been adjusted since I got it a few months ago.

Noticed they were very, very slack so thought I would just adjust them up a wee bit.

No idea what I was doing ( should have had a look online first, I know ). First of all I turned the knurled plastic thingies under the frame tube near the headstock. This seemed to take up the slack in the cables a wee bit.

However, after doing so, upon turning the pedals there was a helluva rattling noise and upon closer inspection the chain is now catching/rubbing on the front derailleur. So I ( stupidly ) undid the allen bolts holding the derailleur to the rear frametube and it almost jumped off the tube when the bolt came undone.

Put the bolt back in and tightened it up in what looks like the place it already was but now when I turn the pedals the sprocket ( big one ) catches the derailleur so hard it actually marks the sprocket teeth.

I've no idea what I have done!!! ( Bar arse things up ).

Can someone give me a very detailed idiots step by step guide to a fix for this or am I going to have to just put it into my LBS to get fixed?.

God.......I feel like a complete twat.

 

[Arch]

I don't know if I can help with the technical issue, but don't worry about cocking it up - it's a rare person who hasn't done something similar at least once. And many of us just keep on doing it....

Just to check, this is all at the front derailleur, the bit where the pedals are?

I think it sounds like the placing of the front derailleur cage is wrong (too far down), if it's catching the chainring (the sprockets at the pedal end are called chainrings), so it might be worth loosening it and moving it up a bit - ideally you want a well set up bike, or picture, to compare to.

In terms of your original problem, taking up the slack seems to have pulled the derailleur cage in a bit, and you can adjust the limits of play in that by adjusting two little screws on the mech. But I'm not sure if that should have happened... It might be worth taking it to a shop - and while you're there, smile sweetly and ask if they can recommend a good basic maintenance book...

I expect someone else will be able to help more, it might help to know what sort of bike, gear changers and so on you have?

 

[nickb]

http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp?catid=53

 

[RSV_Ecosse]

Cheers.

Ah yeah, forgot that bit - Its a Pinarello FP1 and its Tiagra.

And yeah, this all seems to be happening at the front derailleur.

I will try and grab some quick pictures of it so folk can see what I mean.

 

[mickle]

The front mech is one of the most difficult components to get your head around. When setting it up the bottom of the outer cage plate should clear the top of the teeth of the outer chain-ring by 2/3mm. The outer cage plate should also be perfectly parallel with the chain rings when looked at from above.

 

[PpPete]

RSV
Check exactly which model Front Derailleur it is....it will be stamped on somewhere....starts with a 4 (for Tiagra) then 3 more numbers.

then go here to select the relevant Tech Service Instruction document (starts with letters SI-) for your model

They are not the greatest tech docs in the world - but they are specific to a particular model, and have step by step instructions

 

[RSV_Ecosse]

Thanks guys, I'm going to go off and read all that info, see if I can get my head around it as to what's gone wrong.

Here are some pics I just took of it as it is just now, don't know if they will be of any use to anyone :-

 

[cheadle hulme]

Isn't there a dirt line on the frame tube where the mech was originally? Put it back there and make sure its parallel to the chainrings (facing dead ahead).

 

[DaveP]

RSV,

For set up details have you tried the technical section on Shimano's web page?

 

[RSV_Ecosse]

Yes Dave, cheers.

Reading through them now as well as the Parks website.

 

[DaveP]

RSV,

Good luck, hope it works out in the end.....

 

[goo_mason]

The Shimano Tiagra instructions on their website are great - I finally got around to reading them and paying close attention, and now my front mech works as intended for the first time since I got the bike in April !!!