Noob Front Derailleur/gear Issue - Carrera Gryphon

[Lewis_TT]

Hello All in advance I am ever so sorry for how long this is.. it's a cracking little novel if you've got the time..

My first post here so I apologise if I make any errors/haven't adhered to some forum etiquette (I know how some forums can be!)

A little about myself I am a 21 year old project engineer for jaguar land rover, always liked bikes (usually with engines) but fancied a hybrid after several years of bmxing.. my testicles have somewhat shrank and I prefer to take things a little more on the ground now! I'm pretty mechanically minded and love to learn new skills to help others and myself.. Can't always rely on a bike shop to be open if you are stranded!

So anyway, Over the weekend I've purchased what seemed to be a nice little buy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARRERA-GRYPHON-ROAD-BIKE-20-LARGE-V-SPEC-RACER-HYBRID-CITY-FIT-CYCLYING-/221172709394?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAXT&nma=true&si=GuopRIsqA6BEHeGyXiKRIwFOLQg=&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I've put about 30 miles on it over the weekend just nipping about. So far so good; very quick, light and is very nimble.. however all of my woes are in relation to gears, which I know absolutely NADA about coming from single speeds!

The rear derailleur is a SRAM X4 which I cannot for the life of me find a youtube video, they all seem to look a lot less complicated than mine.. and the front derailleur is a Shimano Nexava.. As far as I've already read SRAM and shimano aren't compatible so I'm really not sure, Also I'm fed up of watching youtube videos as I'm getting confused at what they mean by 'highest gear' high ring low ring etc etc is it highest by ratio or by literal height on the chainring.. maybe I'm being dense!

On the inner front chain-ring (1 of 2) if I go past about gear 5 (of 8) it's rubbing on the derailleur. I have set the lower limit of the chainring so the outer face of the chain is approx 2mm from right hand side of the derailleur edge and set the height so the front of the derailleur is sitting around 3/4mm away from the outer most larger chain ring.

The front derailleur doesn't seem to be moving as I'm switching between the rear cogs. As I'm writing this I'm thinking that I should have set the chain's low limit to the inner most side of the derailleur (frameside)? So as the chain moves to the right it is touching the 2mm that I earlier set on the lower limit.

As for the rear gearset it isn't switching into gear 8 on the because the derailleur isn't moving to the right enough so is causing the chain to 'run off'.. Looking at the back everything lines up nice and true and clean so I'm not too concerned and think if I can sort the front I'll have it all cracked.

So really I want to know if the lower limit should be set with the chain nearest the left or right (looking from above) of the front derailleur which would make sense as to why mine doesn't work.

Also is there any way of going back to a base setting? I.e. so many turns in, the screws look like they have been tampered with in the past and think this may have been the case. If I revert back to 0 and work from there.. I've had a play today too which hasn't really helped!

Apologies for how long this thread actually is!

Lew

 

[festival]

Considering its a halfords own brand bike theres a good chance the gears were never set up precisely in the first place,
even if they were, they are probably due a tune up.
Of course you are unlikely to spot if anything is bent or out of place.
Shimano f/mech will work with sram shifters but from the photos the mech is set too high above the larger chain ring which would confim my thoughts on set up.
I know you really want to diy but why not take it to a good local bike shop and pay to have it serviced and ask them to explain what they did.
The bike does look in very good nick and the gryphon was one of the few, decent, value for money bikes from halfords, therefore worth getting it done properly to start with.

 

[accountantpete]

I think those X4 shifters are triples.

Have a play with them and you may find something we call trim. The shifter will move with 2 clicks to cover the 3 chainrings (you are on one ring and 2 clicks move it to the other 2 rings). However there should be another couple of clicks in which the mech is moved just a tad so as to prevent the chain rubbing but not enough to move the chain over to the next ring.

 

[Lewis_TT]

Thanks both! Accountant Pete - The Bike has 2 front rings over 8 speeds, so a 16 speed.

The actual front derailleur doesn't look flush along the radius of the chainring, I.e if looking straight on at it the gap 9 o clock is larger as opposed at at 12 o clock (where I have set the gap).. looking at other pictures it looks similar.

Festival, I may try your suggestion and take it to a local bike shop which I trust and get them to explain stuff.. as I said it's about the only thing on a bike i've not had much experience with.. looks simple on youtube in a nice clean workshop!

 

[Rob3rt]

Hello All in advance I am ever so sorry for how long this is.. it's a cracking little novel if you've got the time..

My first post here so I apologise if I make any errors/haven't adhered to some forum etiquette (I know how some forums can be!)

A little about myself I am a 21 year old project engineer for jaguar land rover, always liked bikes (usually with engines) but fancied a hybrid after several years of bmxing.. my testicles have somewhat shrank and I prefer to take things a little more on the ground now! I'm pretty mechanically minded and love to learn new skills to help others and myself.. Can't always rely on a bike shop to be open if you are stranded!

So anyway, Over the weekend I've purchased what seemed to be a nice little buy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARRERA-GRYPHON-ROAD-BIKE-20-LARGE-V-SPEC-RACER-HYBRID-CITY-FIT-CYCLYING-/221172709394?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAXT&nma=true&si=GuopRIsqA6BEHeGyXiKRIwFOLQg=&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I've put about 30 miles on it over the weekend just nipping about. So far so good; very quick, light and is very nimble.. however all of my woes are in relation to gears, which I know absolutely NADA about coming from single speeds!

The rear derailleur is a SRAM X4 which I cannot for the life of me find a youtube video, they all seem to look a lot less complicated than mine.. and the front derailleur is a Shimano Nexava.. As far as I've already read SRAM and shimano aren't compatible so I'm really not sure, Also I'm fed up of watching youtube videos as I'm getting confused at what they mean by 'highest gear' high ring low ring etc etc is it highest by ratio or by literal height on the chainring.. maybe I'm being dense!

On the inner front chain-ring (1 of 2) if I go past about gear 5 (of 8) it's rubbing on the derailleur. I have set the lower limit of the chainring so the outer face of the chain is approx 2mm from right hand side of the derailleur edge and set the height so the front of the derailleur is sitting around 3/4mm away from the outer most larger chain ring.

The front derailleur doesn't seem to be moving as I'm switching between the rear cogs. As I'm writing this I'm thinking that I should have set the chain's low limit to the inner most side of the derailleur (frameside)? So as the chain moves to the right it is touching the 2mm that I earlier set on the lower limit.

As for the rear gearset it isn't switching into gear 8 on the because the derailleur isn't moving to the right enough so is causing the chain to 'run off'.. Looking at the back everything lines up nice and true and clean so I'm not too concerned and think if I can sort the front I'll have it all cracked.

So really I want to know if the lower limit should be set with the chain nearest the left or right (looking from above) of the front derailleur which would make sense as to why mine doesn't work.

Also is there any way of going back to a base setting? I.e. so many turns in, the screws look like they have been tampered with in the past and think this may have been the case. If I revert back to 0 and work from there.. I've had a play today too which hasn't really helped!

Apologies for how long this thread actually is!

Lew

It is not meant to.

 

[Lewis_TT]

Cheers Rob, Wasn't sure if it was allowed any sort of side movement.. thinking about it now of course that would require some cable running to the front