I found gear indexing the most frustrating bike maintenance activity. It was only when I needed a replacement rear mech for one of my bikes and I was playing about with the mech in my hand that I understood how mechs work and their relationship with the shifter and cable tension.
Sometimes you've just got to take everything apart and and try and work out how things fit together.
Yep, this is the main reason I want to solve this myself. Mechs (and indexing) are one of "those" jobs that I've avoided due to just this sort of thing, but through spending time fettling...and admittedly stuffing it up, I do now understand them a lot more. and through a process of elimination I think the cable is the issue. The mech moves under finger and thumb pressure when the cable is detached and springs back to the small sprocket perfectly, as soon as the cable is attached it will climb up the cassette but wont drop back down.
Frayed cable, even slightly? Change it asap.
Yep, I agree, I slipped with a grip when pulling the cable and frayed the end, but once frayed it tends to just unwind and i guess will thicken the cable causing the inner and outer to bind.
one of the reasons i stopped last night was because i didnt like the idea of a frayed cable (admittedly from an aesthetic rather than practical view) and had resigned myself to purchasing a new one today before moving on, plus I need some of those handy cable nipples.
Second instalment will begin tonight.
thanks for all the late night support guys...Cyclechat's the best!
