AArgh! Now I know why I like single speeds!

TinyExplosions

Ok, I as fettling with my new bike last night (the Focus Variado), and no matter what I do, I can't get the rear derailleur to move the chain to the biggest sprocket. I've followed a few of the adjusting guides online, and no matter which screws I screw (or unscrew), it stays resolutely on the ninth sprocket, never going to the biggest... help!

tunney

The sprocket closest to the wheel?

If so its more than likely the cable tension, adjust the cable not the screws.

TinyExplosions

tunney wrote: »

The sprocket closest to the wheel?

If so its more than likely the cable tension, adjust the cable not the screws.

That's the boy, and fairly certain I've tried that, but will give it a go again knowing it's connected to the cable

kona

youve adjusted the cable tension, limits etc???

screw the barrel adjuster 1/2way out , then pull excess cable through and tighten agin(when in your top gear(one with least teeth)
)

if this doesnt work your problem is one of the following:

not a 10 spd derailleur.
not a 10spd chain or chain isnt long enough.
hanger bent.
wrong sized bottom bracket.
faulty derailleur.
not a 10spd shifter.

is the bike standard or have you upgraded??:)

TinyExplosions

kona wrote: »

youve adjusted the cable tension, limits etc???

screw the barrel adjuster 1/2way out , then pull excess cable through and tighten agin(when in your top gear(one with least teeth)
)

if this doesnt work your problem is one of the following:

not a 10 spd derailleur.
not a 10spd chain or chain isnt long enough.
hanger bent.
wrong sized bottom bracket.
faulty derailleur.
not a 10spd shifter.

is the bike standard or have you upgraded??:)

Bike is bog standard, Focus Variado from Wiggle. Shimano Ultegra all round (so *should*? definately be ten speed) -both front and rear derailleurs and shifters are Ultegra

Had another go there, and if I increase the cable tension I can get it to go to the biggest sprocket, but then I can't get it onto the smallest!

I should point out that I took the rear wheel off to transport it down here, could there be a problem with how I put it back on?

I suspect it's all down to me fiddling where I shouldn't, and that a pro could have it fixed in 5 seconds, but it's driving me demented!

kenmc

Should be simple enough to get it to work. get the chain into the smallest cog, and make sure the shifter is set to that position as well - press the "inner" paddle on the shifter about 20 times
Make sure your barrel adjuster on the rear mech is all the way in, and maybe a few turns out from there. take all the slack in the cable up and clamp the cable grip on it at this stage.now you can start spinning the pedals and click the "outer" brifter one position. The chain will probably not move, so you need to screw out your barrel adjusted until it pops up one cog. Drop the shifter back down into the smaller cog, and then go back up and down a few more times. The beauty of indexed shifting is that by and large once you get the first one correct, it almost requires no more work. Now start going up through the gears one by one making sure that it correctly engages. If it struggles to get up, adjust the barrel again until it does, then go back down to the smallest and work your way back up again one at a time. you should get up to the big cog in 1 step increments, then go down through the cassette and back up a few times - just to be sure it's all good.
If you're not hitting the top or bottom cogs then you're looking at the limit screws.
Do you have a bike stand for this sort of work BTW? invaluable when messing with gears...

kona

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Bike is bog standard, Focus Variado from Wiggle. Shimano Ultegra all round (so *should*? definately be ten speed) -both front and rear derailleurs and shifters are Ultegra

Had another go there, and if I increase the cable tension I can get it to go to the biggest sprocket, but then I can't get it onto the smallest!

I should point out that I took the rear wheel off to transport it down here, could there be a problem with how I put it back on?

I suspect it's all down to me fiddling where I shouldn't, and that a pro could have it fixed in 5 seconds, but it's driving me demented!

well make sure the wheel is in straight, from the sounds of it it just sounds like fiddling will sort it, all the adjustments especially on quality parts are very small.
did you read the manual?? there is a little screw(not sure where on ultegra)that adjusts the distance between the cassette and the top jockey wheel on the derailleur. try this, there should be a very small gap between the cassette, chain and jockey wheel.

now its bad practice anyways to use your no1 gear at back while in the top gear on your front chainset;)

Bicyclegadabout

Arra, be careful adjusting that stuff. I spent months reading about it, trying it, failing, reading more, trying again, failing again, and so on.


And then one day it all just clicked, and I understood it.

Advice for amateurs that I can give is:
- Remember how to adjust things back to the way they were when you started fiddling with it, then that can be your default. The affect of any adjustments can be better judged if done from a default.
- Take a step back, look at all the things that can be adjusted, and try to get your head around how adjusting this would affect that, how adjusting that would negate the adjustment you just made to the other etc. etc….how everything is connected I mean.
- Stay calm!

kona

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

Arra, be careful adjusting that stuff. I spent months reading about it, trying it, failing, reading more, trying again, failing again, and so on.


And then one day it all just clicked, and I understood it.

Advice for amateurs that I can give is:
- Remember how to adjust things back to the way they were when you started fiddling with it, then that can be your default. The affect of any adjustments can be better judged if done from a default.
- Take a step back, look at all the things that can be adjusted, and try to get your head around how adjusting this would affect that, how adjusting that would negate the adjustment you just made to the other etc. etc….how everything is connected I mean.
- Stay calm!

listen to the man, good advice:)

penexpers

This is where I recommend the book "Zinn And The Art Of Roadbike Maintenance"

TinyExplosions

kona wrote: »

well make sure the wheel is in straight, from the sounds of it it just sounds like fiddling will sort it, all the adjustments especially on quality parts are very small.
did you read the manual?? there is a little screw(not sure where on ultegra)that adjusts the distance between the cassette and the top jockey wheel on the derailleur. try this, there should be a very small gap between the cassette, chain and jockey wheel.

now its bad practice anyways to use your no1 gear at back while in the top gear on your front chainset;)

It looks straight to me, and I know where the screw you're talking about is, and the distance is grand. Will give what you suggest a go, however I have no stand so it's a bit ghetto

@Bicyclegadabout -too late for remembering the default

Will get back at it -it's only metal and plastic, it will not beat me

Chips Lovell

Lots of good advice there. Remember that it's pretty senstive to adjustment, so work in quarter turns of the barrel adjuster.

Bicyclegadabout

Don’t worry, where it is now is your default.
Just remember everything you do from this point on, and remember how to get it all back to where it is now.

unionman

A fascinating thread, and a reminder why I went fixed in the first place. That said, I do want to invest in a decent roadie in the next 12 months, so knowing this stuff is invaluable. Is there such a thing as bike maintenance classes anywhere in the city? I, for one, would sign up in an instant.

Hope it all works out Tiny, sounds like a lot of good advice so far, so I'm sure it will.

Limestone1

This page has sorted me out a few times - start from the beginning on the smallest cog.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

penexpers

unionman wrote: »

A fascinating thread, and a reminder why I went fixed in the first place. That said, I do want to invest in a decent roadie in the next 12 months, so knowing this stuff is invaluable. Is there such a thing as bike maintenance classes anywhere in the city? I, for one, would sign up in an instant.

Hope it all works out Tiny, sounds like a lot of good advice so far, so I'm sure it will.

You don't really need classes to be honest. When I was building up my bike, all I had was the Lennard Zinn book, the Sheldon Brown website, youtube.com and bikeforums.net

There's nothing too complicated about bike maintenance, imho.

kona

penexpers wrote: »

You don't really need classes to be honest. When I was building up my bike, all I had was the Lennard Zinn book, the Sheldon Brown website, youtube.com and bikeforums.net

There's nothing too complicated about bike maintenance, imho.

nothing complicated about building a bike at all:)

its maintenance and fixing stuff instead of replacing and making things fit, thats the hard part.:)

but once youve done it a while its a piece of piss...like everything

TinyExplosions

Thanks to all the help and advice here, I managed to get it sorted, so took it out for a couple laps of Pheonix Park... man, it's nice to ride!

The gears aren't quite there yet, when I was out I couldn't get it to the smallest cog for example, but it's nearly there... cheers guys!

Also, not to self: raise saddle, and get more practise in with the spd-sl's.

Would have stayed out a lot longer, but have an interview in a couple hours

niceonetom

i've posted this around here before but i found it helpful. this man is amazingly dull but videos are easier than reading.

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

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

i've posted this around here before but i found it helpful. this man is amazingly dull but videos are easier than reading.

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

That's the freakin one I was lookin for for ages! I thought ken had posted it. Cheers Tom!

studiorat

Good thread!
Want a workshop stand...

dmigsy

unionman wrote: »

Is there such a thing as bike maintenance classes anywhere in the city? I, for one, would sign up in an instant.

Maintenance classes here and here

I haven't been to either, the date of the cultivate one doesn't suit and have yet to hear back from cyclesuperstore as to when they start.

Good advice on thee books lads but my eyes tend to glaze over after reading half a page of technical instruction! I find it easier to watch and try to replicate. I'm a simple soul...

blorg

I just got that Zinn book today. It really is very good indeed and excellently illustrated. Can't wait to start ruining my bike!

kenmc

Yeah I have it as well, dead handy, well illustrated with exploded drawings instead of photos, so it's easy to see how stuff goes together.

beans

studiorat wrote: »

Want a workshop stand...

Anyone have any ideas for a DIY stand? I have a frame to build up, and I've been eying everything around the house for suitability. Maybe the clothesline... two straps for the top-tube and hope the weather stays fair

Any better ideas?

Explosive_Cornflake

Here's one I did.

I notice how busy this board has got in the last few months.

beans wrote: »

Anyone have any ideas for a DIY stand? I have a frame to build up, and I've been eying everything around the house for suitability. Maybe the clothesline... two straps for the top-tube and hope the weather stays fair

Any better ideas?

Bambaata

blorg wrote: »

I just got that Zinn book today. It really is very good indeed and excellently illustrated. Can't wait to start ruining my bike!

Whereabouts did you get it? It's $50 shipping from his store!!

kenmc

E23.50 in hodges figgus

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

E23.50 in hodges figgus

I may drop in there tonight see if they've any left -what section was it in out of interest (save me a bit of rummaging around!)

kenmc

Sports, cycling.
Go up the stairs as you go in the door on dawson street. As you hit the top of the stairs, there's a cash desk at about 8oclock, the section is just to the right of the cash desk.

penexpers

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I may drop in there tonight see if they've any left -what section was it in out of interest (save me a bit of rummaging around!)

It's in the Sports section.