Thread: Adjusting Derailleurs on MTB

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

Now disco steve will surely be able to answer this question...

Does anyone know of a good reliable website with written and photo descriptions of how to adjust front & rear shimano derailleurs on a mountain bike? My mechanic is on holidays and I really should learn how to do this....

Thanks

ps - what do you guys who know bikes think of this link? Is it all I need?

Depend on what size the motor is

Park Tool Website

When I first started to service my bikes I read up on this site. Lots of good info and excellent quality tools too by the way.

Hope it helps.

It's been a while, but last time I looked both front and rear have two screws/allen heads that limit/set maximum travel inwards and outwards.

Get the chain on the sprocket nearest to adjustment, set the screw, spin the pedal to see if the chain falls off.

Cheers
Simon

i like that site Mick

here you go boys fix your own bikes ...............

the Park Tools site is excellent, as is Cycling News' tech section www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling , with specific derailleur instructions (from the Park Tools site) www.cyclingnews.com news and analysis

One tip I've always found handy is to set the High limit screw with the derailleur jockey wheels 1/2 a sprocket width outside the smallest rear sprocket which gives a better, more positive shift.

Originally Posted by D110V8D

<snip> excellent quality tools too by the way.

Hope it helps.

Yep, most bike shops with a good workshop use mostly Park Tools.
I have a few specialist ones, including a dropout alignment gauge which is very handy thing to have after a fall and the rear mech is askew.
I even use it when installing a new drop out as the alignment is often out, and had to recently after ripping the dropout and rear mech clean off on the roadie after experiencing monumental chainsuck. I'm lucky I didn't do a face plant into the bitumen as it locked the rear end up. Also took half the rear wheel out

I couldn't swing the $$ at the time and bought a Minoura trueing/wheel building stand which works fine. Not as sturdy as a Park stand, but I've built a few wheelsets up with it and trued a few factory builds and it's worked well.

The info in the sites listed above should be plenty, but there's nothing like experience. If you are sure everything has been mounted properly and nothing is bent (especially the rear hanger), just note where you are starting from and make small adjustments. I'd stick to checking the cables and tweaking the high/low adjusters.

If you find you can't get in to the lowest gear (ie biggest ring) on the rear, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've destroyed three derailleurs this year, along with spokes/chains/hangers etc etc.......

Originally Posted by Dave_S

The info in the sites listed above should be plenty, but there's nothing like experience. If you are sure everything has been mounted properly and nothing is bent (especially the rear hanger), just note where you are starting from and make small adjustments. I'd stick to checking the cables and tweaking the high/low adjusters.

If you find you can't get in to the lowest gear (ie biggest ring) on the rear, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've destroyed three derailleurs this year, along with spokes/chains/hangers etc etc.......

Thanks everyone .....

Yes I've managed to break two chains this year. But each time I get my bike serviced at the bike shop, it runs ok for a few kms then when under tension of a cross country ride I manage to lose the chain either in between frame and inner front derailleur crank or occasionally in spokes - not a good thing...

As an aside - watch out for 'joe blakes' or whatever variety you have in you district - nearly managed to wrap one around my spokes on the weekend when my son and I were doing a single track near Appin - not a nice experience.