Adjusting Shimano Tiagra front

Bwana_Mzee said:

Help & Advice!

I just got a Specialized Allez Sport Triple for my 49th B'day to replace my 25 yr old bike.

Its seems very complex in comparison! My twin bro got it in the US & brought it to the UK for me (Another storey vis a vis airlines!!).. I digress. I got a Specialized UK dealer to assemble it for 30 quid & collected last week. I handed the cash and was passed the bike! no "handing over the keys" ceremony, more like here's your bike mate, now p*** off because its an import!

I rode it home, a difficult 13 miles since it was not adjusted to my height. After saddle tweaks, up, down, front, back all is fine now.

The main issue!

The front triple would not properly change down from the largest to the middle, I had to drop it right down to the lower cog then up shift again to the middle.

Then 4 days after collection (only done 25 miles) in up shifting at the front cog the chain came over the top and off. I was annoyed! Scratched all the pedal crank badly too.:eek:

Do I take it back & sue the dealer? Or do I adjust it properly myself (If you want it doing right do it yourself mentality here).

I see the two baby screws, but only the lower one seems to do anything, the upper just seems to screw in and out. How do these work? The Shimano book I got only deals with the back.

Thanks for any help.

Dennis (Bwana Mzee)

Visit the Park Tool Repair site URL:
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_frontderailleur.shtml
If this looks like something you can handle, get the tools and do-it-yourself. If not, bring it to a shop/person that can get the FD adjusted correctly.

OK. First off, the two screws are for your big ring and small ring. Can't remember which does which, but fiddle with them and you'll figure it out.They can be set to stop the derailleur moving too far in either direction. It sounds as if your derailleur is'nt parallel to the chainset. Loosen the clamp and look at the derailleur and chainset from above, they should be perfectly straight side by side. If not, wiggle the derailleur till they are straight, then tighten the clamp again. Now the next bit, if you're anything like me will lead to lots of swearing and cursing the damn bike!!! Put the chain on the big ring and smallest cog, unscrew both adjustment screws (not completely out!), then screw in one of them until the chain just clears the outside plate of the derailleur cage. Now put the chain on the smallest chainring and biggest cog. Screw in the other screw so the chain just clears the inner plate of the derailleur cage. Hopefully that should sort out the problems, unless your bike's sole purpose in life is to screw with your head, like mine.🙂

Bill.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll try your's 1st Bill, see how badly I screw up, then go to the technical site and really get muddled!!!

So far have determined which screw is which. A good start. Will persevere later today, and am practicing my expletives for the episode !!

shannons dad said:

OK. First off, the two screws are for your big ring and small ring. Can't remember which does which, but fiddle with them and you'll figure it out.They can be set to stop the derailleur moving too far in either direction. It sounds as if your derailleur is'nt parallel to the chainset. Loosen the clamp and look at the derailleur and chainset from above, they should be perfectly straight side by side. If not, wiggle the derailleur till they are straight, then tighten the clamp again. Now the next bit, if you're anything like me will lead to lots of swearing and cursing the damn bike!!! Put the chain on the big ring and smallest cog, unscrew both adjustment screws (not completely out!), then screw in one of them until the chain just clears the outside plate of the derailleur cage. Now put the chain on the smallest chainring and biggest cog. Screw in the other screw so the chain just clears the inner plate of the derailleur cage. Hopefully that should sort out the problems, unless your bike's sole purpose in life is to screw with your head, like mine.🙂

Bill.

You need to go the the park site as recommended above, and learn to do it right. Trying to set the low limit without the shifter in the small ringposition and the cable loose will get you nowhere.

Who said anything about not using the shifters and leaving the cable slack? Nobody. I've been doing it that for the best part of 10-15 years and it's always worked. I was taught by my dad, who happened to be a cycle mechanic at the time. OK, smartarse.

Bill.

shannons dad said:

Who said anything about not using the shifters and leaving the cable slack? Nobody. I've been doing it that for the best part of 10-15 years and it's always worked. I was taught by my dad, who happened to be a cycle mechanic at the time. OK, smartarse.

Bill.

Go to www.parktool.com and learn to do it right. FWIW, too many so called 'bike mechanics' can't pour wizzz out of a boot.

I've just visited the www.parktool.com website. I'm no more knowledgeable than I was before the visit. The guy who started the thread wrote in to ask for help, and I provided some, that is what the 'tech corner' of this forum is for. In my own personal, humble opinion, if someone asks a question, somebody should be able to answer it. I explained the same procedure of front mech alignment to my wife who knows nothing about bikes, and understood my directions. She also looked at Parktools directions, and gave up halfway through. I rest my case.

Bill.

shannons dad said:

I've just visited the www.parktool.com website. I'm no more knowledgeable than I was before the visit. She(the wife) also looked at Parktools directions, and gave up halfway through. I rest my case.

Bill.

You have my profound sympathy.

shannons dad said:

The guy who started the thread wrote in to ask for help, and I provided some, that is what the 'tech corner' of this forum is for. In my own personal, humble opinion, if someone asks a question, somebody should be able to answer it.

And 9 out of ten bolix it up like you did. So why do a poor job of something that parktool.com does so well?

Here we go again. First off, to Bwana_Mzee, let me apologise for the fact that your question has turned into a minor difference of opinions.

Bordeaux, are you a rep for Park Tools or something? I gave the guy an answer to a question he had, which I believe to be the correct answer as it has always worked for me. I never 'bollicksed' anything. I have yet to see you post your own version of what to do regarding that particular fault, or don't you have one? And where did you get your statistics that 9 out of 10 people 'bollicks it'? Personally, I think you made it up and you yourself are bollicks, otherwise you wouldn't have posted a link to Park Tools when someone else had already done so.

shannons dad said:

Here we go again. First off, to Bwana_Mzee, let me apologise for the fact that your question has turned into a minor difference of opinions.

Bordeaux, are you a rep for Park Tools or something? I gave the guy an answer to a question he had, which I believe to be the correct answer as it has always worked for me. I never 'bollicksed' anything. I have yet to see you post your own version of what to do regarding that particular fault, or don't you have one? And where did you get your statistics that 9 out of 10 people 'bollicks it'? Personally, I think you made it up and you yourself are bollicks, otherwise you wouldn't have posted a link to Park Tools when someone else had already done so.

Dave who posted the park link,certainly knows the score, as does boudreax. Got tired of typing the whole drill several times a week, as already stated. Posted the link for your edcation,but you still don't get it....And FWIW, in my Websters, it's apologize .

boudreaux said:

Dave who posted the park link,certainly knows the score, as does boudreax. Got tired of typing the whole drill several times a week, as already stated. Posted the link for your edcation,but you still don't get it....And FWIW, in my Websters, it's apologize .

So why type anything? My education is quite fine, thankyou. And FWIW, according to my dictionary, apologise or apologize can be spelt either way.

Bill.

shannons dad said:

So why type anything?

Now you are starting to get it.If you can't get it right,why add to the clutter and white noise? Many think the park site is better than sliced bread and crunchy PB. Any that can't follow it likely shouldn't be messing with a bike.

boudreaux said:

Now you are starting to get it.If you can't get it right,why add to the clutter and white noise? Many think the park site is better than sliced bread and crunchy PB. Any that can't follow it likely shouldn't be messing with a bike.

I am aware that the parktool site is probably one of the best sites there is when it comes to cycle maintenance and repair. But this is my point, which obviously, you don't get, is that it is far easier to ask a question on this forum and have one or two of thousands of other cyclists reply to that question, rather than visit parktools and go from one sub-menu to another before getting the info you need. And when you do get to that point, the person who wrote the info has complicated the hell out of what is a relatively simple thing to do. You have frequenty said, although not in these particular words, that my response to the job at hand was flawed, or wrong. But you have at no time stated what was flawed or wrong. Perhaps, in your worldly wisdom, you could enlighten me. I have no problem with another person giving a different solution to my own, but when that same person says my answer is wrong (which it wasn't) and doesn't give a reason why, I, and anyone else in the same situation I'm sure, will not take kindly to it.
The ball's in your court boudreaux, give your expert opinions, or shut up and mither some-one else.

Bill.

shannons dad said:

But this is my point, which obviously, you don't get, is that it is far easier to ask a question on this forum and have one or two of thousands of other cyclists reply to that question, .....

That only works if the chucklehead gets it right.Which they usually don't. Obviously both Dave and I both know how do do and have articulated it so many times we are weary. Another poster I know would laboriously type it out correctly as per the park instructions too.He also got tired of it. Why retype something that is already done so well? You obviously don't get it. 🙄

boudreaux said:

That only works if the chucklehead gets it right.Which they usually don't. Obviously both Dave and I both know how do do and have articulated it so many times we are weary. Another poster I know would laboriously type it out correctly as per the park instructions too.He also got tired of it. Why retype something that is already done so well? You obviously don't get it. 🙄

So don't answer these oh-so-weary questions and leave them to us newer members who aren't weary. DUH!

Bill.

Hey this is fun! You fellows are helpful as well as entertaining.

OK peoples this is what I have done so far! L & H have duely been tamperred with, with an improvement. After looking on the Web site and reading, re-reading and digesting, the cradle was a whole 1cm too high; not a 1-2 mm as advised. So armed with tools, I set to lowering. Lots of tensions in there, and lots of things moved all by themselves! Few swear words were expelled!

After 30 minutes got it back to the state of lower ring = good, Upper ring = good! Upper slip to lower OK. Smallest to middle on one push does not make it, on being careful I can then edge it to the middle ring with a second push. Ah So! Will now examine Indexing in detail.

BTW Bwana Mzee is "Old Man" in swahili, look at the thread where U from; I'm there somewhere.

Dennis (Bwana Mzee)

shannons dad said:

So don't answer these oh-so-weary questions and leave them to us newer members who aren't weary. DUH!

Bill.

You lost any credibility when you stated that rear derailleurs are designed to only last 2 - 3 years. Sorry.

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t275334-malfunctioning-rear-deraileur.html

Soooooo wrong.

Doctor Morbius said:

You lost any credibility when you stated that rear derailleurs are designed to only last 2 - 3 years. Sorry.

cyclingforums.comt275334 malfunctioning rear deraileur.htmlOpen ↗

Soooooo wrong.

Nope. Sorry, but you're wrong and you just [censored] away your own credibility. It's called 'derailleur wear' and affects the pivots. It depends on how often you shift between gears. I've just spent the last day or so arguing with some [censored] called boudreaux so I'm not even going to continue with it after this post. As the other [censored] would so lovingly say, "Visit parktools". It's there in plain english.