Trek Pilot 1.0 issues

Justa Lurker said:

I have a 2006 Trek Pilot 1.0 with about 750 miles on it, which replaced
a Trek 7200 that got "borrowed" up in downtown Boston late last year. I
really enjoy the Pilot 1.0 overall now that I replaced the stem with a
shorter one to improve fit and replaced the saddle with one a little
more to my liking.

However, the shifting seems to be much more finicky than I remember on
my 7200. I have had it back in the shop at the LBS where I purchased it
originally for them to check out but this did not result in any improvement.

By more finicky, I guess what I mean is this --- I hear annoying noise
from the front derailleur area when I am in the middle chainwheel up
front and in one of the three smallest gears on the rear....the noise
gets progressively worse as I shift to higher (smaller) gears on rear so
I believe that it is some sort of rubbing on the front derailleur cage
by the chain. Also, I've noticed that the front derailleur is reluctant
to shift properly in some cases, but in other gear combinations it seems
as smooth as silk.

I don't abuse the bike; I try to keep it properly maintained; and I'm
familiar with avoiding extreme instances of cross-chaining (ex: smallest
gear on front & back at the same time, or largest on front & back at
the same time). But that is not what I am talking about....rather it's
situations which frequently occur in the course of my normal
recreational touring/riding.

Am I expecting too much from the low-end Shimano kit that came with the
Pilot 1.0 ? Or should I find a different shop to service & adjust it ?
Would it be worth it to upgrade to "better" gearing ? Contrary to
what I read in some of the reviews, I really like the Sora STI shifters
since I do not ride very much with my hands all the way down in the
drops but spend most of my time up on the hoods or (around town where
there is a lot of stop & go with traffic) on the flat bar.

Go to the parktool.com website and click on the repair help, and
follow the instructions to get your front mech dialed in. Any Shimano
front mech, be it a $10 model or a $50 model should be able to shift
great. Also, I'm not familiar with Sora, but I know that the flat bar
shifters are "trimmable" if you get some rub. Fart around, and I'm
sure you'll fix it.

Quoted message said:

I have a 2006 Trek Pilot 1.0 with about 750 miles on it, which replaced a
Trek 7200 that got "borrowed" up in downtown Boston late last year. I
really enjoy the Pilot 1.0 overall now that I replaced the stem with a
shorter one to improve fit and replaced the saddle with one a little more
to my liking.

However, the shifting seems to be much more finicky than I remember on my
7200. I have had it back in the shop at the LBS where I purchased it
originally for them to check out but this did not result in any
improvement.

By more finicky, I guess what I mean is this --- I hear annoying noise
from the front derailleur area when I am in the middle chainwheel up front
and in one of the three smallest gears on the rear....the noise gets
progressively worse as I shift to higher (smaller) gears on rear so I
believe that it is some sort of rubbing on the front derailleur cage by
the chain. Also, I've noticed that the front derailleur is reluctant to
shift properly in some cases, but in other gear combinations it seems as
smooth as silk.

Your 7200 might have had grip shifters and, if so, might have had the style
where the front shifting doesn't have just 3 positions but something like
16, allowing you to place the derailleur precisely where needed. That makes
things a lot more tolerant of minor issues in setup, or a slightly bent
chainring. It also allows you to overshift more easily, although by holding
the lever in place for a bit after shifting, the Sora-style front performs
similarly.

Quoted message said:

I don't abuse the bike; I try to keep it properly maintained; and I'm
familiar with avoiding extreme instances of cross-chaining (ex: smallest
gear on front & back at the same time, or largest on front & back at the
same time). But that is not what I am talking about....rather it's
situations which frequently occur in the course of my normal recreational
touring/riding.

Am I expecting too much from the low-end Shimano kit that came with the
Pilot 1.0 ? Or should I find a different shop to service & adjust it ?
Would it be worth it to upgrade to "better" gearing ? Contrary to what
I read in some of the reviews, I really like the Sora STI shifters since I
do not ride very much with my hands all the way down in the drops but
spend most of my time up on the hoods or (around town where there is a lot
of stop & go with traffic) on the flat bar.

The main issue with the Sora shifters is their lack of a "trim" function. On
the higher-end equipment, you can select one of two locations for the
derailleur for each gear... that location being determined by which one
gives the most clearance for the chain with the rear sprocket you've chosen.

Because Sora lacks this feature, it's pretty much impossible to set up in a
way that you won't get some chain rub on the front derailleur in certain
gears. Having said that, the Sora front derailleur is also very picky about
its height above the chainrings, and if it's set up too high or too low, its
limitations will be magnified. It's also possible that you have a chain with
a not-quite-perfect connecting pin, causing a kink that hits the derailleur
once each time that particular link comes around.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

landotter said:

Justa Lurker said:

I have a 2006 Trek Pilot 1.0 with about 750 miles on it, which replaced
a Trek 7200 that got "borrowed" up in downtown Boston late last year. I
really enjoy the Pilot 1.0 overall now that I replaced the stem with a
shorter one to improve fit and replaced the saddle with one a little
more to my liking.

Quoted message said:

However, the shifting seems to be much more finicky than I remember on
my 7200. I have had it back in the shop at the LBS where I purchased it
originally for them to check out but this did not result in any improvement.

Quoted message said:

By more finicky, I guess what I mean is this --- I hear annoying noise
from the front derailleur area when I am in the middle chainwheel up
front and in one of the three smallest gears on the rear....the noise
gets progressively worse as I shift to higher (smaller) gears on rear so
I believe that it is some sort of rubbing on the front derailleur cage
by the chain. Also, I've noticed that the front derailleur is reluctant
to shift properly in some cases, but in other gear combinations it seems
as smooth as silk.

Quoted message said:

I don't abuse the bike; I try to keep it properly maintained; and I'm
familiar with avoiding extreme instances of cross-chaining (ex: smallest
gear on front & back at the same time, or largest on front & back at
the same time). But that is not what I am talking about....rather it's
situations which frequently occur in the course of my normal
recreational touring/riding.

Quoted message said:

Am I expecting too much from the low-end Shimano kit that came with the
Pilot 1.0 ? Or should I find a different shop to service & adjust it ?
Would it be worth it to upgrade to "better" gearing ? Contrary to
what I read in some of the reviews, I really like the Sora STI shifters
since I do not ride very much with my hands all the way down in the
drops but spend most of my time up on the hoods or (around town where
there is a lot of stop & go with traffic) on the flat bar.

Go to the parktool.com website and click on the repair help, and
follow the instructions to get your front mech dialed in.

Yep, clear, well written instructions and no BS. IMO, the Park site is
the best source for "hands on/how to" bike info on the 'net.

Quoted message said:

Any Shimano
front mech, be it a $10 model or a $50 model should be able to shift
great.

I see you have discovered Shimano's best kept secret:

Q: What shifts better than a cheap Shimano derailleur?

A: Nothing

And, yes, the "high priced" stuff *is* lighter, better polished and
longer lived.

Quoted message said:

Also, I'm not familiar with Sora, but I know that the flat bar
shifters are "trimmable" if you get some rub. Fart around, and I'm
sure you'll fix it.

Ozark Bicycle said:

landotter said:

Any Shimano
front mech, be it a $10 model or a $50 model should be able to shift
great.

I see you have discovered Shimano's best kept secret:

I've known this for years--the only reason I'll "upgrade" a front is
for cosmetics, and if it's on sale for a couple bucks online.

Quoted message said:

Q: What shifts better than a cheap Shimano derailleur?

A: Nothing

And, yes, the "high priced" stuff *is* lighter, better polished and
longer lived.

Only reason I'm upgrading my city bike from Altus to Deore is because
it was $15, and the derailleur is better looking. :-P

I flipped a few Altus bikes I fixed up this summer for pocket change,
and they shift as well as any casual cyclist needs. For all the [censored] I
give Shimano at times--I have to commend the el-cheapo groups as being
amazing examples of trickle down tech. I mean, you can get 7-8spd EZ-
Fire shifter pods now for $30 a set. And they work great.