Which way to turn the adjusting barrel?

[Barbara Larrain]

When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting barrel.
Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike & reassembled it with my training
wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't consistently happening
with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about 1/2 a turn one way & it
didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I think & haven't seemed to
have a probelm since. Does it matter which way one turns the barrel?

Thanks,

Barbara L

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

Barbara: Yes, it definitely matters which direction the barrel is turned. If your derailleur is
having difficulty climbing into the next-larger cog, you need to turn it in the direction that it
"unscrews" (looking at it from the back, that would be counter-clockwise), which tightens the cable,
moving the derailleur a bit more inboard. If you're having trouble coming down into the next-smaller
cog, then you turn it the other way, loosening the cable.

Basically, you're trying to center the derailleur over the cog, and loosening or tightening the
cable will move it one way or the other. It might help to shift into one of the middle cogs in the
back and then turn the adjuster barrel maybe two full rotations one way, then back to where you
started, and then two full rotations the other way (and then back). Observing how the derailleur
moves when you do this might help it to make sense... and if you understand what's happening, the
adjustment becomes more intuitive and less scary.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Barbara Larrain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:8DhT9.11536$3v.1893@sccrnsc01...
> When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
> what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
> When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting
barrel.
> Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike &
reassembled
> it with my training wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't
> consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about
> 1/2 a turn one way & it didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I
> think & haven't seemed to have a probelm since. Does it matter which way
one
> turns the barrel?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barbara L

 

[David Ornee]

"Barbara Larrain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:8DhT9.11536$3v.1893@sccrnsc01...
> When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
> what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
> When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting
barrel.
> Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike &
reassembled
> it with my training wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't
> consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about
> 1/2 a turn one way & it didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I
> think & haven't seemed to have a probelm since. Does it matter which way
one
> turns the barrel?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barbara L

Mike's explanation is great. If you would like to see pictures and read more on the subject check
Sheldon Brown's article on the subject at URL: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

David Ornee, Western Springs, IL

 

[David Ornee]

"Barbara Larrain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:8DhT9.11536$3v.1893@sccrnsc01...
> When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
> what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
> When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting
barrel.
> Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike &
reassembled
> it with my training wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't
> consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about
> 1/2 a turn one way & it didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I
> think & haven't seemed to have a probelm since. Does it matter which way
one
> turns the barrel?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barbara L

Mike's explanation is great. If you would like to see pictures and read more on the subject check
Sheldon Brown's article on the subject at URL: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

David Ornee, Western Springs, IL

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

larrain->When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel
>occassionally I will get some what I call "automatic shifting"

>Does it matter which way one turns the barrel?

It does as you try to center the pulleys on the selected cog-BUT where you start is important as
well. As all index shifting is referenced to the first cog..then the rder moves a specific distsnce
per click. If the first postion isn't right, then the distance won't center the pulley on
subsequent cogs.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[A Muzi]

"Barbara Larrain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:8DhT9.11536$3v.1893@sccrnsc01...
> When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
> what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
> When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting
barrel.
> Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike &
reassembled
> it with my training wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't
> consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about
> 1/2 a turn one way & it didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I
> think & haven't seemed to have a probelm since. Does it matter which way
one
> turns the barrel?

Unscrewing the adjuster makes the casing effectively longer so there's less wire sticking out, the
net effect is to tighten the cable. You might look at your front brake while turning the adjuster a
few turns to see this effect clearly ( brake adjusters are slightly coarser than gear adjusters and
the front brake adjustment change is easily observed ).

When you change wheels, shift from the high gear one click lower. The changer should line up under
the second highest cog. Turning the adjuster anti-clockwise will bring the changer closer to the
spokes if needed.

It's not a bad habit to adjust a worn or mixed-component system in one of the middle cogs as you get
less variance on the ends that way. To center the derailleur roller under a cog it helps to get your
head directly behind the changer instead of trying to estimate it from above.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[George S. Hugh]

Barbara,

There's a very easy method for the adjustments.

Stand the bike up and look at it from the rear wheel. Start shifting and notice where the shifts are
substandard. If it doesn't shift towards the larger gears then turn the barrel adjuster towards the
larger gears (just a little bit). And vice versa for substandard shifts to the smaller gears.

I like to release the cable from the derailleur and put the barrel all the way in. Pull the cable
semi-tight and fasten to the derailleur. When you start shifting it should have problems getting
into larger cogs. Start turning the barrel adjuster towards the larger cogs until it's how you like
it. Test ride it (because things seem to change) and make changes on the street.

I'll let the previous replies explain why this works.

--
George S. Hugh 273 Hudson Hall Annex Duke University
(919)660-5167 [email protected]

"Barbara Larrain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:8DhT9.11536$3v.1893@sccrnsc01...
> When I switch my rear wheel from my race wheel to my training wheel occassionally I will get some
> what I call "automatic shifting" or partial shifting usually in the middle gears of the cog set.
> When its happened & I at races the tech support just clears it up by turning the adjusting
barrel.
> Well now home after my last race where I had to pack the bike &
reassembled
> it with my training wheel I am getting some problem with the shifting ocassionally. It wasn't
> consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift. I did turn the adjusting barrel about
> 1/2 a turn one way & it didn't seem to make a difference. So later turned it more the other way I
> think & haven't seemed to have a probelm since. Does it matter which way
one
> turns the barrel?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barbara L

 

[Jim Flom]

>From: "Barbara Larrain"
>
>Does it matter which way one turns the barrel?

Yes it does. And think in terms of half-turns. The hard part is your comment that "It wasn't
consistently happening with either an upshift or downshift." You want to turn the adjuster barrel in
the direction of the problem. If you have trouble shifting into higher gears, turn it toward the
higher gears. If you have trouble shifting into lower gears, turn it toward the lower gears. In
other words, if it hesitates to shift into a smaller cog, turn the adjuster barrel a half-turn
clock-wise (as you face the bike from the rear). If it hesitates to shift into a larger cog (lower
gear), turn the adjuster barrel a half-turn counterclockwise.

JF