Shimano gear adjustment - loosing the will to live...

Mog Uk

I'm slowly loosing the will to live with my 10speed 105 gears. I've spent literally hours trying to adjust them and just can't get it right !

If I get it perfectly smooth going up the block, then it doesn't work smoothly coming back down, so if I then adjust it to come down, it doesn't go back up!

The sad thing is the sora groupset on my commuter/hack shifts like a dream...

Is there some sort of 'magical' method that I'm missing ? Specially as I've followed Park Tools / Sheldons websites....

robbarker

Are any of the components worn? Stretched chains can lead to these frustrations.

If everything is in good nick, check your derailleur alignment. (May invovle a trip to LBS unless you have the tool).

If that's OK, make sure your chain alignment is OK ( i.e. is your frame true, doyou have the right length bottom bracket if it's pre-hollowtech 2 and are the spacers on both chainset and cassette present and correct) - if it's way out changing at the back will be affected.

Having said all that, gears that are less than perfect in the repair stand can be fine on the road - get it as good as you can then give it a road test.

McBain_v1

Agree with rob's observation that just because you can get the gears working perfectly when on the workstand, that doesn't mean they are going to work well on the road. I normally find that further adjustment after being on the workstand is needed to reflect the fact that I am sat on the bike and shifting whilst moving.

Mog Uk

All components are near as damn it brand new with very little wear and a hollowtech 2 BB.

I've used the bike to commute this morning so I could get a true test, I lost count the amount of times I stopped at the side of the road to 'tweak' the barrel adjuster..

The only thing I have done recently is swap out my Mavics for some Campag Zondas !

redddraggon

robbarker wrote:

Having said all that, gears that are less than perfect in the repair stand can be fine on the road - get it as good as you can then give it a road test.

I agree, I never thought I'd get my Centaur to index on the workstand, it rattled and scraped like mad - but it's perfect on the road.

Monty Dog

The reason it doesn't down shift properly is cable drag - probably due to tight cable runs / frayed or dirty cables or a sticky ratchet in the lever. Pull back the lever hood and make sure the hood / bar tape isn't fouling the internals - does the indexing work OK with the hoods pulled back? Check the outer cables, particularly by the headtube as it's very easy to kink them - if so, replace them. Check everything is clean and nothing can obstruct the cable - it's not rocket science, just need to know where to look.

meagain

Just think how much easier it will be when they shove 14 sprockets in there!

As Monty Dog says, cable condition plays an important part in effecient operation of gears - and brakes! (One of my m'bikes impressed this upon me: unable to pull the clutch at all unless I resorted to 2 hands - impractical and dangerous - I assumed major problems. Thought I'd just try a new cable FIRST - total cure, clutch as light as the proverbial.)

Mog Uk

It's not the cables, that I know. Brand new all round and routed perfectly smoothly..

I'm feeling a trip to my LBS could be in order, although I hate defeat, especially from such a simple task....

meagain

"I'm feeling a trip to my LBS could be in order"

Quite touching to see such faith - I hope it's fulfilled!

Monty Dog

So based on the collective experience of this forum, you've decided that the spotty yoof in your LBS knows best - dunno why some people come on here and ask questions!

fizz

Takes a bit of patience thats all.

My 105 indexing was all over the place, 25 minutes later of twiddling and adjusting and its sorted.

I also gave the chain and damn good clean and fresh lube that made a big difference to.

I found my indexing was easier to get right when I have a bit of load on the drive train, I tend to now put the bike on the turbo trainer to adjust the gears as I find its easier that way and it saves fiddling about riding up and down the road to get it right.

My LBS adjust my gears on the workstand and I always find its not quite right when I ride it home again.

pedylan

Monty Dog wrote:

So based on the collective experience of this forum, you've decided that the spotty yoof in your LBS knows best - dunno why some people come on here and ask questions!

Last year the "spotty yoof" in my LBS - who is actually a cat 2 racer and completed the Marmotte - changed a veloce cassette and chain and indexed the gears perfectly and did it while I waited.

Let's hear it for spotty yoofs and LBS's.

Mog Uk

Monty Dog wrote:

So based on the collective experience of this forum, you've decided that the spotty yoof in your LBS knows best - dunno why some people come on here and ask questions!

Oh Dear :roll:

Meds1962

If you've been tweaking things on the move I'd suggest starting completely from scratch using the Park or Sheldon Brown guides, including setting up the high and low limits correclty before you start on the indexing.

As long as the mech cable is able to move smoothly and there are no other defects this should work.

Gussio

Meds1962 wrote:

If you've been tweaking things on the move I'd suggest starting completely from scratch using the Park or Sheldon Brown guides, including setting up the high and low limits correclty before you start on the indexing.

As long as the mech cable is able to move smoothly and there are no other defects this should work.

+1 for starting from scratch. I have spent ages in the past, fettling my Ultegra 10sp. Gets bloody frustrating. Have found that starting at 1) on Sheldon Brown's methodology and working through offers the best chance of success.

Good luck!

walkernomore

Probably no use to you as no-one can be as mecahnically inept as me but anyway...

I had exactly the same problem - pretty new bike with 105 10 speed - couldn't resist fiddling with the barrel adjuster and then couldn't get it back to being right. Constantly fiddled around since (while riding, not stationary) but no way I could get it smooth and quiet on all the cogs, and it would jump sometimes. Tuesday I really lost my rag while riding to work and on about the 5th sprocket turned the barrel adjuster maybe 5 - 10 turns clockwise - the chain dropped (I think, might have jumped) onto the adjacent cog and every gear is now, touch wood, better than the day i got it.

bobtravers

A brand new bike need adjustments on the first 200-300 km, since all cables are stretching up...

The best way to achieve a good adjustment is to put the chain on the smallest cog, then making sure that you have a small tension in the derailleur cable (hand pull the cable with the cable screw unscrewed), screw the cable screw, then push your lever one speed, and adjust the derailleur barrel so it jumps only one cog... Try with all other speed, it should be perfect...

Good luck!