Stopping 2x identified clicks + tuning rear gears

Anonymous

OK so ill 'set the scene'

I have 2*9speed Ultegra (fairly old, not sure of model number) but works like a charm, except for 3 tiny niggles.

1 - clicking 1

This clicking started recently, and only occurs when in small front ring and smallest rear cog

I had this clicking which I thought was one of the chain pins coming lose and clicking as it comes through the rear cassette, but tonight, I have covered myself in oil and found the cause.

It only seems to happen on certain part of the chain (not pedal stroke, so perhaps not a bend big ring), but basically where the chain rubs on the inside of the big ring (as it is pulled slightly sideways by having to go to the smallest cog on the rear cassette) it seems to 'tap' a bolt-like thing on the outer ring. There seems to be a few of them going round the rim where the teeth meet the outer ring, as if the teeth are separate from it.
See attached crappy photo for what I mean. The chain is clicking on one of these....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65473577@N ... hotostream

- the blob in line with the crank arm (there are about 8 all the way round)

BUT - it only seems to click on one piece of chain on one part of the big ring.

2 - clicking 2.

Standard clicking on front derailleur. Seems I have a small window of my 18 gears where it doesn't click! Clicks when about in the middle (rear) when on the big ring (fine the rest of the way to the bottom) and 2-3 up from the bottom when on small ring. (fine the rest of the way to the top)

Just seems the front derailleur doesn't have much range before it clicks on the chain.

Any thoughts? I dont have barrel adjusters on my shifters - I know there are some adjuster screws on the front mech, how do they work?

3 - tuning rear gears

When in the big ring (and sometimes small ring) it doesn't want to change down on the rear mech. Just clicks like crazy, so I have to change down 2, up one, which then gives me 1 downshift.

I dont have any barrel adjusters on my shifters, but there is one on the rear mech (which way do I turn it!).

edit: always changes up without an issue (I guess you can 'over shift' a bit which helps though

4 - pedalling backwards - maybe its just me, but I swear this clicking is getting noisier since I bought the bike (brand new 2nd hand). Just liked the silent freewheeling.

Otherwise, this beauty is as silent as a mouse except for the whirring of the tyres!

Thanks for any help....

LongIslandTom

1. Noise when your drivetrain is crosschained is normal (big-big or small-small). Avoid those combinations if you can-- Running your drivetrain crosschained for prolonged periods is simply abusing your drivetrain.

2. Those clicking noises you hear while in the middle ring is normal, and you can get rid of it by "trimming" the front derailleur (move it fractionally in or out with the shifter lever, depending on which gear on the back you are on). That is why the STI shifter has 5 clicks for the front derailleur, not just 3, so you can "trim" the middle ring.

3. The barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur is simple. Turn it in the direction you want the shifter to pull more towards. i.e. counterclockwise if you want the derailleur to shift with more force to the big cogs, clockwise if you want the derailleur to shift with more force towards the small cogs.

4. Don't pedal backwards.

Anonymous

1 - I see what you mean, but why are those funny bolt things there? They seem to be causing the noise, but why cant the big ring be one piece? (perhaps its an old design?)

2 - its has 2 front rings, so no trimming of the middle ring with the shifters really (I can sort the small->small issue with one click 'up', but not the big->big, as you cant trim 'down'. Just needs to have the limit screws (I have heard these mentioned before - where are they?) adjusted so it doesn't go quite so far 'in' when on small ring, and quite so far 'out' when on big ring (how do I do this!?)

3 - thanks for that. I'll have a gander tomorrow.

4 - sorry I didnt mean pedalling backwards, more freewheeling to make the click. I know almost all bikes make this noise, with some bikes are noisier than others (my mates ribble is obscenely loud when freewheeling - good substitute for a bell!) but my bike used to be silent and is now starting to click. Just a small niggle, but prefered the silence!

lucasf09

1) The bolts are there to help shifting. As longislandtom said don't cross the chain if possible.
2) this is also normal. The deraileur is designed to shift gears, so needs to be fairly narrow, as the manufacturers know you "won't be crossing the chain" they tend to only allow a limited range of gears to not click (generally about half a block for each chain ring), anything outside that range will make the chain click.
3) as longislandtom said
4) might need the freewheel to be adjusted, which can be done with ten or eight millimeter allen bolt. Check what freehub make and model and check on the great brain of Google, or back here.

Anonymous

1) Thanks Lucas. If in small ring, I just go down the the penultimate gear which eliminates the sound.
2) Is it worth having a fiddle with the fine tuning to get a wider range out of the big ring before it clicks? I see lots of people rarely coming out of the big ring at all (my rear cassette has a very narrow range, so I tend to change LOTS) so perhaps I can adjust a bit?

3) didnt get a chance to look at it yet, but looking forward to having it sorted.

4) I don't know what the freehub is (is that the bit the cassette sits on? - would I need to remove rear cassette to see?) but the actual hub itself is Ultegra (says so on the bit which all the spokes are attached to, if you see what I mean).

I presume I will need to acquire some tools to remove the cassette if this is the case?

lucasf09

Have a look here:
seem all ultegras have a removable feehub (yes the bit the cassette sits on), it might be dying, or might just need tightening.
Not sure if you will need to remove the cassette, though would suspect you do, but you will def need to remove the skewer.
Have a go at playing with the limit screws by all means (there should be two small screws sitting on the top of the front deraileur), I just meant that you shouldn't expect miracles from it.