Gear adjusting

yeachan153

Here is the problem.


I have shimano 2300, which I realise may produce some smug looks. Anyway, when I shift up to a higher gear, it all shifts well. 1 thumb click = 1 gear change. The high and low boundaries are also v. Good. However, from the highest gear shifting up; for gear no. 8 one push on the lever doesn't make it go up. I need to push it twice.

After this it shifts well, ie 1 push = 1 change. It double shifts to compensate on the 4 to 3 cog transition.

My barrell adjuster, contrary to its name does nothing of the sort.

Please don't give me a link to a vid or guide, because most of them just tell me to fiddle with the barrel. Hopefully this can be resolved and it won't be necessary to hand over £6 to the LBS for a gear adjusment


Thank you

Muffintop

Do you have a double click shift where your derailer compensates for two different gear positions on your back gear whilst not coming off the front gear you're in? My largest cog has to click twice - this is so that when I'm in a lower position for one of the back gears the chain doesn't rattle.

woodywmb

yeachan153 wrote:

... from the highest gear shifting up; for gear no. 8 one push on the lever doesn't make it go up. I need to push it twice.

I can't quite follow this. But I think your bike is working as it should. From the highest gear (smallest cog) you can only shift down. Pushing the button on 2300 takes the chain away from the wheel to the smallest, last cog or as you say "gear no. 8". How then can you go from the highest cog to gear no. 8? You mention lever rather than button - this would indicate you're moving the lever to get from no.8 to no.7.
Moving out to the perimeter cogs (biggest and smallest) can be better achieved by having the chain on the most suitable ring at the front - ie small for low gears and big for high gears on a double chainset; small/middle and middle/big on triples.
The tolerances are finer the further along the cassette you go. Plus you have to give the lever one powerful sweep rather than just a flick when you're at the outer limits. Think this is what you're referring to.
I have Shimano 2300 (triple) and can point you in the right direction if you can advise further.

yeachan153

Woodywmb wrote:

yeachan153 wrote:

... from the highest gear shifting up; for gear no. 8 one push on the lever doesn't make it go up. I need to push it twice.

I can't quite follow this. But I think your bike is working as it should. From the highest gear (smallest cog) you can only shift down. Pushing the button on 2300 takes the chain away from the wheel to the smallest, last cog or as you say "gear no. 8". How then can you go from the highest cog to gear no. 8? You mention lever rather than button - this would indicate you're moving the lever to get from no.8 to no.7.
Moving out to the perimeter cogs (biggest and smallest) can be better achieved by having the chain on the most suitable ring at the front - ie small for low gears and big for high gears on a double chainset; small/middle and middle/big on triples.
The tolerances are finer the further along the cassette you go. Plus you have to give the lever one powerful sweep rather than just a flick when you're at the outer limits. Think this is what you're referring to.
I have Shimano 2300 (triple) and can point you in the right direction if you can advise further.

Sorry for not being clear. What I mean is that when in gear no. 8, i.e. the fastest and smallest gear (whilst on the largest ring on the front) and I shift to gear no. 7, I require 2 lever presses, or one powerful sweep (making 2 click sounds) as you say. What this results in, is that one lever press at around gear 4 makes it jump to gear 2, when surely it should only go to gear 3. Furthermore, after a powerful sweep at gear 8 to 7, it takes two presses on the thumb paddle to get it up to 8 again.I am not convinced this is working properly!

woodywmb

Indexing is not working properly. You should never need two presses of the button. It's not difficult to sort if you have a bike stand or something similar. Put the chain in the smaller ring at the front and the smallest cog at the back. Turn the pedals and throughout this procedure listen out for the mechanism running without any rubbing or grinding noise. It's a matter of hearing what's wrong rather than seeing what's wrong. As you pedal, push on the lever to take the chain from 8 to 7. If it doesn't go easily keep turning the cranks and at the same time turn the barrel adjuster anti-clockiwise. The chain should jump up to no 7. Keep pedalling and press the bottom to check that it comes down again to 8. Repeat the procedure all the way along the length of the cassette. Remember with Shimano 2003 and most of the cheaper Shimano set-ups the barrel adjuster works the opposite way from the more expensive set-ups. Anti-clockwise to nudge the chain towards the rear wheel, clockwise to bring it back to the smallest cog. You can tweak it for ever more, each time listening for the chain to settle in cleanly - with no attempts to jump the cog and no noise. Make sure the inner cable is clean and lubed. Dirt inside the outer sometimes causes ghost shifts or sluggishness when changing gear (and necessitating double lever/button movements). Hope this helps.

Ouija

Either the inner cable is sticking in the outer making it permanently off for the first couple of shifts or your cable isn't screwed into the screw in the derailler at the correct angle.

yeachan153

Woodywmb wrote:

Indexing is not working properly. You should never need two presses of the button. It's not difficult to sort if you have a bike stand or something similar. Put the chain in the smaller ring at the front and the smallest cog at the back. Turn the pedals and throughout this procedure listen out for the mechanism running without any rubbing or grinding noise. It's a matter of hearing what's wrong rather than seeing what's wrong. As you pedal, push on the lever to take the chain from 8 to 7. If it doesn't go easily keep turning the cranks and at the same time turn the barrel adjuster anti-clockiwise. The chain should jump up to no 7. Keep pedalling and press the bottom to check that it comes down again to 8. Repeat the procedure all the way along the length of the cassette. Remember with Shimano 2003 and most of the cheaper Shimano set-ups the barrel adjuster works the opposite way from the more expensive set-ups. Anti-clockwise to nudge the chain towards the rear wheel, clockwise to bring it back to the smallest cog. You can tweak it for ever more, each time listening for the chain to settle in cleanly - with no attempts to jump the cog and no noise. Make sure the inner cable is clean and lubed. Dirt inside the outer sometimes causes ghost shifts or sluggishness when changing gear (and necessitating double lever/button movements). Hope this helps.

That is the thing! My barrel adjuster does not work!

woodywmb

Ah ha. Explain more.
If it doesn't move you need to turn the barrel with pliers to loosen it. Coat the threads with WD40 or preferably grease. Tighten it and slacken it continuously until the adjuster moves easily between your fingers. Remember it is spring-loaded and you should push the cover in and out to get a better grip. Then, when it's working follow the indexing instructions above.
If it does move but doesn't alter the performance of the mech, the adjusting screw may be off thethreads and out of its anchor. Line the screw up and push it back in, tightening it as you do so. This often happens when you loosen the barrel adjuster. It runs too far and drops off the thread. Because the cable keeps it taut against the body of the adjuster, it can be hard to see - and turning it produces no movement. Hope this helps.