New Fangled Gear Thingies:O)

choldy

I've spent the last 18 months scooting to and from work on a single speed. I decided to treat myself to a Giant Defy 4. I've been experiencing a problem that when I change to the big ring on the front I am very often over shooting and losing the chain. I picked up the bike from my LBS after its first service having told them I was suffering this problem and lo and behold I lost the chain on the way in to work this morning.

My question is...not being used to lever gear changers am I just being too hard handed and forcing the chain off or if the adjustment is correct should it be impossible for me to force the chain off the big ring?

cyclinggooner

Sounds like the limit screws on the front derailleur aren't set correctly. Loads of guides online (google park tools and front derailleur adjustment). It's a relatively simple job and if your bike is new you'll eventually need to do the rear as well due to the cables stretching.

if the limit screws are set correctly then it shouldn't over shift.

Kerguelen

choldy wrote:

I've spent the last 18 months scooting to and from work on a single speed. I decided to treat myself to a Giant Defy 4. I've been experiencing a problem that when I change to the big ring on the front I am very often over shooting and losing the chain. I picked up the bike from my LBS after its first service having told them I was suffering this problem and lo and behold I lost the chain on the way in to work this morning.

My question is...not being used to lever gear changers am I just being too hard handed and forcing the chain off or if the adjustment is correct should it be impossible for me to force the chain off the big ring?

It definitely shouldn't do that; luckily the adjustment is an easy one.

Shift on to the big chainring and the smallest sprocket. There should be a small gap between the right side of the chain and the outer plate of the 'cage' part of the front mech.

Start turning the screw labelled 'H' on top of the rear mech clockwise (as you look down on it) until you feel the resistance increasing, or the cage starts moving inwards.

Back off the screw by 1/8 of a turn.

Job done.

supersonic

Why rear mech? He needs to adjust the H stop on the front mech {and making sure the mech is at the correct height and angle} until the chain no longer rubs the mech.

Kieran_Burns

supersonic wrote:

Why rear mech? He needs to adjust the H stop on the front mech {and making sure the mech is at the correct height and angle} until the chain no longer rubs the mech.

cos that position is as far to the outside as it will ever get. I adjusted mine with the chain on the middle sprocket of the cassette and it rubbed in the top gear, so I had to adjust it again.

supersonic

Why adjust the rear mech though? Sure, put in the highest gear, but no need to adjust the rear mech if all is well there

Start turning the screw labelled 'H' on top of the rear mech

Kieran_Burns

supersonic wrote:

Why adjust the rear mech though? Sure, put in the highest gear, but no need to adjust the rear mech if all is well there

Start turning the screw labelled 'H' on top of the rear mech

Typo Oh finicky one

choldy

Thanks guys, the main thing was to establish it shouldn't do that, I've not been particularly impressed with LBS so I'll get onto Park Tools and look at the tutorials and get that adjusted

Kerguelen

Kieran_Burns wrote:

supersonic wrote:

Why adjust the rear mech though? Sure, put in the highest gear, but no need to adjust the rear mech if all is well there

Start turning the screw labelled 'H' on top of the rear mech

Typo Oh finicky one

Yeah, my bad, meant the front mech of course.