Real derailleur cable tension problem - help!

jasondainter84

Hi Folks.

I bought a Cannondale Synapse Sora (2015) recently (this exact spec http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-alloy-sora-2015-road-bike-ec071023) but it arrived in bit of a mess regarding the gears.

I'm new to road bikes, and figured since this is my first 'good' bike I wanted to try fix this myself instead of handing it into the store (you have to start somewhere right!?)

So I did endless googling on how to synch up the gears again, setting low and high points and generally lining them all up.

I got as far as starting with the rear derailleur, I took off the tension wire (lots of tutorial videos said to do that first so you dont have the tension of the wire confusing things) then I set to setting the low and high points by putting the gear on the smallest cog and then similarly pushing with thumb to set the other point. Seemed to work well, so my next step was to put the wire back on.. then.. EEEK.

So basically I dont know what Ive done but when I pull the wire tight, and screw it back on pressing the shifters has no effect. The shifters dont 'click' any more, and it feels like there is no tension there. I've pulled as hard as I can when tightening this back on but no joy.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong here?

trailflow

It sounds like your not clicking the shifter into the last gear before clamping.

The wire is called a cable.

Unclamp the cable from the rear derailleur.

Check the cable outers are seated in the frame stops (the cable entry and exit points).

From here,hold the end of the cable with your left hand and apply a bit of tension. With your right hand, click through the gears on the right shifter both up and down. You should feel the cable pull and release. To see if everything is working OK.

Now you need to click the right shifter into the last gear. So when you shift after clamping it will start at the bottom of the cassette the 11t cog if that makes sense ?

Whilst the cable is still unclamped click the small shift lever repeatedly around 10 times. And pull on the cable at the same time with your left hand.

Now wind the barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur all the way in. Until it stops turning.

Clamp the cable. Pull slightly and tighten. (Try not to get any 'wind up' on the cable whilst you tighten the bolt causing the RD to move inwards slightly)

Now click the big shift lever up once.

Spin the cranks and at the same time wind the barrel adjuster outwards 1 quarter turn at a time, until the RD shifts up to the next cog on the cassette.

Shift up to the next cog again and repeat the process across the cassette. Adding more tension with the barrel adjuster if necessary.

(If you don't feel the cable move when shifting. The cable end might have come unseated from the tab holder inside the shifter and will need reseating)

plodder73

Has your cable outer come out of its stop... That's my bet

jasondainter84

Thanks so much for this, really appreciated.

I did read something about clicking the shifters (small one( before reattaching the cable.. but when I try this the shifter does not make a 'click' and the indicator on the shifter doesnt move either. It sounds like clicking the shifter does nothing.

I think you might be right about it coming out of the stop?

Questions:

1) How do I test for sure if its come out of its stop? I'll try film a video later to show you what I mean
2) When you say stop, do you mean something actually inside the shifter?
3) How would I go about fixing that?

Thanks a lot. The painful thing is I havn't managed to actually ride this beauty cycle yet since it came but Im learning a lot so hopefully soon can take her out on her maiden voyage :-)

jasondainter84

Also, 'coming out of its stop' is that the same as what Plodder73 suggests about the cable being unseated from its holder in the shifter? If so, how do I fix that is it possible to take the shifter apart or am I screwed?

plodder73

When I said coming out of the stop I meant the stop on the chainstay near the rear derailleur or maybe one nearer to the shifter if you have one. It where the outer housing butts up to and if it's come out you won't have any cable tension. In my opinion it's not likely to be an issue at the shifter.

plodder73

Do not take the shifter apart. Take a picture of the rear derailleur and post it here and a picture of the cable and the housing from the bottom bracket to the rear deraileur.

jasondainter84

@plodder, thanks. I think the stops look all good in the places you say, but I'll aim to post pictures/a video of this tonight to show you properly. Thanks a lot for tips

trailflow

Read this from page 8.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=sora%203500%20installation&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQFjABahUKEwi7wqP-u4XGAhVRKtsKHdSbAFI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsi.shimano.com%2Fphp%2Fdownload.php%3Ffile%3Dpdf%2Fdm%2FDM-ST0001-03-ENG.pdf&ei=V1t4Vfu6MtHU7AbUt4KQBQ&usg=AFQjCNF0FrsD6br2DGqPMp-KReUhKw4LSQ&bvm=bv.95039771,d.ZGU&cad=rja

And watch this video from 1:32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgvkbXfBFRw

Unhook the cable from the rear derailleur first If its still attached.

You don't need to fully remove the cable like the video. Just give it abit of slack.

Once the cable is seated like at 1.58 in the video. You should be able to click through the gears and feel the cable move if you hold the cable where it exits the shifter on the other side.

Click into the last gear and clamp the cable at the RD.

jasondainter84

Thanks so much for your help.

Finally had time to look at this again and plan to spend a day trying to get this working on Sunday!

Here a video I took showing the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=978YKtM2RNQ

Looks like the end of the cable with the metal 'thingy' (stop?) has come loose.

Any ideas how to get it back in its place?

plodder73

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19623975#p19623975]jasondainter84[/url] wrote:

Thanks so much for your help.

Finally had time to look at this again and plan to spend a day trying to get this working on Sunday!

Here a video I took showing the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=978YKtM2RNQ

Looks like the end of the cable with the metal 'thingy' (stop?) has come loose.

Any ideas how to get it back in its place?

Have you removed the cable outer(black plastic) from the shifter? If it's out there then it must be out also at the end of that section.

Push the shifter so that its in its highest gear( smallest cog) ie there is no tension on the rear deraileur cable, push the cable end down so it sits like the left shifter ie faces down a little. Put the cable outer back in the shifter, it just pushes in, then make sure the end of that section of cable outer is sat in the stop which I think will be on the left side of the frame, your video doesn't show it.

Your rear deraileur cable at the rear derailleur also looks like it goes in not straight. That should be sat in the metal piece near the barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur.

plodder73

If you pm me your telephone number I will talk you through it

plodder73

Just looked again I see you have internal routed cables and can see that it enters the frame on the right side. That looks fine. Once you get the cable inner in the right place, sort out that outer to the rear deraileur, it should work fine. That last piece of cable outer looks a little short which is why you may have been having problems in the first place.

Do not under any circumstances pull the shifter apart or else you will end up having to buy a new one.

trailflow

You need to poke and push the cable end tab until it falls into the holder. Whilst pulling on the cable from the other side. You might also need to click through the shift buttons as you do it incase the mechanism is blocking it. Lastly you should be clicking the small lever 10 times then the holder inside will align with the cable end tab and fall into place. Keep persevering it will go in.