Frustration! Campag front derailleur.

ted-on-tour

I cant get my chain to shift in to the big ring. Simple as that. I have a Campag Veloce front derailleur, on to a Miche Crankset. Not sure if that makes any difference.

Please could someone help as its driving me insane!

I've watched all the relevant youtube videos I can find but still no joy. I'm never buying anything from Tredz ever again....EVER!

Thanks.

cooldad

Probably easiest to post a picture of your setup, as it could be a number of things.

Out of interest, why do you hate Tredz?

964cup

Unless you've got the wrong BB - so putting your big chainring too far outboard - this can only be an adjustment problem. So, questions:

1. What kind of BB do you have - is it square taper? If it is there's a tiny chance it's the wrong one - but this is unlikely, and impossible if you had this setup working before.
2. Is this a braze-on or band-on FD? If the latter, what adapter are you using?
3. Have you checked that you have a couple of MM clearance under the FD cage above the teeth on the big ring? Do this without a chain.
4. Have you got enough tension in the FD cable? When the FD is in the small ring, the cable should still have some tension in it, not be all floppy.
5. Have you wound in the lower limit screw with the cable loosened off (not all the way, but until the cage is correctly positioned over the small ring)? If not, do this, as it means when you tension the cable you'll get full advantage from the shifter pull.
6. Have you completely unwound the outer limit screw? You'll need to wind it in later to stop the chain overshifting, but this will let you test that you have enough throw in the first place. Can you shift the FD cage past the big ring with no chain on?
7. Is the FD cage parallel to the big ring? If not, adjust the FD until it is.

It's always best to start working on your FD with no chain on - then you can see what's happening and you're not fighting the chain. Once you're happy that you've got enough throw, the right clearance and the cage is parallel, then you put a chain on and start fine-tuning.

ted-on-tour

Ok, so, its almost sorted now. Thanks for the advice. Although I feel blind luck and choice language played a large part in the less than perfect outcome. Its shifting now however the not very well, I think the barrel adjuster might need tweaking, however it seems to just be spinning on the cable housing thus not giving any adjustment.

Tredz have repeatedly let me down. I bought this bike before Christmas and have only just got on it. Only to find the front derailleur isn't set up properly. I understand some bike set up is required when purchasing bikes from online retailers, seat height, handlebar alignment etc, but I don't think solving mechanical gearing problems should be something I need worry about on a bike fresh out of the box.

I also bought a bike from them around 18 months ago, for the wife, we found the one she wanted, got it through finance, then two days later I was told that bike is no longer in stock, so rather than go through the faff of cancelling the finance and finding another (another finance plan and damaging credit check) I asked to swap for another. Found another bike, great, not the one she wanted but it'll do. Tredz sent the wrong size. Swapped it for the correct size, the front tyre has a big bulge in it "can I have a new tyre please Tredz?" Yes they said, but not the same make/model of the tyre that was origionally fitted as they're no longer in stock and we have no idea when they will be next in stock, instead you can have a budget tyre that retails at around £15 cheaper than the original.

And they just p1ss me off in general.

Rightarmbad

Veloce front derailleurs are extremely sensitive to setup.
Brutally so.
There is only one position in which they work and it is so finicky on some frames that often it is better to just fit a higher group mech instead of wasting an hour of your life trying to dial the thing in perfectly.