Cross chaining noise- is it normal/can it eliminated?

pete1336

Hi all,
My wife has a Liv Langma roadbike with a 52-36 upfront and a 30-11 cassette. It's an ultegra mechanical groupset, not the very latest interation, the one before...the 8050 is it?
Anyway, she's new to cycling and tends to cross chain quite a bit...when in the granny ring, has the chain in the smallest cog on the back and the biggest cog on the bag when in the big ring up front.
She complains that when she does this, the chain is noisy. It's obviously rubbing on the FD and Ive told her this is normal and it should do it, it's Shimano's way of telling the rider not to cross chain.
So my questions are:
1. Am I right or wrong in telling her the noise is normal when cross chaining?
2. Can the front mech be sufficiently adjusted to eliminated the chain rub when cross chaining and for the gearing to work normally?
TIA.
Pete

First.Aspect

Normal and can't usually be avoided completely. It increases wear rates a bit. What is your wife's objection to the left hand shifter?

MattFalle

Increases wear rates but next to nothing of buggerall.

Its not perfect but weall do it and tbh, matters not a jot.

Careful tweaking of the front mech will sort 98% of the noise out.

MattFalle

First.Aspect said:

Normal and can't usually be avoided completely. It increases wear rates a bit. What is your wife's objection to the left hand shifter?

Its 8000. The l/hand shifter probably stopped working ages ago.

First.Aspect

MattFalle said:

First.Aspect said:

Normal and can't usually be avoided completely. It increases wear rates a bit. What is your wife's objection to the left hand shifter?

Its 8000. The l/hand shifter probably stopped working ages ago.

Yeah yeah. Remember the chain rings are made of cheese so the wear rate is not to be sniffed at.

dj58

Hello, In general it is not a good idea to regularly cross chain in the extreme Big-Big and Small-Small combinations. Although it is possible to ride like this if the transmission has been set up correctly it is not advised. I know nothing about Shimano Electronic shifting, though I think I read on this forum that the FD has an auto trim facility. Maybe that needs looking at?

davidof

pete1336 said:

Hi all,
My wife has a Liv Langma roadbike with a 52-36 upfront and a 30-11 cassette.

a 30x11 cassette ?

I think someone has put the cogs on the wrong way round and that's causing all the noise.

photonic69

New to cycling with a 52-36 upfront? I hope you live somewhere flattish!?

MattFalle

Why? That gearing is fine - we all started on that sort of thing with a six speed block on the back.

Strange, strange statement tbh.

photonic69

MattFalle said:

Why? That gearing is fine - we all started on that sort of thing with a six speed block on the back.

Strange, strange statement tbh.

Not much fun on anything over an 11% gradient though especially as a novice cyclist. Hence my statement.

MattFalle

Just man or woman up and ride it

If they live somewhere where its all 11% gradients they will have bought a compact

If they don't, just svoid the 11%er until they want to do it.

Or Rule 5

Bizarrely though, as per MFs post sbove, we all did it.

webboo

Some of us started with 52x42 and13 to 25. In those you might get hold of a block with 28 on if you were lucky. Also there aren’t many flat roads in North West Leeds.
Make or break in those days.

pblakeney

webboo said:

Some of us started with 52x42 and13 to 25. In those you might get hold of a block with 28 on if you were lucky. Also there aren’t many flat roads in North West Leeds.
Make or break in those days.

We learned to get out of the saddle and grind out 40rpm.
Next gear was walking. 🤣

photonic69

…and cars used to have starting handles and a man with a red flag to precede them.

webboo

But at least you didn’t get groups of John Wayne’s all pedalling with their knees at right angles to their bikes.
Also you only had nod/ wave a couple of times in a ride not every couple of minutes.
Cycling needs to go back to being a niche sport for anti social types.

pblakeney

photonic69 said:

…and cars used to have starting handles and a man with a red flag to precede them.

I didn't say it was a good thing. It's just how things were.
Kids these days.... 😉

trevor.hall12

photonic69 said:

New to cycling with a 52-36 upfront? I hope you live somewhere flattish!?

I tried a compact and hate it and continually run out of gears on downhills .
As for the op ,you can get it pretty close to a light touch

pblakeney

trevor.hall12 said:

photonic69 said:

New to cycling with a 52-36 upfront? I hope you live somewhere flattish!?

I tried a compact and hate it and continually run out of gears on downhills .
As for the op ,you can get it pretty close to a light touch

People pedal on the downhill? I'm too busy trying to get my breath back.
😉🤣😉

seanoconn

Has your wife tried the trim feature on the left shifter? A mini click moves the front mech a little, allowing more space for the chain when close to cross chaining.