Adjusting front mechs

[Muddy paw]

Never understood the struggle either, two minutes tops from picking up the mech* - maybe we should run classes...



*excluding time spent being a dipstick with oval chainrings!

Yep ! i've never had any real issues setting the front derailleur up and that includes biopace ..

 

[elPedro666]

Biopace is just that you need to set the mech clamp to clear the ring at the high point of it's rotation ... which if you're not an utter muppet is blindingly obvious...

 

[Muddy paw]

Biopace is just that you need to set the mech clamp to clear the ring at the high point of it's rotation ... which if you're not an utter muppet is blindingly obvious...

I had to alter my front mech on my 1st " bso " mountain bike which was my 1st experience of biopace as the shop that i got it from failed to check the front mech was secured properly so being under warranty i took it back and and they tightend it up but didn't position it quite high enough and they were reluctant to do that so i sorted it myself and never went back and yes setting it up at the highest point is quite easily figured out even a noobie to cycling can work it out unless he just happens to be my eldest brother which in that case your better off asking a 5 year old to do it :facepalm: ..

 

[jonthefish]

Never understood the struggle either, two minutes tops from picking up the mech* - maybe we should run classes...



*excluding time spent being a dipstick with oval chainrings!

Yep ! i've never had any real issues setting the front derailleur up and that includes biopace ..

Lucky you. I've only built maybe 6 or 7 bikes now and have changed probably 10 front mechs so I don't claim expertise. Eight of those were easy - a few tweaks and off you go. Two were a major faff - both with middleburn cranksets. I'm not convinced it is always straightforward. Indexed front shifting doesn't really make much sense when you think about it.........

 

[Muddy paw]

Never understood the struggle either, two minutes tops from picking up the mech* - maybe we should run classes...



*excluding time spent being a dipstick with oval chainrings!

Yep ! i've never had any real issues setting the front derailleur up and that includes biopace ..

Lucky you. I've only built maybe 6 or 7 bikes now and have changed probably 10 front mechs so I don't claim expertise. Eight of those were easy - a few tweaks and off you go. Two were a major faff - both with middleburn cranksets. I'm not convinced it is always straightforward. Indexed front shifting doesn't really make much sense when you think about it.........

Well i've only ever used Suntour and Shimano indexed groupsets and Campagnolo so that's probably the main reason i haven't had any issues although i have to admit that the temptation of using friction on the front mech is one thing i've been contemplating as the feel of it does tend to seem a more natural action ..

 

[John J]

Alison.
Have you gained any knowledge since your original post?
As I read it you asked for advice.

 

[mattr]

Alison.
Have you gained any knowledge since your original post?
As I read it you asked for advice.

Probably not!
Need to know what the set up is really to have any chance of helping, front mech, shifter, crank, chainrings, chain line........

One reason why modern kit is far easier, if you get all the bits that are meant to work together, they more often than not go together first time.

Number of times i've seen people using over long axles, chainrings with the wrong offset, cranks with different spacings....... makes the job far more long winded than it needs to be!

 

[jimo746]

One reason why modern kit is far easier, if you get all the bits that are meant to work together, they more often than not go together first time.

And a one-by drive train removes the need to faff about with front mechs completely.

Even better, go singlespeed and forget the headache that is "mechs" :mrgreen:

 

[tufty]

I hate band-mounted front mechs with a passion. I can do them, but there's so much buggering about.

 

[mattr]

And a one-by drive train removes the need to faff about with front mechs completely.

Even better, go singlespeed and forget the headache that is "mechs" :mrgreen:

An attitude forged in the midst of trying to get a bloody SRAM front mech to work......