DFL,

Sounds like the inside limit screw needs to be adjusted to permit the derailleur cage to move closer to the frame. However, if you are asking this question, then it means you do not know what you are doing. If you improperly adjust this screw, you can cause the chain to drop off between the inner chainring and the downtube. If you are standing you could change your voice a few octaves when this happens, ouch. If you accidently adjust the other screw by mistake, you can throw your chain off the outside of the big ring.

You would be well advised to have a professional mechanic advise you in making these adjustments to your front derailleur. Or, if you happen to be mechanically inclined, Leonard Zinn has written an excellent book about road bike maintenance called, "Zinn And Art Of Road Bike Maintenance." But again, if you were mechanically inclined, you would not be asking this question in the first place. Zinn's book would still be a good read to help you understand maintaining your bike and how the different components work together.

Now chant your mantra, "Aaahhhmmmmmmmm."

---

Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.

Go here and do it yourself. It's easy. Scroll down the page until you see "Front Derailleur Adjusting L-Screw".

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_frontderailleur.shtml

Thanks for your suggestion, but that is not the problem, it will not adjust IN any further--it will adjust OUT, but not in any further.

I appreciate your help though. I am not quite as bad off mechanically, as you suggest. I have been riding and making these adjustments for years--something just seems a little out of whack here.

DFL,

Then you've made one of my points. Time for the professional!

---

Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.

-Ooops, sorry. We went out to eat to the Mexican restaurant and I just went home after to do some laundry and chill.

Anyway, yeah, bring it in.... It needs a trip to the bike shop. We'll fix it.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Are you saying the chain gets stuck BETWEEN the big and little ring? I don't think that should be possible. Are you chain rings loose?

Is the fd cage rubbing the chain and not allowing it to move 'in' onto the small ring? If so; you say it won't adjust any further, but is the cable slack? If not, you may have to loosen the cable.

Tom--I'm on the way--should be there in about three days.

Actually, I got it in to the shop and back today. The small chain ring had been installed (by the LBS)backwards, which was just enough to create a gap large enough for the chain to fall in. As a consequence of being installed backwards, the small ring was offset to where you could not adjust the cage in any further with the adjusting screw.

Dear Ass Ben Cline.

No. I haven't made one of your points. You just didn't read my post carefully, and you wanted an opportunity to be an insulting know-it-all prick.

For example:



isn't that a nice response, and :



That is interesting, but it wasn't what I said was happening.

or this:



Or maybe you are not an insulting know-it-all prick, and I am just not smart enough to know better.

BTW-My LBS had installed the small chainring backwards, creating the gap, and prohibiting any further inward adjustment of the cage, except with a hammer. If you were mechanically inclined, you would have suggested the hammer.

Hey, I called it! I thought it might have been a problem with the chain rings.

Efernand--Partial credit. Why didn't the famous Ben Cline think of this, being mechanically inclined as he is?

You must be really mechanically disinclined though...swap out your own chainrings, cassettes, etc and you won't have problems like this! :) It is oh so easy to do 99% of that sort of stuff.

So your name is Demerly, too? Thanks for your input, Dear, but I didn't want to buy new chainraings for one race, so they swapped out for me :)

Dear Monk,

Thank you for taking an interest in my problem. No, it did not seem to help. I'm sorry I wasted your time.

Perhaps in the future if you really aren't interested in anyone's willingness other than the specific person you are asking to assist you with the problem you are encountering, you should use the personal message option. Then if Tom is too busy to respond, no one will and you can enjoy the misery of your own dilemma.

Oh, by the way, if you are so f**king smart, why were you asking for help in the first place? You must of just been trying to confirm your intelligence and and quiz Tom to see if he was as knowledgeable as you. Since he welcomed you to bring your bike in and take a look at it without making any suggestions as to whether it might be this or that, you were awfully generous to let him off without the rebuke you saved for me.

I hope you go far in life. Enjoy your journey. And remember that those you trample on as you scamble to the top will be the same ones you pass as you plummet to the bottom.

You have certainly made an indelible impression on me that I will not soon forget. Perhaps you have also impressed others with your kindness and generousity. I will try my best to avoid you in the future. You're still DFL in my book.

Have a nice day.

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Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.

In the interest of reconciliation, I apologize for taking offense at your gratuitous insults. We are brothers, after all.