I’m sure I’m doing something simple/stupid, but I’ve looked online at plenty of diagrams and can’t seem to figure the problem.
Bought a NOS bike and the R/D won’t shift out of the smallest cog. I can manually push the R/D in but once I release it, it just jumps back to the smallest cog. The shifter won’t move it at all. Any ideas? I tried adjusting the L screw but that hasn’t seemed to help at all though I thought that was its purpose. - he -
Sounds as though you have a cable problem not a der problem. Loosen the cable holding bolt on the der, shift the shifter into the smallest cog, pull the cable tight in the der, tighten bolt. If this does not work, replace the cable and housing or maybe even the shifter.
Is this Campy? If so, do you have an 11t?
Even if so, still probably the cable.
thanks. I pulled the cable tighter and i’ve got it to shift 2 more gears. what could be the problem w/ the cable that would require replacing?
The cable may be dragging somewhere. You say its NOS…the cable may have frozen inside the housing just from laying around and being maintained (lubed). I’m guessing thats the case. Replace the housing and cable.
You may not have an actual problem. Just a way out of adjustment cable/rear derailleur set-up.
Put front in big ring.
Loosen cable holding screw/bolt on rear derailleur so that cable is not held at all.
Slide cable through all the points you can touch. Cable should slide very easily through housing. Also lube under bottom bracket. That is a good sticking place. If no easy movement, lube or replace as you see fit.
Shift shifter (thing on handle bars) to the point that would put chain into smallest cog.
Make sure rear derailleur on smallest cog (it should go there with no cable attached).
Pull on cable at rear derailleur a little bit, then tighten cable holding screw/bolt.
Lube chain just because it is a good time to. The chain effects shifting a lot.
Adjustment should fix the rest.
Good luck.
First of all, the “L” limit screw has to do with the adjustment of the largest cog, your climbing or “low” gear. The H screw is the one for the lowest cog.
However, neither of these are your problem. The limit screws do one thing, they limit how far the RD can move. You set these up with no cable tension. Take the cable off the RD. The chain should drop to the smallest cog. Adjust the “H” screw until the pulleys on the RD are lined up directly below the smallest cog. Now, push the RD toward the wheel (largest cog). Adjust the “L” screw so that it will not shift into the rear wheel. Just like on the L screw, you want the pulleys to line up directly under the big cog. You are now done with the limit screws. Forget they are there. Don’t mess with them. The limit screws have nothing to do with how the derailleur shifts between the gears, they simply limit how far it can move.
All of the adjustments for how the derailleur shifts are done with cable tension. Since you cable is off, the chain should run smoothly in the smallest cog when you spin the cranks. With the cable still off the RD, pull on it slightly while shifting the rear shifter toward the high gear (smallest cog). This will be the inside shift paddle on shimano, the first click on Sram, and the thumb shifter on campy. With the shifter now in the high gear position, you are ready to attach it to the RD. Take a look at the derailleur, make sure you know which side of the bolt the cable goes on. There is usually a groove. Attach the cable with firm tension, it should be tight, but you don’t have to kill yourself. With the cable attached, move the shifter one gear up, the chain should move up one cog. If it stays there, you need more tension. Dial the barrel adjuster out, counter clockwise until the chain moves up. If it shifts past the gear to the next one, too much tension, dial the barrel adjuster the other way. Continue this process through all you your gears, tuning with the barrel adjuster. This part takes a bit of feel and experience, but play with it for a while and you will get it.