Correctly adjusting the derailleur and derailleur

Peter Nilges

· 12.02.2008

Photo: BIKE Magazin

Correctly adjusting the derailleur and derailleur

The best equipment is useless if you don't know how to get the best performance out of it. Bikers should be able to adjust their gears and set the derailleur correctly.

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Do you have a natural aversion to tools? Are you afraid of causing more damage if you work on your beloved two-wheeler yourself? Forget your fear of wrenching. With detailed instructions and a little practice, you too will be able to adjust the most important parameters on your bike. This saves time and money, is fun and you can spend more time on the trail. Not to mention independence in the event of a breakdown. The following applies to all parts on your bike: before you start adjusting them, you should check whether the parts in question are still intact. If not, you can screw as much as you like. The part remains scrap. If the chain or cassette are worn, you should first replace these parts before you start adjusting the gears.

Then you're ready to go: We'll show you the basics of shifting and derailleur adjustment.

ADJUST REAR DERAILLEUR CORRECTLY

A sure instinct is required here. But once you have understood the basic principle of gearstick adjustment, you can get any gearshift problem under control.

1. derailleur hanger There are three screws on the way to a perfectly adjusted derailleur. But before you start with the fine adjustment, you should check whether the derailleur hanger is really straight. When looking from behind, the derailleur cage must be exactly parallel to the sprockets of the cassette. If the derailleur hanger is bent, the only remedy is usually to replace it or straighten it with special tools.

2. cable tension Current rear derailleurs do not require a cable tension screw. The only way to regulate the tension is on the shift lever. On rear derailleurs with normal shifting logic (SRAM or Shimano "Top Normal"), unscrewing the screw increases the tension. The chain climbs more easily onto the next larger sprocket.

3. pivoting range Use these two screws to limit the pivoting range of the rear derailleur. Use the upper H-screw to set the position of the rear derailleur under the smallest sprocket and the lower L-screw to set the position under the largest sprocket. The upper idler pulley must be positioned exactly under the corresponding sprocket. Unscrew the H screw until the chain drops onto the smallest sprocket without causing any noise when cranking.

When the chain is on the largest sprocket, turn the L-screw in far enough so that the rear derailleur no longer twitches when further pressure is applied to the shift lever, but still shifts perfectly.

4. CHAINWINDING This screw often lives a shadowy existence because you can more or less manage with the manufacturer's factory set-up. You can use it to adjust how far the rear derailleur, and therefore the chain, wraps around the sprockets. On the largest sprocket, the distance between the teeth of the upper guide roller of the rear derailleur and the cassette teeth should be five to seven millimetres. Turning the screw in increases the distance. TIP Proper cable routing is a prerequisite for precise shifting. DISTRIBUTOR Once correctly adjusted, the front derailleur ensures precise shifting even after countless kilometres. The maintenance effort is extremely low.

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Photo: Daniel Simon

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Correctly adjusting the derailleur and derailleur

ADJUST REAR DERAILLEUR CORRECTLY

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