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Adjusting Rear Derailleur Help

2K views 24 replies 6 participants last post by  Diopena1 
#1 ·
I need to make adjustments to the rear derailleur. I mostly ride in the same place every weekend Key Biscayne in Miami FL, in key Biscayne we have a very nice tall bridge and I am finding myself shifting to the smallest cog when going down the bridge kind of fast, I shift but it takes quite a bit to actually shift, I would say anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds, also noticed that it's also happening while on a straight, so it's kind of happening regardless of the situation.

i figured is due to the bumps and stuff. I have a raleigh revenio 3.0 with shimano 105 all around. Any advise!?

i tried making adjustments once to the front derailleur and I actually made it worse, needless to say I'm scared to even ask this question lol, at least now I have the PT stand so it should help a bit in making the job easier.

Also have a question about my pedals, I have shimano spd 105 and I was wondering if the "play" on the pedal where the foot moves sideways before un clipping, can it be regulated? I don't want to make the un clipping harder, just the movement of the foot while clipped in.
 
#2 ·
If it's only happening on the upshifts to smaller cogs, it's likely due to friction somewhere in the system, probably the cable, but possibly the derailleur pivots as well. If it eventually does get into the gear and runs smoothly, it shouldn't have anything to do with derailleur adjustment, so don't mess with that. Bumps shouldn't have anything to do with it, unless a bump while the cable was slack caused the cable to jump out of a guide, but then you'd likely have bad shifting in all gears.

That non-release rotation is called "float," and most people find it desirable -- it helps the knees, and makes cleat angle adjustment less critical. I can't tell from your question whether you want more resistance when it floats, or to eliminate the float altogether, so that rotation begins release immediately. If the former, there's no way to regulate it -- the motion involves the cleat actually sliding on the pedal. If the latter, you can get rid of your yellow cleats (which allow 6 degreees of float) and get some red ones, which have zero. But I wouldn't advise it.
 
#3 ·
Yeah its happening on the upshift to the smaller cog, after it finally settles in the smallest cog, it runs just fine. So cable it is!?

so yeah the questions was if i could regulate the float but i got your answer, reason i asked was because the right cleat is either slightly a bit more lose then the left or the angle of the cleat due to the fact that the right shoe at times rubs agains the crank. I'll just readjust the cleat.

Thanks JC!!
 
#4 ·
the right shoe at times rubs agains the crank. I'll just readjust the cleat.
Be a little careful with that. If you're othewise comfortable but the side of the shoe heel rubs the crank, that just might be the angle your foot/knee anatomy wants. If you adjust it so it doesn't rub and you notice any knee discomfort, put it back. The rubbing isn't a serious issue (unless you're whacking your ankle bone), and the minimal cosmetic damage to shoe and crank is less important than keeping your knee happy.

I know this from experience. My feet naturally toe out, the right more than the left. When my cleats are adjusted properly, my shoe rubs the crank lightly on every rotation. All my cranks have the anodizing or paint polished off in that spot, and my shoes get a little wear mark, too. This is not uncommon. Some people need even more angle, and have to use a pedal with a longer axle, or a pedal extension.
 
#5 ·
Actually in my case is the other way around. Since I tend to push my knees in towards the frame naturally my heels point out wards and in this case my right foot toe hits the crank arm at times, I can always make a slight adjustment to the cleat, actually the cleats are not straight since I angled them to help me with getting used to pushing the knees towards the frame when I started riding, now is second nature to me.

the reason why I want to stop the rubbing is because I have OCD for certain things and this bothers me when it happens which make me think about it to much to the point where I force the foot to stay straight while still pushing the knees in, I mean is awkward thinking about that while I'm trying to maintain a speed or go faster, at least for me is a distraction, again OCD lol
 
#7 ·
I would agree that your shifting issue is due to cable friction. They are either wearing out or just cheap galvanized cables. Replace with good quality stainless steel cables.
 
#11 ·
The other thing to know is that if your using stainless steel cables (and I'd say that 99.999999999% of the road bikes out there do) then the cables neither 'wear' nor corrode much. Pretty much all of the wear that causes problems w/ shifting takes place in the housing. The liner gets worn and this increases friction. Because of where you live, corrosion might become an issue, more likely around the ends of the housing.
 
#19 ·
CX can you answer me this question!? Why is it that when you put the bike on the stand and shift everything works fine or close to it, but when you ride that's when the problem comes out? Just curious because I would think if the problem doesn't present itself while on the stand how can it be properly repaired?
 
#22 ·
OP,

Not questioning your wrenching abilities, but given how new the bike is.... have the LBS take a look at it.
See, if you go around adjusting things, you run the risk of making it worse, unless of course you know what you're doing, and how it impacts the function of the mechanism.

I was in your shoes before, and found a lot of videos on youtube that helped me understand derailleur function better. Shoot, I just swapped out my rear derailleur in 10 minutes yesterday, adjusted it, trimmed it.... shifted like 50 times up and down. Seems good to go, but, will wait until I have it on the road where there is power going through the driveline, and see what minor adjustments I may have to make.

You live in Florida- I'd guess that your bike has stainless cables, and although salt water corrosion could be a culprit, I don't think it to be the issue. Cable tension on the other hand is more plausible.
 
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