[Cadent]

Gentlefolk;

My LBS offers lifetime adjustment with the bike, and he has been super, but he is also 25 miles away...sooooo....

My chain rubs on the derailleur when it is on the middle ring. The LBS has tweaked this twice, and its fine for a while, then the rubbing comes back. Each time less, so I think we are finally reaching the end of the cable stretch time.

But, I figger this is sumpthin' I can do myself and save the drive to the LBS...but the last time I tried this, I royally mucked up the stop screws, which my LBS had to get sorted.

He also pulled and cut off a bit of the cable so I think I am at the point where the barrel adjusters will take care of my issue.

So, here is the symptom: I am getting a slight chain rub on the second ring which goes away after about 20 minutes of riding - during which time I am usually shifting down to the small ring (three-ring front... granny gear is my lifesaver....).

I don't seem to have rub in the small ring (granny gear) and I don't play much with the big ring. But, as I said, I spend most of my time in the second ring but pretty much play all over the range in the rear.

So, based on this sketchy info, am I correct in thinking a simple barrel tweak will move the derailleur away from the chain a snick?

The Sheldon Browne site seems to think so, but I am rather confused by the "clockwise/counterclockwise" orientation. If I use the handlebar adjuster, from which orientation does the CW/CCW apply? From the seat facing forward, or from the wheel facing backward? Or is it better to make this adjustment at the derailleur end..but then I think I have the same question. What orientation do you use to determine CW/CCW?

And am I barking up the correct tree??

Many thanks, all!

Oh, is there a book that goes over bike care and feeding that folks find useful?

 

[Cadent]

you do know about the 'trim' clicks in your shifter, right? there are half-clicks that don't move enough cable for a shift, but allow the derailleur to be 'trimmed' so it doesn't rub the chain. also, limit screws will never change any shifting problem, if they were properly adjusted from the beginning, they won't change. if something else happens...cable stretch, housing compression, derailleur bent or moved...that has to be addressed. limit screws only do that...they limit the travel of the derailleur, nothing else. the height, and angle of the derailleur itself must be correct and the cable tension must be correct for proper shifting.

Ummm.... kinda dimly aware...but I usually go through the full throw of the shifter, and actually..I would have to say I _don;t_ know about the trim clicks.

The stop screws were tinkered with by me, and later by the LBS, because I was dropping chain onto the BB. That has stopped, but now I am just fine-tuning the system.

Thx!