[skopiec]

Trying to dial in the rear derail. on my new Defy...

Looking at the rear cage, it looks asymmetrical. Normal for 6700 Ultegra? Here's a pic, but it seems like the lens distortion makes it look way worse than it really is.

It doesn't shift badly, but it's not quite as perfect as I expected coming off of old 8sp DA

 

[Randy99CL]

Take another pic in line with the wheel and with the flash. Can't really tell from that angle.

 

[skopiec]

As requested....

 

[reptilezs]

looks like the index adjustment is off more than bent

 

[Randy99CL]

Yes, it doesn't look like it is centered well under the cog and that would be a cable adjustment.
Sometimes new bikes get bent hangars in shipping but usually the cage ends up bent back toward the spokes and yours doesn't look like that.

Exactly how is it not shifting as well as you expected?

 

[DrSmile]

It's pretty hard to tell... this makes it child's play:

Park DAG-2 Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge from ModernBike.com

 

[looigi]

Judging from that pic, if it's bent it's not bent enough to matter. It takes a pretty severe bend to affect shifting, assuming limits and tension are appropriately set. Make sure the cables are not kinked and the housings have square cuts and are not crimped on the cable, and are firmly seated in the shifter bases, frame stops, etc...

 

[skopiec]

You all have a good eye - the indexing was a bit off, due to my on the bike adjustments trying to get it right.

It seems like it wants to over shift on the larger cogs and be a bit slow on the smaller. More of an issue shifting up more than one at a time.

Perhaps I just need to get my muscle memory in tune to these vs. my old setup.

Thanks the the replies.

 

[Kerry Irons]

You all have a good eye - the indexing was a bit off, due to my on the bike adjustments trying to get it right.

Not really much of an eye. Even from that not-so-great quality picture you can easily see that the upper pulley on the derailleur is not centered on the cog and looks like it's trying to pull the chain to the next-smaller cog.

I repeat this here often but it really is pretty easy to figure out how to sort out most things on a bicycle simply by making close observations of how things are supposed to work compared to how they are working.

 

[looigi]

...I repeat this here often but it really is pretty easy to figure out how to sort out most things on a bicycle simply by making close observations of how things are supposed to work compared to how they are working.

Agree, but I find there's a pretty wide range of mechanical aptitude, experience, and interest among riders. Perhaps interest is the predominant determinant. Those interested probably fiddled with mechanical stuff from an early age and developed their understanding, intuition and judgment whereas those not interested did other things and developed in other areas. I know some very smart and successful people who are totally mystified by bicycle mechanics and maintenance. It's not like they couldn't figure it out, they simply chose to expend their mental capital elsewhere.