# How to adjust the derailer on my own?



## jdg88 (29 Apr 2009)

I've started to get a bit of chain slippage whilst changing gear, it's happened before and a chap at the LBS showed me what to do and helped me sort it. This time I'd like to sort it on my own but can't for the life of me work out how I can turn the pedals, change gear AND adjust the derailer!! 

Any suggestions? Thanks all!


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## byegad (29 Apr 2009)

Grow a third arm and hand? Otherwise use a friend or relation as 'Head pedal turner.'


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## jdg88 (29 Apr 2009)

Thanks Byegad... was waiting for that one 

Forgot to mention that the trike is an ICE Explorer; just in case anyone has any model specific advice!


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## byegad (29 Apr 2009)

I manage to adjust my QNT gears by leaning hard on the top of the derailer post to lift the rear wheel. You can chock up the rear wheel if it;s going to be a long job.


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## phil_hg_uk (30 Apr 2009)

Or you could get one of these --> http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=BIKEWORK200000000000 used mine when I serviced my bike at the weekend including re-adjusting the gears makes it much easier.


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## 3tyretrackterry (30 Apr 2009)

i have a trice explorer and when my gears play up i adjust at the gear shifter (twist grip shifters) as i am riding along choose a quiet road though if that doesnt work i have an enthusiastic apprentice pedal turner in my 11 yr old.


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## banjokat (30 Apr 2009)

phil_hg_uk said:


> Or you could get one of these --> http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=BIKEWORK200000000000 used mine when I serviced my bike at the weekend including re-adjusting the gears makes it much easier.



Bet it doesn't work with a recumbent trike


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## Chonker (30 Apr 2009)

I used a car axle stand (with the top padded with some rag) under the rear suspension pivot


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## jdg88 (2 May 2009)

Help!!! Have not grown a third arm or been able to recruit a pedal turner but have managed to chock up the rear wheel with a block of wood and adjusted the gears... but I think it's worse now! Went to bicycletutor.com and followed their rear derailer adjustment video and now I still have chain slippage AND the top guide pulley rubs along the chain emerging from the bottom guide pulley when in the highest gears (smallest 3 or 4 cogs). 

Not sure I've explained it very well, so I've attached some three photos.

First one shows what I think is correctly adjusted position for the derailer on the biggest cog (IMG_0179).

Second photo (IMG_0180) shows the derailer on the 5th cog down running clear of the chain.

Third photo (IMG_0181) shows the top guide pulley rubbing along the chain when in the highest gear.

I'm missing out on a lovely day of sunshine, please can anyone help so I can get this sorted before the weekend disappears?!!  Thanks for all replies so far.


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## palinurus (2 May 2009)

Does it only slip in high gear, or in certain gears, or all?

Has the chain been replaced recently? (if so, what about the cassette?).

Looking at where the rear mech ends up it looks like the chain is too long to me.


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## palinurus (2 May 2009)

Must add I don't have any experience with recumbents- is the chain routed correctly, I was wondering if there are any guides or tensioners in the chainline somewhere and whether the chain had come off one of these?

When the rear mech swings right back like that what's going on up front? how many chainrings do you have and which one is the chain on?


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## jdg88 (2 May 2009)

Slips only in mid/high gear. Chain hasn't been replaced recently (only got it in Jan and Kev of D-tek set it all up for me made sure leg length etc was all perfect). I don't think the cassette was new.

I've been riding it happily (very happily!!) but this week noticed recurrence of the slipping problem I had a couple of months ago and decided it needed adjusting as before. Newbie to cycling and bike maintenance so I'm keen to learn to do most things myself.

I think the chain is routed correctly, there's tubing to guide the chain under the frame and a wheel thingy in the middle, all seems right.

I've three chain rings up front, 9 cogs on the back and a hub gear on the back. In the photos I have the chain on the big chainring at the front.


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## palinurus (2 May 2009)

Have you changed the length of the - whatever that thing is called that the chainset is attached to is called? (the _boom_ perhaps?)


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## jdg88 (2 May 2009)

Nope haven't moved the boom, so the overall length is the same as it was on weds when I last rode in to work.


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## palinurus (2 May 2009)

I'm scratching my head.

It looks like the chain is too long- or the trike has shrunk (by the position of the mech in the third photo, especially if when you took the picture it was in the big ring at the front- are you sure about this?). But if it used to be OK with that chain, and the boom length hasn't changed then I'm stumped. I could be missing something really obvious (often do).

Perhaps try posting a link to this thread in Know How- I expect more forummers look in there than Recumbent and HPV.


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## jdg88 (2 May 2009)

Ah much newbie-ness showing through!!! Palinuris you were right it was on the small chainring on the front! Does that help with a solution? I'll also try posting on t'other forum, thanks for double checking!


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## peanut (2 May 2009)

what do you mean by 'slip '?

Most cyclists take that to mean that the chain rides along the top of the sprocket teeth or jumps out of sprockets which often points to chain and cassette wear.

If you mean its trying to change gear by itself all the time then you just need to adjust the derailier probably .

1. Turn the bike upside down on a towel.

2. Put the chain on the small chainring 
3. Shift the gears until the chain is on the smallest sprocket of the cassette.(turn pedals shift lever)
4. Check that the derailier pulley wheel is exactly centred over the teeth of the smallest sprocket.
5. Adjust the deraillieur limit screw until pulley is centred
6. Shift into the largest sprocket.
7. Check deraillieur pulley wheel is centered exactly over the centre line of the sprocket teeth. 
8. Adjust other limit screw as necessary.
9. Shift lever until chain in smallest sprocket . Turn cranks, should sound nice and smooth now .
10. Shift lever once until chain is in the second smallest sprocket.
11. Gradually adjust the rear gear cable tension adjuster out (anti clockwise), on (either the deraillieur or the head tube) whilst slowly turning the cranks until you hear the chain starting to climb onto the third smallest sprocket .
12. Back off the cable tension adjuster slightly until the noise *just* goes away 
now run the gears up and down the cassette they should be smooth ....simples

blimey by the time I'd typed all this out there has been 27 posts and the bike has turned into a trike ! oh well


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## palinurus (2 May 2009)

peanut said:


> what do you mean by 'slip '?
> 
> Most cyclists take that to mean that the chain rides along the top of the sprocket teeth or jumps out of sprockets which often points to chain and cassette wear.



That's what I took it to mean. If the chain and cassette are matched (and if they haven't been changed they will be) then it isn't that. Probably just requires adjustment.

Glad it was in the small ring otherwise there was something odd going on there. Some combinations of gears aren't really viable on some bikes/trikes, small chainring to smallest cogs on the cassette may not be in your case. 

Maybe the rear mech always ends up back there in those combinations- when you think about it those combinations aren't actually that useful (if you want high gears you won't be using the little ring).

Throw in a hub gear as well and I think you'll be able to find a similar gear elsewhere!


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## jdg88 (2 May 2009)

Thanks to all for all your advice, and apologies for my lack of experience and possibly having confused the issue with my description of the problems and not checking the chain ring setup properly!!

I'm going to send the pics to Kev to check if this is perhaps a 'normal' position given the gear setup on my trike. I will also have a go at adjusting the gears using Peanut's instructions to get a smooth gearshift. 

Hopefully if the weather stays nice I'll be riding again Monday!

Thanks again.


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## peanut (2 May 2009)

I've just noticed the comment about chain rub in the third photo.
The rear mech shouldn't fold up enough for this to happen normally but if you were in the smallest chainring at the front then that would suggest that your chain is a little too long.
However it is important to note that it is not recommended that either the smallest sprocket and smallest chainring should be used together or the biggest chainring and sprocket combination because it gives a poor chainline angle .

To check chain length put the chain on the biggest chain ring and biggest sprocket and let us have a picture of the rear mech.


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## peanut (3 May 2009)

User3143 said:


> Usually in this gear the jockey wheels on the rear mech should run in a straight vertical line


exactly my Dear watson exactly


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