Front derailleur gap?

[Sam Kennedy]

How big is the gap supposed to be between the front derailleur and the chainring? On mine its around 1" which I think is way too much

I can't get it any closer because then the derailleur starts touching the back wheel, I'm guessing this is what I get for buying a cheap bike

 

[Tynan]

does this make sense to anyone?

the front derailleur touches the back wheel?

 

[Bigtwin]

What gap are we taking about here? Do you mean height-wise above the rings, or in-out wise to the siders of the rings?

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I'll take a photo, maybe that will help
Also I meant height-wise.

I'll take a photo to show what I mean.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Here we go, I took 2 from 2 angles just incase it helps:

Where it says "GAP" that is the 1" gap I'm talking about.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4861/dsc2904c.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/i/dsc2905l.jpg/

 

[marinyork]

Can you knock down the res and colour depth, those things are taking millenia to load.

 

[marinyork]

Does seem large but unless it's impinging on something else or else there's some theoretical reason like tension that it was bad I don't see it as a problem.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Here are the smaller files:

 

[Bigtwin]

Gap is a bit too large - only needs to be a tiny bit wider than the chain, just enough to allow it to pass. Remember if you have bio-pace rings, you need to make the allowance at the wide bit of the oval (you may have them, and the pic is taken at the narrowest, in which case, nothing to adjust).

 

[gbb]

Have you fitted, moved or changed anything from its original position Sam ?

looking at the side view, the derailleur is set wildly high i'd have thought.

I'm assuming MTB setups are more or less the same as roadbikes....i set mine on the large chainring, so the derailleur is about 5mm above the teeth.
Also, in the same shot...it looks like the curvature of the derailleur doesnt follow the chainring...the rear is high, maybe thats why its striking the tyre.

I dont have MTBs, but the principles are'nt that much different...are they ???

That looks wild to me

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I'll hopefully get it sorted tomorrow, my younger brothers friends Dad said he would show me how to fix up my bike, so I will find out what I did wrong tomorrow

 

[byegad]

The mech should be only just clearing the outer ring as you change up to the big ring.

 

[threefingerjoe]

I agree, that the mech seems to be mounted WAAAAY too high. But, in addition to that, I have to wonder, is that the original mech for that bike? Reason I ask, is that some front deraileurs are made for different angled seatposts. This looks as if that is the case. Wrong angle, so the curvature of the derailure isn't matched with the curvature of the chainwheel. Looks very odd. Keep us posted. I'm curious as to what you find to be the problem.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

No components on the bike have changed, they are what came with the bike. I'm DEFINATELY NOT going to get another bike from Argos

I'll post back tomorrow what the problem was.

 

[gwhite]

The outside plate of the FD should be 1-2mm above the large chainring. It does seem that you can never manage this as the FD will foul the rear wheel. This is probably due to the wrong FD being for the angle of the seat tube as someone has said.