Can't do bikes.

[SuperHangOn]

I consider myself fairly handy with spanners. I've changed head gaskets, ripped dashboards out for heater matrixes, fitted my kitchen etc etc. However, a rear derailleur... its witchcraft I tell you! I can just never get a bike to work properly. Surely I'm not alone on this?

[CoolC]

There is witchcraft involved, but as long as you get the upper and lower limit screws set right the rest usually follows suit.

Now, wheel truing.....that's real witchcraft

[Celtic Dragon]

They're easy! made even easier if you use a work stand so you can adjust and index at the same time.

[SuperHangOn]

I changed the wheels with a new cassette and chain, now it changes gear on its own. I think theres a poltergeist in the derailleur.

Edited by SuperHangOn on Saturday 10th August 11:34

[duff]

A good guide to rear mech adjustment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KNGQFPT9U

[Andy OH]

It's not rocket science. This link may also help:

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-dera...

[upsidedownmark]

CoolC said:

There is witchcraft involved, but as long as you get the upper and lower limit screws set right the rest usually follows suit.

Now, wheel truing.....that's real witchcraft

Main tip I'd give is unhook the cables when setting the limit screws - that way the levers and indexing doesn't get involved / screw things up. Once that's set, do the cable tension. Simples.

Wheel truing isn't witchcraft either - very methodical. Sheldon brown is a good reference as ever..

[Engineer1]

The thing is all the bits are simple but if something is bent broken or slightly out you will never get it to work right.

[Contaminated]

I'm with the OP on this. I've pretty much rebuilt my whole car, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, plastered, painted, fitted carpets, layed floors, tiled the kitchen, bathroom and conservatory and re-wired the house. I always service my own cars, even the newer ones, and I service my friends cars, change the brakes etc. The gears on my bike - hopeless! I just can't get it right. It's off for a service at my LBS next week.

[SuperHangOn]

Contaminated said:

I'm with the OP on this. I've pretty much rebuilt my whole car, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, plastered, painted, fitted carpets, layed floors, tiled the kitchen, bathroom and conservatory and re-wired the house. I always service my own cars, even the newer ones, and I service my friends cars, change the brakes etc. The gears on my bike - hopeless! I just can't get it right. It's off for a service at my LBS next week.

Mines in the shop as we speak.

I have to admit though, plastering is even worse than bike derailleurs. About once a month I wake up in a cold sweat remembering my attempt to plaster over the artex ceiling in the living room.

[Matt London]

A mech hanger alignment tool is a very handy thing to own. If the hanger is out of alignment the gears won't work properly/smoothly.

[rhinochopig]

Celtic Dragon said:

They're easy! made even easier if you use a work stand so you can adjust and index at the same time.

Some bikes - some full sus designs - will only properly index when the suspension is loaded. I found this out on my Turner. Nearly sawed the thing in half with frustration and being unable to get the chain to stop rubbing on the front mech. For some reason I decided to ride it round the garden whilst looking down to see exactly where it was catching and the bugger stopped doing it. VERY frustrating.