derailleur adjustment made easy

[spokewrench]

I had very little derailleur experience when my Abound arrived, about 3 months ago. I turned the bike over to be sure the limit screws and barrel seemed to be properly adjusted. To install a better shifter, I had to replace the cable. That entailed adjusting the barrel. A few weeks later, I began hearing noise in third gear.

I wanted a better way to see how the sprocket wheels lined up. I leveled a 4 x 4 on the ground and put the center stand on it. This way the cassette was plumb and raised it for easy viewing.

With a laser level, I discovered that the low limit screw had apparently come from the factory misadjusted. Then the laser made it easy to adjust the barrel for gears 2 through 6.

 

[Aushiker]

That is a novel approach indeed. I like your ingenuity!

I have always done it the 'hard way' ...

 

[6zfshdb]

I got sick of fooling around with derailleur adjustments and installed electronic shifting on all my bikes. I haven't had to touch any of them for 3 seasons. Shifting is smooth & easy with no cable to deal with.

Archer Components Electronic Shifting for Every Bike

Electronic shifting systems for every bike. 100% compatible with any rear derailleur. Any number of gears. SRAM, Shimano, TRP, Campy, Box. We work great with everyone! This is the only electronic shifter you need for your bike.

archercomponents.com

If adjustments do become necessary, they are done in seconds with an app on a smartphone.

 

[mrgold35]

You got me thinking really hard about adding an electronic shifter to my ebikes. I have a hard time adjusting my derailleur on my 7-speed Radrover and Radcity because of lower quality parts used. The up front price is a little high; but, I like to keep my ebikes for +8 years. Not sure if the shifter would last as long as the ebike? Don't want to spend $100-$500 every 2-4 years for the electronic shifter parts or replacement.

 

[Gionnirocket]

View attachment 171646I had very little derailleur experience when my Abound arrived, about 3 months ago. I turned the bike over to be sure the limit screws and barrel seemed to be properly adjusted. To install a better shifter, I had to replace the cable. That entailed adjusting the barrel. A few weeks later, I began hearing noise in third gear.

I wanted a better way to see how the sprocket wheels lined up. I leveled a 4 x 4 on the ground and put the center stand on it. This way the cassette was plumb and raised it for easy viewing.

With a laser level, I discovered that the low limit screw had apparently come from the factory misadjusted. Then the laser made it easy to adjust the barrel for gears 2 through 6.

Yeah.. That looks easier... smh...
You've officially graduated to a Power Tool

 

[6zfshdb]

You got me thinking really hard about adding an electronic shifter to my ebikes. I have a hard time adjusting my derailleur on my 7-speed Radrover and Radcity because of lower quality parts used. The up front price is a little high; but, I like to keep my ebikes for +8 years. Not sure if the shifter would last as long as the ebike? Don't want to spend $100-$500 every 2-4 years for the electronic shifter parts or replacement.

So far, after 3 seasons and 7K miles, I've had no issues with any of my four e-shifters. One arrived DOA but the folks at Archer immediately sent a replacement.

The only complaint I had was the batteries. They need to be charged 2 or 3 times per season. I solved that problem with the adapter that lets you power the shifter from the bike battery. I only have to charge the handlebar transmitter once a season and it doesn't have to be removed from the bike. I usually do that while I'm cleaning the chain.

They are pricey though. Archer runs a couple of 25% off sales each year. That's how I bought mine.

 

[Gionnirocket]

So far, after 3 seasons and 7K miles, I've had no issues with any of my four e-shifters. One arrived DOA but the folks at Archer immediately sent a replacement.

The only complaint I had was the batteries. They need to be charged 2 or 3 times per season. I solved that problem with the adapter that lets you power the shifter from the bike battery. I only have to charge the handlebar transmitter once a season and it doesn't have to be removed from the bike. I usually do that while I'm cleaning the chain.

They are pricey though. Archer runs a couple of 25% off sales each year. That's how I bought mine.

I've recently upgraded to a Rohloff and I don't believe I could ever go back to a derailure setup. What a pleasure to shift whenever and however I like.

 

[spokewrench]

I have a hard time adjusting my derailleur on my 7-speed Radrover and Radcity because of lower quality parts used.

Low quality? I found out that a 7-speed derailleur requires three shifts to make the same difference as one shift on a 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub transmission, and each derailleur shift wanted a moment of easy pedaling. Letting up three times in a row when I came to a hill could bring me to a stop.

That's normal for a derailleur. I read that anticipation is the key to good shifting. With the Shimano Tourney, I was supposed to read the gear number through a distorted plastic window. I couldn't do that underway, and if I didn't know what gear was in, I couldn't anticipate the need to shift.

I bought another shifter, then found that the OEM shifter couldn't be detached from the cable. I had to throw away the cable that came with the new shifter and order an unusually long one, which was not readily available and cost more than the shifter.

Darn! I should have used a camera stand for that low-light, no-flash photo. It's too blurry to show that I used the laser to line up the sprocket tips of the wheels, not the chain. I think that takes the trial-and-error out of adjustment. (Besides a camera stand, I should have fetched a mirror. When I leaned in to be sure the light was on the tips, I had to be careful not to block the light.)

I first used the laser on a Radmission in 2022. It doesn't have a center stand, so I inverted it and leveled the bars by shimming. It's a single-speed, but I aligned the tensioner wheel with the sprocket wheel for the quietest possible pedaling.

 

[Gionnirocket]

You got me thinking really hard about adding an electronic shifter to my ebikes. I have a hard time adjusting my derailleur on my 7-speed Radrover and Radcity because of lower quality parts used. The up front price is a little high; but, I like to keep my ebikes for +8 years. Not sure if the shifter would last as long as the ebike? Don't want to spend $100-$500 every 2-4 years for the electronic shifter parts or replacement.

I used the Microshift shift levers with the 7 speed and after a few initial tweaks possibly due to cable stretch it stayed true. I liked it much better than the Shimano.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Low quality? I found out that a 7-speed derailleur requires three shifts to make the same difference as one shift on a 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub transmission, and each derailleur shift wanted a moment of easy pedaling. Letting up three times in a row when I came to a hill could bring me to a stop.

That's normal for a derailleur. I read that anticipation is the key to good shifting. With the Shimano Tourney, I was supposed to read the gear number through a distorted plastic window. I couldn't do that underway, and if I didn't know what gear was in, I couldn't anticipate the need to shift.

I bought another shifter, then found that the OEM shifter couldn't be detached from the cable. I had to throw away the cable that came with the new shifter and order an unusually long one, which was not readily available and cost more than the shifter.

Darn! I should have used a camera stand for that low-light, no-flash photo. It's too blurry to show that I used the laser to line up the sprocket tips of the wheels, not the chain. I think that takes the trial-and-error out of adjustment. (Besides a camera stand, I should have fetched a mirror. When I leaned in to be sure the light was on the tips, I had to be careful not to block the light.)

I first used the laser on a Radmission in 2022. It doesn't have a center stand, so I inverted it and leveled the bars by shimming. It's a single-speed, but I aligned the tensioner wheel with the sprocket wheel for the quietest possible pedaling.

That's what's also nice about the Microshift lever... a 1, 2 or 3 gear down shift with one push

 

[fooferdoggie]

I used the Microshift shift levers with the 7 speed and after a few initial tweaks possibly due to cable stretch it stayed true. I liked it much better than the Shimano.

my dog would be better then that crap Shimano makes for 7 speed.

 

[Gionnirocket]

my dog would be better then that crap Shimano makes for 7 speed.

Perhaps beyond your capabilities.
I agree as you go up in gear and class it is more refined. But it does work well when set up correctly. My experience is poor shifting is attributed to cable and chain maintenance, not the derailure.

 

[spokewrench]

I used the Microshift shift levers with the 7 speed and after a few initial tweaks possibly due to cable stretch it stayed true. I liked it much better than the Shimano.

If I have trouble with my Shimano, button-up lever-down shifter, and a laser shows that the derailleur isn't out of adjustment, I'll get a Microshift.

 

[Gionnirocket]

If I have trouble with my Shimano, button-up lever-down shifter, and a laser shows that the derailleur isn't out of adjustment, I'll get a Microshift.

Depending on the amount of exposed cable in your setup, grit getting in the housing is a big offender. I would set it in the smallest cog, fully depress the derailure creating slack in the cable allowing me to disengage the housing from their stops. Then sliding them forward and back while wiping the cable with an alcohol wipe gets them nice and and clean.
No adjustment needed afterwards.

 

[m@Robertson]

I have found that a good sign of quality for a shifter is whether it can be installed one-and-done, without coming out of adjustment later. Maybe some of that is also the cable layout (as few bends as you can) and quality smooth housing that keeps the cable from being pulled hard. My Microshift setups (Advent and Advent X) have never come out of adjustment post-install. My Box 2 derailleurs all have Box 1 shifters cuz the Box 1 version has supercalifragilistic cable+housing they advertise to be the slickeriest on the market. Same deal never needed to adjust after install. Same with SRAM GX, and a SRAM NX on my Big Fat Dummy whose rear wheel is in another time zone.

Part of what you get not using junk like a $2 Tourney, $2.27 Acera or $2.50 Altus.

 

[spokewrench]

My Box 2 derailleurs all have Box 1 shifters cuz the Box 1 version has supercalifragilistic cable+housing they advertise to be the slickeriest on the market. Same deal never needed to adjust after install. Same with SRAM GX, and a SRAM NX on my Big Fat Dummy whose rear wheel is in another time zone.

Part of what you get not using junk like a $2 Tourney, $2.27 Acera or $2.50 Altus.

Maybe the wider spacing of a low-budget cassette makes it easier for a shifter to work okay. That stuff is for 9, 10, 11, and 12 speeds. The 7 on my Abound are more than enough for me. My 1-speed works fine with PAS. Hill too steep? How about 55 watts of assistance? Still too steep? Try 130 watts! I once tested Level 5 by ghost pedaling up a hill and found it offers 1100 electrical watts in and 700 mechanical watts out.

 

[Aushiker]

That's what's also nice about the Microshift lever... a 1, 2 or 3 gear down shift with one push

SRAM do the same ...

 

[fooferdoggie]

SRAM do the same ...

same with deore and higher Shimano. Plus they are really ergonomic.

 

[Gionnirocket]

same with deore and higher Shimano. Plus they are really ergonomic.

Shimano has a 7 speed shifter ( I believe Altus) that can quick shift three gears, but Microshift does it better and more ergonomicly.
With a 7sp, Deore and higher are not an option.

 

[m@Robertson]

Maybe the wider spacing of a low-budget cassette makes it easier for a shifter to work okay. That stuff is for 9, 10, 11, and 12 speeds. The 7 on my Abound are more than enough for me. My 1-speed works fine with PAS. Hill too steep? How about 55 watts of assistance? Still too steep? Try 130 watts! I once tested Level 5 by ghost pedaling up a hill and found it offers 1100 electrical watts in and 700 mechanical watts out.

If that works for your riding great! I am personally a big proponent of more modern/quality drivetrains for a mid drive powered bike, assuming the rider is a pedaler and not a throttler. This assumes hills and the need to shift. In flat-as-a-table Fresno I think even with what I say just below, I didn't use more than three gears on a mid drive, and one gear was plenty on a hub motor bike.

You hear a lot of people saying 3 gears are enough on a mid drive, and for throttling in most terrain thats right. But for me as a cyclist, cadence is everything. Staying in my preferred cadence of the moment, and filtering in the assist level to get just the right effort level is make or break for a ride experience. More gears that dice up choices more finely so I can get things just right.

The first time I tried 11s it was on a bike that came with it factory stock (Surly BFD). I planned to replace the whole drivetrain with a 9s, which is a common go-to recommendation when putting together a strong-enough drivetrain for a pedaler. But once I actually tried to live with 11s, I remembered how much better life was with more gears. And thanks to modern manufacturing, 11s chains are stronger than 9s or even 7/8s. Since then I have built only 11s and one 10s when circumstances forced my hand (and even then, the 10s uses an 11s chain).

And I am not forced to buy garbage derailleurs because thats all there is in a modern world that has left 7/8s behind.