I recently got Gary Fisher Cake 2 frame which I am building up however I am having problems setting up the front mech. Usually I can set up a front mech in about 5 mins but I just can’t get this one to work. I have set it to work OK on the middle ring but can not get it to shift down or up correctly. The mech moves to the correct position but does not shift the chain. I have moved the stops and still the same. I even tried to angle the front mech and managed to get it to shift down but still can’t get it to shift to the largest ring. Anyone any ideas?

My setup is a new SLX M661 front mech, Deore LX Front Shifter (Dark grey with Mega 9 on them, Shimano LX Hollowtech Cranks, Middleburn Rings.

Kink in the cable?

Brand new Black Snake cables fitted so no kink. Mech appears to be moving fine, just not shifting the chain over.

i’m an idiot, and i ask stupid questions.

that’s a 2-ring specific mech (i think? isn’t it? – at least, mine is…), how many chainrings do you have?

FD-M665 and FD-M667 are the double specific mechs, FD-M661 like the OP has is a triple mech.

I had this with an SLX front mech and I think I fixed it by moving the mech just 1mm down the seat tube, closer to the big ring. Any further than that and the chain wouldn’t go up onto the big ring but, with the mech lined up to the big ring using the sticker, it wouldn’t drop the chain from middle to granny.