So, first time fettler, probably not a good idea at this time of night but September resolution was to ride to work. I have googled this and found some useful info already but....
[i]
"pull the cable through with pliers and clamp it with the bolt provided. Don't heave the cable through, just tension it so it doesn't sit slack."[/i]
Front mech jammed on the road bike (got me stuck in big ring, with all the hills left to do to get home on commute in big rainstorm...) Nothing was moving at all so I loosed the cable with the bolt. ( I don't want to know if I should never have done this, I've done it now) Should've paid more attention to how it was fixed in the first place.... Front mech now moves OK so I just need to re-attach the cable. So, this clamp... Its a bolt with a washer against the top of the mech, and the cable I clamp on the inside of the bolt with moderate tension, with the chain on the little ring (its a compact)
Tick. Mech now moves when I move the shifter.... (improvement on start situation), not enough to get it onto the big ring though. Do I need to pull the cable tighter (have tried quite hard..)? Or do something with those little screw things (limit adjusters?).......?
Or just drive the car to work and take the bike to my mate like I normally do?
Cables too slack, the way i do it is to put the bike in the middle ring, Fingers behind mech and slacken cable off, Pull mech towards you which inturn should if you are careful allow a few extra mms of cable through, Tighten up and try again,
If that fails after a few trys i got back wind the barrels in and off 2 turns and start from scratch
Don't touch the limit adjusters. slacken off any cable adjusters. Make sure the lever is in the position for the small ring. Pull the cable tight and clamp it up. If it wont go onto the big ring then there should be some cable adjusters - tighten them up a bit to tighten the cable - they will either be at the lever end or the mech end of the cable depending.
[url= http://www.parktool.com/repair/ ]Park tools[/url]or [url= http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ ]sheldon brown are good resources for fewttling info[/url]
Ok, more improvements. Moving the shifter now changes from big to little at the front 🙂 ( there is no middle!)
I messed about* with the barrel adjusters ( I think, once I'd found them, they're on a different place on the mtb!)Is there a plus and minus way for them ( think left loosey/righty tighty type advice)? I didn't seem to be able to turn them easily either way, but after messing* with them, the front mech worked better.
Small ring at the front, big at the back seems to be catching on the mech, but I can get to work and back without that gear so I reckon job done for the evening.
Thanks guys
* messed/messing = highly skilled, controlled, calculated technical adjustments
Good stuff - the only way to learn is to try - just never take the big hammer to it!
Use those links above for info - very useful
Thanks TJ. I might try, but I quickly looked at the Sheldon Brown one and there were far too many words for this time of night!!
I'll keep them in mind for a more reasonable hour.