Crisp, accurate gear shifting can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying your bicycle, whether you're a novice rider, or an expert. Making that happen, by properly adjusting your front and rear derailleurs, does not require master mechanic skills or a shop full of tools. Knowing how to set your gears up will save you the monetary and time expenditure of having to take your bike to a technician every time the gears require attention.
Rear Derailleur
Step 1
Put the bike in the repair stand so that the wheels are off the ground and able to be rotated.
Step 2
Shift the chain to the smallest cog, or highest gear, on the gear cluster on the back wheel.
Step 3
Standing behind the bike, locate the rear derailleur, and two small screw heads on it. One will be marked "H", the other, "L". The H screw controls how far away from the bike the derailleur can travel when shifting gears. The L screw limits how far toward the bike the derailleur can move.
Step 4
Turn the H screw, with the screwdriver, counterclockwise to move the derailleur and the chain, which is on the smallest cog, away from the bike, until the chain is centered beneath that cog, where it comes off the derailleur's top pulley wheel. Turn the H screw clockwise, if necessary, to move the derailleur the other direction, until that alignment is achieved.
Step 5
Shift the chain to the largest cog, the low gear, in the back.
Step 6
Align the chain centered directly beneath the big cog, where it comes off of the derailleur's top pulley wheel.Turn the L screw counterclockwise to move the mechanism toward the bike. Turn it clockwise to move in the opposite direction.
Front Derailleur
Step 1
Shift the chain onto the smallest of the two or three chain-rings on the crank/pedal assembly.
Step 2
Locate the front derailleur cage. This is the two metal pieces of the derailleur that push the chain from chain-ring to chain-ring. The chain runs between them.
Step 3
Turn the L screw counterclockwise to allow the cage to move toward the bike until the bike-side part of the cage clears the chain by 1-2 mm.
Step 4
Shift the chain to the biggest chain-ring, or high gear.
Step 5
Turn the H screw clockwise, until the outside of the derailleur cage clears the chain-ring.Test by shifting back down, then up. If the chain won't go all the way up, turn the H screw counterclockwise until it will. If it goes too far, and falls off, turn the H screw clockwise until it stays put.
Tips and Warnings
- Proper cable tension is important for efficient gear shifting. If it's too tight, the derailleurs can't move as far as they should. If it's too loose, the derailleurs will not respond when shifters are activated. Cable tension can be set at the cable pinch-bolt, where the cable attaches to the derailleur.
- Use caution whenever working with moving bicycle parts, especially wheels, chains and gears.
Things You'll Need
- Repair stand
- Small screwdriver
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