Despite this, many bike shop mechanics still don't understand the design and intents. I'm determined to buy Park Tool whenever they are available to support them.
How can something so small be so hard adjust. I spent about 8 hours trying every combination of screws and settings with no luck. This video is a godsend.
Calvin reminds me of that uncle you have that knows everything and is a patient instructor. Reminds me of this guy when I needed to repair my transmission. www.youtube.com/@transmissionbench7842
My wife wants to know why I see your videos every day, lol. Im unemployed and have bought and sold bikes for 8 months now, Calvin's step by step saved me and taught me so much. If there's anything you ever need Calvin! You have a friend here in Los Angeles.
You saved me. What helped was turning the speed down to 75%and watching and pausing and attempting over and over. Finally tension was perfect and third clicked and engaged. You are a professional and make this look easy.
Guys! I did it! My chain was rubbing my front mech so I started tinkering with it. Next thing I know I was neck deep in problems. I tried fixing it, watched a ton of videos to no prevail. I gave up and decided to come back another day. With a fresh mind and a cup of tea I watched this video, took everything step by step, slowly turning the screws, and everything worked. If you can't seem to get your front mech working, take a break. Come back to it when your in a good mood. And when your adjusting the screws do small movements, it's less than you think. Cheers!
This is exactly why I watch these and do it myself. I have free adjustments at the shop I bought from, but often have better results doing it myself with Park Tool videos, without drop-off and pick-up trips and delays.
Over the years, I've watched countless flicks on the RD. Calvin is the best communicator -- no stammering, "UMS", and he uses precise words for all respective parts.
Jay Nielsen totally agree...just watched rjthebikeguy and the 16 min video would’ve been 8 min without all the um’s. On the other hand he was wearing some cool Homer Simpson slippers. Calvin’s the best, though. Very methodical
Gotta also mention the cam angles, light, and editing (markers in pic to show where stuff was, and then moves, multiple shots on one screen,...) - great package!
After attempting this for 3 failed hours with my bike upside down in the grass I've come to the conclusion that one of those bike work stands is a must
3 hours after i took up fixing my front derailleur i stumbled across this video. About half an hour later , i adjusted it better than it came out of the box! Thank you so much, truly a life saver for a beginner like me!
I searched this video after about an hour or two, but pretty much, same! My old LBS told me a new bike would be cheaper. Fixed my chain rubbing in 10 minutes with this video.
This gentleman knows his stuff! I had a problem with my Norco road bike, with it not shifting onto the largest front sprocket. I watched the video and wrote down almost verbatim what he said and now, I will go out and adjust!! Thank you good sir.
I've been changing my own gear cables for 20 years, (and constantly making adjustments to try and get them right). Watched this video and realised where I had been going wrong all that time. I now have perfectly working front derailleurs - adjusted and correctly set within a few minutes. Thank you!!
These park tool videos have helped me learn how to do so much maintenance on my bike to keep me on the road commuting to work. Calvin's very thorough and easy to follow explainers are a life saver
there's many Derailleur how to videos on TH-cam but Calvin's are my go to for his distinct pronunciation, and straight to the point instruction. THANK YOU for your time!
Having been chasing a constant problem with the adjustment on my mountain bike front derailleur this video finally put it to bed. Even my local bike shop struggled and wanted to simply fire the parts cannon at my expense replacing perfectly good components unnecessarily. I was convinced it was simply an adjustment issue and I was proven right by following your video. Thanks very much for taking the time to explain things and how to adjust in the correct order.
I fixed the problem of the front derailer on the used bike I purchased-from no shift to shifting correctly. I have never attempted to troubleshoot an 18-speed bike. Calvin-you are an excellent teacher!! Thank you!!
Ive watched a ton of videos and read a stack of articles on tuning the front derailleur, but this one is above and beyond the best one of them all. Thank you!
These videos have been watched millions of times, but just want to say that your step by step directions are incredible. I've got a couple new bikes shifting flawlessly. Looking at truing/adjusting wheels next. Thanks!
Got a used mt. bike on craigslist and both derailleurs were seriously out-of-whack; shifting when I didn't ask it to, not shifting when I did, chain popping off the sprockets, etc. Never did this kind of adjustment before... this and the corresponding rear derailleur vid and the bike is now perfect. Great video: clear, concise ... great job!
Wow!! Literally the Oracle of gear knowledge. Very clear explanation. No beating around the bushes or too many extra talks. Your knowledge and way of sharing the knowledge os great
This is the best explanation I have witnessed after spending a complete morning watching adjustment videos. Easy to understand and at a pace to allow the information time to be absorbed before pushing on. Great job!
The uneasy moment you realize that Kelvin Jones is a gift to the mankind. Thank Kelvin. Thanks Park Tool. If you help so much non-customers, I imagine how satisfied your customers are.
I bought a mail-order bicycle, put it together myself, and right away had front derailleur problems. Shifting up worked great. Shifting down - not so great. The manufacturer had a good video on derailleur adjustment, but I still couldn't figure it out. This video did the trick. Thank you Park Tool! I was so impressed with your videos that I bought your advanced took kit and look forward to many successful bike repairs and adjustments in the future.
This video helped me a great deal, thank you. Bikes hate me. It seems like every maintenance or repair project calls for three hands. Left hand needs to hold [x], right hand needs to hold [y]. Make sure those two are right where they need to be. Then tighten the screw/nut/bolt [z] with your third hand while being careful not to allow [x] or [y] to move more than one one-millionth of a millimeter or the entire bike will collapse, requiring reassembly.
This has always confused the heck out of me. I'm still a bit confused, but this was by far the best instructional video on bike derailleurs I've ever seen! Thanks.
Park Tool is a lifesaver. Every other tutorial I've seen is confusing or not specific enough. As someone who is new to cycling I appreciate having all the information about fixing your bike you could need gathered in one place. I recently bought a bike for 50 bucks on Facebook marketplace which I have slowly been tuning and replacing parts on. By this summer she's going to be in tip top shape 😝
I want to thank you for the absolute best instructional videos for adjusting and maintaining my bike’s derailleurs. Your step by step instructions enabled me to get back in the saddle again. The parts where you explain what to do if “this or that’ll happens saved the day for me. I had a lot of things that didn’t happen as they were supposed to. By following your “what if this happens” instructions, I was able to get back on track and get my derailleurs shifting smoothly again. Now I have the confidence to tackle this job whenever I need to make future adjustments. Other videos posted by other so-called experts were confusing and virtually worthless. Keep up the good work.
The Gold Standard of bicycle maintenance and Calvin is one concise deliverer in a manner that even a novice will appreciate for the confidence he instills. Like RJ the bike guy he conveys occasionally complex tasks and addresses them in very straightforward and easily grasped tutorials. This man really cares that you understand and like RJ knows how to present it in a manner that erases any concerns you might have that you cannot do it. Park Tool has a real Gem in this guy.
Before I tackle a bike project, I watch both Calvin and RJ along with GCN and between the three of them, even a dunce like me can replace his bottom bracket.
Thank you for making this video. I am a novice who just uses my bike to travel to the grocery store. Both of my bikes were not shifting properly; and, thanks to you, I now have ideas on how to fix it. God bless you.
@@karlmarx3471 I have been fixing and maintaining my own cars for 25 years. Bicycles are child's play. You must be one of those guys who pays the real men to change your oil, to make a comment like that. Now, beat it troll.
This video helped me so much. At first I tried to adjust a trek shockwave front derailleur using this video and I was just rushing through it and couldn't figure it out. Ended up selling that bike and got a Schwinn Al Comp that shifted decently but decided to go over this video again, watching some parts about 5 times to make sure I understood and now it shifts buttery smooth with a generic front derailleur.
My front derailleur wasn't working and wouldn't even be close to shifting. But then I found Park Tool's video and fixed it in under a hour. You could all of the angles you would need to fix a bike. Thumbs up! I will definitely be recomending this channel to people.
I generally avoid videos, finding them confusing. But Calvin's video converted me! I can't imagine a better lesson in aligning my derailleur. Thank you, Calvin, for your excellent teaching!!!
I. L limit (bottom) Step 0: RD is at Largest cog, FD is at Smallest Chainring Step 1: Turn barrel adjuster for FD clockwise to loosen up the cable Step 2: Tighten L limit screw until there is rubbing Step 3: Loosen the L limit screw until there is no more rub Step 4: Turn Barrel adjuster for FD counter-clockwise If it shifts back inwards fast, then you're good. If it's slow, then loosen a little bit more II. H limit (top) Step 0: RD is at smallest cog, FD is at largest chainring Step 1: Loosen H limit so that when you push the lever it moves a lot Step 2: Slowly tighten H limit so that when pushed, it only moves about 1 mm Troubleshoot 1: If it takes too long to shift, then loosen by a quarter turn Troubleshoot 2: If the chain goes off the crankset, tighten it by a quarter turn III. Indexing Step 0: RD at smallest cog, FD at largest chainring Step 1: Turn Barrel adjuster clockwise so that there is slight movement in the FD Step 2: Turn Barrel adjuster counter-clockwise so that there is no more movement in the FD Edit: This WILL NOT WORK if you are using a r5801, r7000, r8000, r9100 FD. As much as the RD video helped me, this video confused me even more. I had to learn the hard way that the new shimano FDs have a completely different mechanism than previous generations. Thus, the adjustments made in this video are unsuitable. For example, the H screw here is just a limiter. However, on the new shimano, it also changes the cage outward position. There are videos about how to adjust the new FDs, but personally, I've found the shimano FD Dealers Manual to be the best for me. You can easily find it on the official shimano website. I hope this saves someone from the headache I've been through trying to figure it out. Good luck!
This is outstanding! I had a problem with shifting to the largest front gear. This was a very simple fix, based on easy-to-follow information on your video. You saved me a trip to the shop. Thank you.
A couple of months ago, a new bike arrived of which the front derailleur was quite badly set. It was under an angle and the chain was rubbing on gear settings you wouldn't expect it to. I finally got myself to take some tools and this video to guide me through it and 15 minutes later it runs just perfect. Attempted some settings years ago on another bike without completely knowing what I was doing and that sort of worked. For many years the index setting was my best friend to get rid of most of the annoyances and everything else I just accepted and worked around. This video is pure gold to guide you in properly setting the front derailleur. 👌
You sir are a godsend, I was unable to shift down into my small gear and your video saved me a trip to the bike shop. Not that I don't like the bike shop, I just like fixing what I can on my own.
I had significant front derailleur issues. The shifting from 1->2->3 was erratic and would get stuck and would need multiple attempts to change. After going through the set of videos from this channel, I fully understand how the system works and how to adjust it. All issues are now fixed! Thank you!
One hour of your videos on front and rear derailleur problems have helped me solve my 6-month old gear shifting issues, despite hours and hours of frustration and failures in the past.. I cannot believe I didn't find you earlier, but won't let you go again.. Amazing content, outstanding quality and immaculate clarity, thank you Calvin!
Good video. Just bought a Costco XC27 bike, the instruction really helped tuning the shifter. Once you understand how the parts play together, very easy to tune. Save $100 at bike shop. 1. Adjust the height and orientation of shifter 2. Adjust L-screw 3. Adjust H-screw 4. Adjust cable tension (index)
Fantastic information,I always had the fear of losing the adjustment made by the local mechanic when I am handling the derailleur .your video made me to understand the mechanism clear and I did the adjustment all by myself. Thanks.
This video once again guided me through what otherwise would've been a supremely frustrating time. It was still frustrating because the barrel adjuster was seized and I had to use pliers to turn it, but this made it bearable. Thanks Calvin, you're an incredible teacher.
I've watched quite a few of these adjustment/setting up videos and this one has been so helpful. Had a bike out of action gathering dust as I couldn't set up the front derailleur! After watching this (quite a few times to keep up) I now have a second working mtb! Thanks so much!!
Fabulous. I spent 20 minutes fiddling with the 2 screws getting nowhere. 10 minutes into the video and my lowest front gear now engages as well as the top gear. Without chain grinding. Thanks SO much guys!
I've never had to do this myself on any of my own bikes, but we got my son his first bike with gears from a box store and the indexing is so far off he can't use either his highest or lowest rear gear... probably because it was assembled poorly (I basically took apart and rebuilt the brakes already too). So this video has been a huge help. Thanks!!
Awesome video! Great instruction, great images to reference. I used to do this in my sleep, but been away from biking for 20 years, so needed a refresher. My bike was a mess being in storage, now it's shifting perfectly. Great job! For that reason, I'm now a customer at Park Tool. Will do some shopping later this weekend most likely.
I've been adjusting my mechs myself for years since no mechanic ever gets it perfect, and that's considering you're paying them! I got everything on both mechs surprisingly close to the recommended methods here! Tip from experience: on the rear mech try to align the mech just a bit outwards to make drop shifts faster, and on the front mech after you got everything right, try to give the H limit a bit of slack to make the change upwards easier.
Hey Calvin, I just picked up an old MTB with indexed shifters - followed your very detailed video step by step - but low & behold - no joy! I couldn’t get the rear shifter to go all the way to the largest gear, or the front to the largest gear. Anyway, after a bit of frustration, I had a hunch it was the actual indexer mechanism on the handle bars. Sure enough, I opened them, squirted some isopropyl alcohol, clicked and backed off a few times - and hey presto - full range of movement! THEN I was able to go through your video step by step - and now it’s good as new! Calvin for President I say!😜
I am embarrassed to tell you how it took but now I can honestly say that I understand everything in your video and it makes sense. My bike shifts PERFECTLY now. - THANKS!
👍🏻 I’ve been maintaining my Bikes for well over 40 years and was always frustrated by front derailer adjustments. Between the two videos I now have a thorough understanding of how the front derailer works and I’m able to systematically troubleshoot and make well-informed adjustments to remedy those annoying chain rub or poor performance problems.
Very detailed and helpful video presentation. I now realise that there is no problem with my bike, it just has a minor inevitable chain rub on one combination as Calvin explained at 11:30. Best avoided by using other combinations 👍.
Brilliant instruction and expertise! Tuned up the front derailleur and now, for the first time in three years, it works perfectly! Thank you, thank you! Outstanding!
Watch the whole video before initiating repairs. You may learn (as I did) too late that in attempting to fix an unsolvable trivial problem, you just created some new, more annoying problems. Great video all the same, 💯
I watched a couple video's before this one with 2 to 3 times the veiws, this one has way more info. Cant wait till tomorow to start tweaking my new bike im setting up. Thanks big time
After changing a back flat tire, I discovered I had to adjust my derailers and brakes. Your videos are a super tool that belongs in every bike owners tool chest! Thanks a million!
Wow brother:) what a crisp, clear and precise explanation. Everything the video quality, audio, camera zoom in and out, most importantly the way you explained and your technical knowledge 👌👌👌 Awesome is not the word. Thanks and lots of love from India. 🙏🙏🙏
I bought a MTB four days ago and the paddle was making noise. At that time I thought it was the front derailleur and made some adjustment which didn’t help at all. This made my factory setting worse. Later I realise it was the paddle and tightening it stop the noise. But now my derailleur is all wrong. This repair and how it works video is god send. Thank you making this high quality video.
Amazing tutorial. Calvin and the crew really put in the time and effort to share the knowledge. Kudos to you all for the work you all are doing. Hats off.
These vids are top notch! Whoever is designing them should get a free cookie, the graphics are excellent and the info spot-on, Im officially a fan of Park Tools!!
These are great videos! I've been riding for years & over time have learned to do my repairs. It's great to know how to do it professionally. Thank you and keep'm coming. Love your tools too!
Two things I'd like to add, one of which is covered by Calvin. 1. It was Calvin's pointing out checking the height and alignment that made me realize my FD had always been slightly off, tail inward, presumably ever since I bought it. It also made me realize the outer edge had gotten bent over the years requiring me to straighten it. 2. Make sure your FD moves freely, one problem I was having is that my FD didn't want to adjust so easily as the video. That's when I realized the spring on mine was pretty rusty and not moving fully freely. Lubed it up and moves a lot better now, so check freedom of movement too because mine wasn't returning to L position all the way and throwing off my L-screw adjustment until I happened to check movement by hand after having trouble shifting.
You are amazing sir :) My mechanic literally bent and fucked up the derailleur at first, after talking to the company executive they replaced the derailleurs but still the mechanic couldn't set the limits right so I gave up on him, took my bike home and followed your instructions and Woila! now the chain shifts like butter smooth. Thank you for the tutorial.
Absolutely amazing video. Simple explanations, the multiple camera angles showed everything, bravo sir. I subscribed. Thank you for helping me adjust my bike!
Great video and really helpful for novices like myself but one good thing to mention would have been that it's good to start with both limit screws fully unscrewed before beginning this whole process. At least that's what worked for me 👍🏻
Best video on front derailleur adjustment I've ever seen. I followed these directions and my usually tricky front derailleur shifts perfectly, for literally the first time since I've owned this bicycle.
ive always wondered about gear to gear ratio whether its supposed to rub or not on the rail, thnx for explaining it, again good how to vids, keep it up
I made notes from this. Email yourself them for reference when doing it: DR = Rerailleur BA = Barrel Adjuster NOTE: Turning the shifter's barrel adjuster CCW shortens the cable, moving the cage outboard, and thus turning CW lengthens the cable and pulls the cage inward. 1. Cage skew adjustment: The outer edge of the cage should be lined up with the largest sprocket. Shift down to the smallest cog and use your hand to pull the cage outboard to line up to large cog. 2. Cage height: 2-3mm from the bottom of cage to large cog 3. L limit screw: put both DRs into the innermost cogs, then adj. the L limit screw so that the chain is just barely not touching the cage. 4. Cable: do NOT have a taught cable. If it is taught, turn the BA 1or 2 CW turns to loosen temporarily. Readjust the L limit screw so that it is just barely not rubbing the chain. Turn the BA back CCW to where it was. 5. Test: shift the front up a cog and back down. If shifting back down is quick, the L limit is done. If shifting is slow, turn the L limit screw CCW 1/4 turn and retry 6. L limit screw: put both DRs into the outermost cogs. Possible scenario: If the front DR won't go to biggest cog, the cable is too slack, so turn the BA CCW and retry. If you've run out of CCW turns to make, screw the BA all the way in and back out a coupla turns. Put front DR to smallest cog and tighten the cable. If it still won't go to biggest cog, try turning the H limit CCW a bit. Now turn H limit CCW 2 turns to make cage too far out. Put extra pressure on big shifter and this should produce a gap between the chain and cage. Now release pressure & turn CW the H limit until barely touching chain. Have it so when applying pressure to big shifter there's a small 1mm gap. 7. Test: shift down to mid cog and back up. If it can't get back up the H limit screw is too tight. If this is the case, CCW limit screw a 1/4 turn and retry. If the chain falls off or there's a big gap to the cage, the H limit is too loose. 8. Indexing: shift both DRs to outermost position. This next step is to introduce cage movement by adjusting the BA and then removing the movement. Cage mvmnt means it's not contacting the H limit screw. So put pressure on big shifter, if there's no mvmnt, turn BA CW to lengthen cable. Push again and repeat until there's slight mvmnt, then turn BA CCW 1/2 turn and retest. Keep retesting and turning BA CCW until there's no more mvmnt. Then done!
Great video, thank you! Recently bought a second hand bike which was poorly set up and I'm too cheap to get it serviced lol. So spent 3 hours watching and adjusting it myself and managed to get it working reasonably!
You can see this dude blink at 12:40. The only time in the entire lesson. I once knew a dude who also did not blink. When I asked him why he said, life if short, I might miss something whilst my eyes are shut.
Despite this, many bike shop mechanics still don't understand the design and intents. I'm determined to buy Park Tool whenever they are available to support them.
How can something so small be so hard adjust. I spent about 8 hours trying every combination of screws and settings with no luck. This video is a godsend.
Lol. Me too.
Agreed
Finally, did you succeed?
Same here. Supreme frustration. I’m gonna take a lunch break.
Same as 2x2
You're the mechanically-inclined neighbor that everybody needs at least once in their lives. Thank you for all of your help from your videos.
Once???!!
Calvin reminds me of that uncle you have that knows everything and is a patient instructor. Reminds me of this guy when I needed to repair my transmission. www.youtube.com/@transmissionbench7842
My wife wants to know why I see your videos every day, lol. Im unemployed and have bought and sold bikes for 8 months now, Calvin's step by step saved me and taught me so much. If there's anything you ever need Calvin! You have a friend here in Los Angeles.
Where do you find bikes to fix up and flip?
That means you are not unemployed, you are a small business owner.
@@AdamTreier owners are not employed. They employ others
😅
@@lesterroberts1628 But they are not unemployed in the most common sense of the word
You saved me. What helped was turning the speed down to 75%and watching and pausing and attempting over and over. Finally tension was perfect and third clicked and engaged. You are a professional and make this look easy.
Guys! I did it! My chain was rubbing my front mech so I started tinkering with it. Next thing I know I was neck deep in problems. I tried fixing it, watched a ton of videos to no prevail. I gave up and decided to come back another day. With a fresh mind and a cup of tea I watched this video, took everything step by step, slowly turning the screws, and everything worked. If you can't seem to get your front mech working, take a break. Come back to it when your in a good mood. And when your adjusting the screws do small movements, it's less than you think. Cheers!
Btw I have a basic shimano mech
thought about taking it to a mechanic shop?
Its the cup o tea that did it.
Never attempt anything without a cup of tea!
Sam Lieber I have a box of teabags so I'm ok
This is exactly why I watch these and do it myself. I have free adjustments at the shop I bought from, but often have better results doing it myself with Park Tool videos, without drop-off and pick-up trips and delays.
Over the years, I've watched countless flicks on the RD. Calvin is the best communicator -- no stammering, "UMS", and he uses precise words for all respective parts.
Jay Nielsen totally agree...just watched rjthebikeguy and the 16 min video would’ve been 8 min without all the um’s. On the other hand he was wearing some cool Homer Simpson slippers. Calvin’s the best, though. Very methodical
Gotta also mention the cam angles, light, and editing (markers in pic to show where stuff was, and then moves, multiple shots on one screen,...) - great package!
Thank you
He really is.
But is it really pronounced "De-rail-yer"?
After attempting this for 3 failed hours with my bike upside down in the grass I've come to the conclusion that one of those bike work stands is a must
Yeah man I thought the same, got one and it makes everything sooo much easier
I hung mine by the saddle from a door frame using a clamp and rope, worked perfect.
Yeah, my lower back hurts too. Lol. Glad I got the gears I need working.
@@mattb6542 haha try a small tree
Fixing the bike upside may deceive you.
3 hours after i took up fixing my front derailleur i stumbled across this video. About half an hour later , i adjusted it better than it came out of the box! Thank you so much, truly a life saver for a beginner like me!
I searched this video after about an hour or two, but pretty much, same! My old LBS told me a new bike would be cheaper. Fixed my chain rubbing in 10 minutes with this video.
This gentleman knows his stuff! I had a problem with my Norco road bike, with it not shifting onto the largest front sprocket. I watched the video and wrote down almost verbatim what he said and now, I will go out and adjust!! Thank you good sir.
I have never seen someone explaining how things work that good.I swear he loves his job.Thank you.Subbed.
Defectordrunkzone i
I've been changing my own gear cables for 20 years, (and constantly making adjustments to try and get them right). Watched this video and realised where I had been going wrong all that time. I now have perfectly working front derailleurs - adjusted and correctly set within a few minutes. Thank you!!
What have you went wrong in all those years may I ask?
@@viperRX Mainly adjusting screws without fully understanding what I was doing, and not doing the check on the large chainring.
@@paulmartin7635 cant wait to get outside and do this!
@@viperRX bbbbb
@@viperRX in the case of my bike, the front derailleur was set too high above the chain rings. And it was a reasonably expensive bike in its day.
These park tool videos have helped me learn how to do so much maintenance on my bike to keep me on the road commuting to work. Calvin's very thorough and easy to follow explainers are a life saver
They are really well made! My front derailleur is out of wack but this explanation will help me fix it, I am sure!
there's many Derailleur how to videos on TH-cam but Calvin's are my go to for his distinct pronunciation, and straight to the point instruction. THANK YOU for your time!
Having been chasing a constant problem with the adjustment on my mountain bike front derailleur this video finally put it to bed. Even my local bike shop struggled and wanted to simply fire the parts cannon at my expense replacing perfectly good components unnecessarily. I was convinced it was simply an adjustment issue and I was proven right by following your video. Thanks very much for taking the time to explain things and how to adjust in the correct order.
I fixed the problem of the front derailer on the used bike I purchased-from no shift to shifting correctly. I have never attempted to troubleshoot an 18-speed bike. Calvin-you are an excellent teacher!! Thank you!!
Ive watched a ton of videos and read a stack of articles on tuning the front derailleur, but this one is above and beyond the best one of them all. Thank you!
These guys are legends. My derailleur wasn’t shifting at all, and now it does after this video
These videos have been watched millions of times, but just want to say that your step by step directions are incredible. I've got a couple new bikes shifting flawlessly. Looking at truing/adjusting wheels next. Thanks!
I've been riding bikes for 30 years. Only now seen this video. I've been doing this by feel all my life. Thank you!
Got a used mt. bike on craigslist and both derailleurs were seriously out-of-whack; shifting when I didn't ask it to, not shifting when I did, chain popping off the sprockets, etc. Never did this kind of adjustment before... this and the corresponding rear derailleur vid and the bike is now perfect. Great video: clear, concise ... great job!
Wow!!
Literally the Oracle of gear knowledge.
Very clear explanation.
No beating around the bushes or too many extra talks.
Your knowledge and way of sharing the knowledge os great
This is the best explanation I have witnessed after spending a complete morning watching adjustment videos. Easy to understand and at a pace to allow the information time to be absorbed before pushing on. Great job!
The uneasy moment you realize that Kelvin Jones is a gift to the mankind. Thank Kelvin. Thanks Park Tool. If you help so much non-customers, I imagine how satisfied your customers are.
i spent 2 years not knowing how to adjust a derailler, you fixed my lack of knowledge within a single video. thank you so much
Thanks to this I (who's been cycling for 3months only) fixed my front derailer from grinding on my chain. Such a informative video!
This is by far the best explanation I have seen in 30 years of working on bikes. Thank you very much.
Thanks Frank Zappa, with your help my bike is now grabbing all the gears.
I bought a mail-order bicycle, put it together myself, and right away had front derailleur problems. Shifting up worked great. Shifting down - not so great. The manufacturer had a good video on derailleur adjustment, but I still couldn't figure it out. This video did the trick. Thank you Park Tool! I was so impressed with your videos that I bought your advanced took kit and look forward to many successful bike repairs and adjustments in the future.
This video helped me a great deal, thank you. Bikes hate me. It seems like every maintenance or repair project calls for three hands. Left hand needs to hold [x], right hand needs to hold [y]. Make sure those two are right where they need to be. Then tighten the screw/nut/bolt [z] with your third hand while being careful not to allow [x] or [y] to move more than one one-millionth of a millimeter or the entire bike will collapse, requiring reassembly.
Thank you for your clear instruction. You saved me from taking my bike into a repair shop and taught me how to maintain it myself.
Calvin Jones just saved me from buying a new derailleur, you sir, deserved a monument
This has always confused the heck out of me. I'm still a bit confused, but this was by far the best instructional video on bike derailleurs I've ever seen! Thanks.
Park Tool is a lifesaver. Every other tutorial I've seen is confusing or not specific enough. As someone who is new to cycling I appreciate having all the information about fixing your bike you could need gathered in one place. I recently bought a bike for 50 bucks on Facebook marketplace which I have slowly been tuning and replacing parts on. By this summer she's going to be in tip top shape 😝
This video was uploaded 7 years ago and this is the ONLY VIDEO that helps me adjust my FD. Thank you very much man you deserve a subscriber.
I want to thank you for the absolute best instructional videos for adjusting and maintaining my bike’s derailleurs. Your step by step instructions enabled me to get back in the saddle again. The parts where you explain what to do if “this or that’ll happens saved the day for me. I had a lot of things that didn’t happen as they were supposed to. By following your “what if this happens” instructions, I was able to get back on track and get my derailleurs shifting smoothly again. Now I have the confidence to tackle this job whenever I need to make future adjustments. Other videos posted by other so-called experts were confusing and virtually worthless. Keep up the good work.
The Gold Standard of bicycle maintenance and Calvin is one concise deliverer in a manner that even a novice will appreciate for the confidence he instills. Like RJ the bike guy he conveys occasionally complex tasks and addresses them in very straightforward and easily grasped tutorials. This man really cares that you understand and like RJ knows how to present it in a manner that erases any concerns you might have that you cannot do it. Park Tool has a real Gem in this guy.
Before I tackle a bike project, I watch both Calvin and RJ along with GCN and between the three of them, even a dunce like me can replace his bottom bracket.
Much like my technical Military instructor. The most important thing is that you understand why what you do matters-and how to do it.
Thank you for making this video. I am a novice who just uses my bike to travel to the grocery store. Both of my bikes were not shifting properly; and, thanks to you, I now have ideas on how to fix it. God bless you.
Jason Hart ideas on how to fix it and actually being able to are two very different things 😂
@@karlmarx3471 I have been fixing and maintaining my own cars for 25 years. Bicycles are child's play. You must be one of those guys who pays the real men to change your oil, to make a comment like that. Now, beat it troll.
This video helped me so much. At first I tried to adjust a trek shockwave front derailleur using this video and I was just rushing through it and couldn't figure it out. Ended up selling that bike and got a Schwinn Al Comp that shifted decently but decided to go over this video again, watching some parts about 5 times to make sure I understood and now it shifts buttery smooth with a generic front derailleur.
My front derailleur wasn't working and wouldn't even be close to shifting. But then I found Park Tool's video and fixed it in under a hour. You could all of the angles you would need to fix a bike. Thumbs up! I will definitely be recomending this channel to people.
I generally avoid videos, finding them confusing. But Calvin's video converted me! I can't imagine a better lesson in aligning my derailleur. Thank you, Calvin, for your excellent teaching!!!
I. L limit (bottom)
Step 0: RD is at Largest cog, FD is at Smallest Chainring
Step 1: Turn barrel adjuster for FD clockwise to loosen up the cable
Step 2: Tighten L limit screw until there is rubbing
Step 3: Loosen the L limit screw until there is no more rub
Step 4: Turn Barrel adjuster for FD counter-clockwise
If it shifts back inwards fast, then you're good. If it's slow, then loosen a little bit more
II. H limit (top)
Step 0: RD is at smallest cog, FD is at largest chainring
Step 1: Loosen H limit so that when you push the lever it moves a lot
Step 2: Slowly tighten H limit so that when pushed, it only moves about 1 mm
Troubleshoot 1: If it takes too long to shift, then loosen by a quarter turn
Troubleshoot 2: If the chain goes off the crankset, tighten it by a quarter turn
III. Indexing
Step 0: RD at smallest cog, FD at largest chainring
Step 1: Turn Barrel adjuster clockwise so that there is slight movement in the FD
Step 2: Turn Barrel adjuster counter-clockwise so that there is no more movement in the FD
Edit: This WILL NOT WORK if you are using a r5801, r7000, r8000, r9100 FD. As much as the RD video helped me, this video confused me even more. I had to learn the hard way that the new shimano FDs have a completely different mechanism than previous generations. Thus, the adjustments made in this video are unsuitable. For example, the H screw here is just a limiter. However, on the new shimano, it also changes the cage outward position. There are videos about how to adjust the new FDs, but personally, I've found the shimano FD Dealers Manual to be the best for me. You can easily find it on the official shimano website. I hope this saves someone from the headache I've been through trying to figure it out. Good luck!
Thank you for this, there's so much information in the video it's easy to get lost in the minor details.
Excellent summary, many thanks Chris P !
My gear is not shifting to 2 please help
Wow!! Thank you!!!
How to copy paste this 😅
This is outstanding! I had a problem with shifting to the largest front gear. This was a very simple fix, based on easy-to-follow information on your video. You saved me a trip to the shop. Thank you.
Just saved me a trip as well just bought a Cannondale Gemini with the same issue the front derailleur won't shift to the largest gear
A couple of months ago, a new bike arrived of which the front derailleur was quite badly set. It was under an angle and the chain was rubbing on gear settings you wouldn't expect it to.
I finally got myself to take some tools and this video to guide me through it and 15 minutes later it runs just perfect.
Attempted some settings years ago on another bike without completely knowing what I was doing and that sort of worked. For many years the index setting was my best friend to get rid of most of the annoyances and everything else I just accepted and worked around.
This video is pure gold to guide you in properly setting the front derailleur. 👌
You sir are a godsend, I was unable to shift down into my small gear and your video saved me a trip to the bike shop. Not that I don't like the bike shop, I just like fixing what I can on my own.
I had significant front derailleur issues. The shifting from 1->2->3 was erratic and would get stuck and would need multiple attempts to change. After going through the set of videos from this channel, I fully understand how the system works and how to adjust it. All issues are now fixed! Thank you!
One hour of your videos on front and rear derailleur problems have helped me solve my 6-month old gear shifting issues, despite hours and hours of frustration and failures in the past..
I cannot believe I didn't find you earlier, but won't let you go again.. Amazing content, outstanding quality and immaculate clarity, thank you Calvin!
I would gladly pay this guy to adjust my derailleur just so I could talk with him. This is the guy you want working on your bike.
U sound like a stalker
Good video. Just bought a Costco XC27 bike, the instruction really helped tuning the shifter. Once you understand how the parts play together, very easy to tune. Save $100 at bike shop.
1. Adjust the height and orientation of shifter
2. Adjust L-screw
3. Adjust H-screw
4. Adjust cable tension (index)
Thanks! for having this information available for us, now i can adjust my MTB derailleur in my own. Once again a big thanks to you Park Tool.
Fantastic information,I always had the fear of losing the adjustment made by the local mechanic when I am handling the derailleur .your video made me to understand the mechanism clear and I did the adjustment all by myself. Thanks.
This video once again guided me through what otherwise would've been a supremely frustrating time. It was still frustrating because the barrel adjuster was seized and I had to use pliers to turn it, but this made it bearable. Thanks Calvin, you're an incredible teacher.
mine doesnt move either, had to use pliers too and have slightly rounded it.
As someone who inherited a bike in rough shape. Your videos have really helped me save some money on repairs and routine maintenance. Thank you
Ok, this is not just the best tutorial for front derailluers I've seen, it's one the best tutorials in general.
I've watched quite a few of these adjustment/setting up videos and this one has been so helpful. Had a bike out of action gathering dust as I couldn't set up the front derailleur! After watching this (quite a few times to keep up) I now have a second working mtb! Thanks so much!!
never leave much comments but this guy is really amazing at explaining stuff
This taught me more in those few minutes than I ever had known. Thank you Calvin.
Fabulous. I spent 20 minutes fiddling with the 2 screws getting nowhere. 10 minutes into the video and my lowest front gear now engages as well as the top gear. Without chain grinding. Thanks SO much guys!
This is hands down the BEST derailleur adjustment video ever
I've never had to do this myself on any of my own bikes, but we got my son his first bike with gears from a box store and the indexing is so far off he can't use either his highest or lowest rear gear... probably because it was assembled poorly (I basically took apart and rebuilt the brakes already too). So this video has been a huge help. Thanks!!
Awesome video! Great instruction, great images to reference. I used to do this in my sleep, but been away from biking for 20 years, so needed a refresher. My bike was a mess being in storage, now it's shifting perfectly. Great job! For that reason, I'm now a customer at Park Tool. Will do some shopping later this weekend most likely.
I've been adjusting my mechs myself for years since no mechanic ever gets it perfect, and that's considering you're paying them!
I got everything on both mechs surprisingly close to the recommended methods here!
Tip from experience: on the rear mech try to align the mech just a bit outwards to make drop shifts faster, and on the front mech after you got everything right, try to give the H limit a bit of slack to make the change upwards easier.
Hey Calvin, I just picked up an old MTB with indexed shifters - followed your very detailed video step by step - but low & behold - no joy!
I couldn’t get the rear shifter to go all the way to the largest gear, or the front to the largest gear.
Anyway, after a bit of frustration, I had a hunch it was the actual indexer mechanism on the handle bars. Sure enough, I opened them, squirted some isopropyl alcohol, clicked and backed off a few times - and hey presto - full range of movement!
THEN I was able to go through your video step by step - and now it’s good as new!
Calvin for President I say!😜
I am embarrassed to tell you how it took but now I can honestly say that I understand everything in your video and it makes sense. My bike shifts PERFECTLY now. - THANKS!
👍🏻 I’ve been maintaining my Bikes for well over 40 years and was always frustrated by front derailer adjustments. Between the two videos I now have a thorough understanding of how the front derailer works and I’m able to systematically troubleshoot and make well-informed adjustments to remedy those annoying chain rub or poor performance problems.
Very detailed and helpful video presentation. I now realise that there is no problem with my bike, it just has a minor inevitable chain rub on one combination as Calvin explained at 11:30. Best avoided by using other combinations 👍.
Brilliant instruction and expertise! Tuned up the front derailleur and now, for the first time in three years, it works perfectly! Thank you, thank you! Outstanding!
Fantastic video ... and I am giddy seeing a pro working on a bike withOUT a perfectly straight rear wheel.
Watch the whole video before initiating repairs. You may learn (as I did) too late that in attempting to fix an unsolvable trivial problem, you just created some new, more annoying problems. Great video all the same, 💯
Park tools cost more but these videos give added value.
I watched a couple video's before this one with 2 to 3 times the veiws, this one has way more info. Cant wait till tomorow to start tweaking my new bike im setting up. Thanks big time
I need to download the entire database of Park Tool videos in case the internet ever gets destroyed.
or just youtube
I encourage digital hoarding
@@educationalvideos4151 we should then make something so other people can see what has been in a hoard 👍
😂😂👌
Don’t worry, if the internet gets destroyed, Calvin will fix it 🤩🤩🤩
Undoubtedly the best guide on tuning your derailleur on TH-cam. I followed it step by step and set up my gears perfectly. Thank you!
After changing a back flat tire, I discovered I had to adjust my derailers and brakes. Your videos are a super tool that belongs in every bike owners tool chest! Thanks a million!
You're great ParkTool, you saved me well over £100 in labour charges! Thank you
Fri da a
Thanks for this video, saved me bringing my bike in for a service, and I feel more confident about repairing it if my gears start misbehaving again!
Wow brother:) what a crisp, clear and precise explanation.
Everything the video quality, audio, camera zoom in and out, most importantly the way you explained and your technical knowledge 👌👌👌
Awesome is not the word.
Thanks and lots of love from India.
🙏🙏🙏
Couldn't have asked for a clearer more concise tutorial. Thank you. My issue is solved.
I bought a MTB four days ago and the paddle was making noise. At that time I thought it was the front derailleur and made some adjustment which didn’t help at all. This made my factory setting worse. Later I realise it was the paddle and tightening it stop the noise. But now my derailleur is all wrong. This repair and how it works video is god send. Thank you making this high quality video.
Amazing tutorial. Calvin and the crew really put in the time and effort to share the knowledge. Kudos to you all for the work you all are doing. Hats off.
These vids are top notch! Whoever is designing them should get a free cookie, the graphics are excellent and the info spot-on, Im officially a fan of Park Tools!!
These are great videos! I've been riding for years & over time have learned to do my repairs. It's great to know how to do it professionally. Thank you and keep'm coming. Love your tools too!
Great stuff! Folks who really understand and know their specialty are quick to share and can do so in an easy and digestible way.
i did my first front and back derailleur adjustments today all by myself thx to your tutorials. THANK YOU PARK TOOL; YOU ARE MY HERO!
Two things I'd like to add, one of which is covered by Calvin. 1. It was Calvin's pointing out checking the height and alignment that made me realize my FD had always been slightly off, tail inward, presumably ever since I bought it. It also made me realize the outer edge had gotten bent over the years requiring me to straighten it. 2. Make sure your FD moves freely, one problem I was having is that my FD didn't want to adjust so easily as the video. That's when I realized the spring on mine was pretty rusty and not moving fully freely. Lubed it up and moves a lot better now, so check freedom of movement too because mine wasn't returning to L position all the way and throwing off my L-screw adjustment until I happened to check movement by hand after having trouble shifting.
Thank you for this tip!
Mine does not move freely at all! I’ll have to check that next time
Was able to fix mine by myself with minimal tools, goes to show how far good advice can go. Cheers for the video, carry on 👌
Thanks. Very concise. Good use of camera angles.
Today I succesfully adjusted the front (and rear) derailleur from my first bike. Thank you so much for this tutorials ♥️
You are amazing sir :)
My mechanic literally bent and fucked up the derailleur at first, after talking to the company executive they replaced the derailleurs but still the mechanic couldn't set the limits right so I gave up on him, took my bike home and followed your instructions and Woila! now the chain shifts like butter smooth.
Thank you for the tutorial.
Best comment I've seen on a Calvin Jones video was, "I'd do open heart surgery if he walked me through it!"
Love this!
You must have watched the rear derailleur video right before this one, cos I saw that comment on there, lol.
I have no understanding of this video what so ever
How much
@@sourgapple6314 you should watch the video on how the front deralier works
Absolutely amazing video. Simple explanations, the multiple camera angles showed everything, bravo sir. I subscribed. Thank you for helping me adjust my bike!
Great video and really helpful for novices like myself but one good thing to mention would have been that it's good to start with both limit screws fully unscrewed before beginning this whole process. At least that's what worked for me 👍🏻
Wow. I’ll watch a couple more times. Might still end up at the bike shop… Calvin is a master bike mechanic.
Best video on front derailleur adjustment I've ever seen. I followed these directions and my usually tricky front derailleur shifts perfectly, for literally the first time since I've owned this bicycle.
ive always wondered about gear to gear ratio whether its supposed to rub or not on the rail, thnx for explaining it, again good how to vids, keep it up
Thank you for this - I have finally managed to get my front derailleur working properly!!
I made notes from this. Email yourself them for reference when doing it: DR = Rerailleur BA = Barrel Adjuster
NOTE: Turning the shifter's barrel adjuster CCW shortens the cable, moving the cage outboard, and thus turning CW lengthens the cable and pulls the cage inward.
1. Cage skew adjustment: The outer edge of the cage should be lined up with the largest sprocket. Shift down to the smallest cog and use your hand to pull the cage outboard to line up to large cog.
2. Cage height: 2-3mm from the bottom of cage to large cog
3. L limit screw: put both DRs into the innermost cogs, then adj. the L limit screw so that the chain is just barely not touching the cage.
4. Cable: do NOT have a taught cable. If it is taught, turn the BA 1or 2 CW turns to loosen temporarily. Readjust the L limit screw so that it is just barely not rubbing the chain. Turn the BA back CCW to where it was.
5. Test: shift the front up a cog and back down. If shifting back down is quick, the L limit is done. If shifting is slow, turn the L limit screw CCW 1/4 turn and retry
6. L limit screw: put both DRs into the outermost cogs.
Possible scenario: If the front DR won't go to biggest cog, the cable is too slack, so turn the BA CCW and retry. If you've run out of CCW turns to make, screw the BA all the way in and back out a coupla turns. Put front DR to smallest cog and tighten the cable. If it still won't go to biggest cog, try turning the H limit CCW a bit.
Now turn H limit CCW 2 turns to make cage too far out. Put extra pressure on big shifter and this should produce a gap between the chain and cage. Now release pressure & turn CW the H limit until barely touching chain. Have it so when applying pressure to big shifter there's a small 1mm gap.
7. Test: shift down to mid cog and back up. If it can't get back up the H limit screw is too tight. If this is the case, CCW limit screw a 1/4 turn and retry. If the chain falls off or there's a big gap to the cage, the H limit is too loose.
8. Indexing: shift both DRs to outermost position. This next step is to introduce cage movement by adjusting the BA and then removing the movement. Cage mvmnt means it's not contacting the H limit screw. So put pressure on big shifter, if there's no mvmnt, turn BA CW to lengthen cable. Push again and repeat until there's slight mvmnt, then turn BA CCW 1/2 turn and retest. Keep retesting and turning BA CCW until there's no more mvmnt. Then done!
How can you email yourself your text? there's no share option (android) or copy and paste incase I'm missing something, cheers
@@Carlostype Copy and paste?
this took me 1 and a half day to figure it out.
First day: Figure this out myself.
The next day I watched your video and done it.
Great video, thank you! Recently bought a second hand bike which was poorly set up and I'm too cheap to get it serviced lol. So spent 3 hours watching and adjusting it myself and managed to get it working reasonably!
You can see this dude blink at 12:40. The only time in the entire lesson. I once knew a dude who also did not blink. When I asked him why he said, life if short, I might miss something whilst my eyes are shut.