[Deepreddave]

Hi I am new to road biking. I have quite a basic question about the number of clicks to change gear. My new bike has Ultegra 6800 shifters. I am finding that to move to a bigger cog at the back (ie up a gear) I need to push the right shifter so it clicks twice not once. If I only move it one click it tries to move but then drops back down. I have tried adjusting the barrel adjuster as I feel like it should only need one click but am having no success. Have I misunderstand as two clicks seems to work. I would very much appreciate the advice of those with more experience!

Topic

[Deepreddave]

Thanks everyone. LBS sorted
Thanks everyone. LBS sorted it…. cable tightened and adjustment to limit screws.

[joeegg]

I would go back to the basics

I would go back to the basics. Put the chain on the smallest ring at the back.Loosen the cable clamp.Look to see that the rear mech is over the small ring.Turn in the barrel adjuster ’til it stops then a few turns out. Pull cable tight and tighten the clamp. Try the changer. If it doesn’t change out of the small ring with one click then try the barrel adjuster outward or undo clamp and pull cable tight.Once you’ve got it moving with one click off the small ring you can use the barrel adjuster to fine tune it up the cassette.

[Deepreddave]

Yes that’s what’s worrying me
Yes that’s what’s worrying me. Thanks for all your time though.

[Hirsute]

Sounds like you tried a few
Sounds like you tried a few things but need someone to see it in situ.
I wonder if some part of the derailleur is out of line from a knock.

[Deepreddave]

kil0ran wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

I think what they mean is take up any slack at the lever – gently pull it towards the bars until you feel slight tension. Makes it a two person job so I’ve never bothered. If it’s dropping as you push harder on the pedals just add another half turn of tension on the mech barrel adjuster

Thanks I just tried that by doing a half turn anti clockwise and it didn’t make it better. If anything it was worse as became noisy in other gears and more jumpy even on the flat. Maybe I need to admit defeat and take it to LBS. Thanks for the help though. It was good to try.

[kil0ran]

Deepreddave wrote:

Deepreddave wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Almost certainly a tension issue. Should be a single click.

You need to increase the tension by screwing out the barrel adjuster (caution – be careful not to unscrew it completely from the derailleur – that way lies the risk of stripped threads and swearing)

If you’re out of adjustment using the barrel adjuster then wind it all the way back in, then back it out 1 full turn. Once you’ve done that you need to detach the cable from the derailleur pinch bolt and tighten the cable by yanking on it (or use a third-hand tool if you must). Then its just a question of tweaking the barrel adjster on the mech until you get reliable shifting.

Small moves of the cable tension barrel adjuster are required in order to do this. 

For further info see this manual

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-RD0003-09-ENG.pdf

You need the section on SIS adjustment (Page 14 onwards)

What does it mean by lever gap?

I think what they mean is take up any slack at the lever – gently pull it towards the bars until you feel slight tension. Makes it a two person job so I’ve never bothered. If it’s dropping as you push harder on the pedals just add another half turn of tension on the mech barrel adjuster

[Deepreddave]

kil0ran wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Almost certainly a tension issue. Should be a single click.

You need to increase the tension by screwing out the barrel adjuster (caution – be careful not to unscrew it completely from the derailleur – that way lies the risk of stripped threads and swearing)

If you’re out of adjustment using the barrel adjuster then wind it all the way back in, then back it out 1 full turn. Once you’ve done that you need to detach the cable from the derailleur pinch bolt and tighten the cable by yanking on it (or use a third-hand tool if you must). Then its just a question of tweaking the barrel adjster on the mech until you get reliable shifting.

Small moves of the cable tension barrel adjuster are required in order to do this. 

For further info see this manual

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-RD0003-09-ENG.pdf

You need the section on SIS adjustment (Page 14 onwards)

What does it mean by lever gap?

[Deepreddave]

[/quote]

Could be a bit of cable stretch, but the barrel adjust should take care of that.
When on the smallest sprocket, how loose is the cable when you pluck it?

It’s not really loose but I can move it a bit say 2-3mm further towards me.

[Deepreddave]

Hi again I have been
Hi again I have been tinkering tonight with the barrel adjuster and I have got it to work with one click perfectly on the flat on both front cogs but the minute I go up a hill and there it’s even the slightest pressure on the peddle and a slower cadence it attempts to move up but drops back. Could this be because the cable needs tightening?

[Deepreddave]

Ok will look at it fully
Ok will look at it fully tonight. Thanks again for all the comments. I have cycled 150+ miles on it now so I guess that will have caused some stretch?

[shufflingb]

As others have said it sounds

As others have said it sounds most likely that there is too much slack in the gear cable wrt to the derailleur’s starting position, i.e. the first click is essentially taking up the excess slack before the second moves things along. 

Fixing just needs removing the excess slack. To do this set any inline gear cable barrel adjuster to its middle adjustment position (so that there is some scope for subsequent on-ride fine tuning) and then use the main adjuster on the rear mech to remove the excess slack so that the mech shifts up and subsequently runs smoothly on a single click.

There’s a bit of a knack to getting right, but essentially reluctant to shift up => not tight enough, to shift down => too tight. It’s also much much easier with a workshop stand and quite satisfying when it’s got right.

Good luck.

[kil0ran]

11 speed systems do have fine

11 speed systems do have fine margins and sometimes it’s impossible due to frame geometries to get everything working smoothly – some frames are more tolerant of cross-chaining for example. Probably more of a challenge to get the front mech set up than the rear though.

But it does sound there was simply not enough tension in the cable to begin with, or perhaps it has been routed the wrong side of the pinch bolt, or the housing isn’t the right length. Basic stuff that should be checked before it goes out the door of the LBS though.

[peted76]

I’m voting for cable stretch

I’m voting for cable stretch here, sounds perfectly normal, back to where you got it, most shops offer some sort of ‘come back in six weeks for a free tune up’, it’s precisely for this kind of thing.

 

 

 

[Hirsute]

Deepreddave wrote:

Deepreddave wrote:

Thanks. It’s a new bike so nothing should be worn and the shop should have got the limit screw settings right. I don’t live near the shop I bought it from so might have one last tinker now I know what I am aiming for and then drop it in to my local shop if not. Thanks for responses and help.

Could be a bit of cable stretch, but the barrel adjust should take care of that.
When on the smallest sprocket, how loose is the cable when you pluck it?

[Deepreddave]

@iandusud – thanks and I’m up
@iandusud – thanks and I’m up North but in Cumbria so a tad too far. Appreciate the gesture though and keen to learn how to fettle it myself but will pop it into my local LBS if I can’t as do use them and they are excellent.

kil0ran – thanks and I’ll pop it on the stand, start from the beginning and go slowly. Only done c100 miles but it wasn’t spot on out of the box from the dealer so little annoying but probably a useful learning exercise (once sorted!).
Thanks all and I will update.

[Author]

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