Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

forum
road.cc bike forum

FSA Vero upgrade

by ajmcgreg
Mon, Jul 29, 2013 22:44
9

Hi,

I'm new to cycling and recently bought a cannondale synapse 2300 for commuting to work. I've had a few issues with the gears needing adjusting and had it back to the shop I bought it from a few times. I assumed this was part of the bedding in process.

Last weekend i needed to have the gears looked at but couldn't get to the shop I bought it at. Taking it to a different shop the technician said the issue was with my bottom bracket and crankset...

My bike has an FSA vero crank with an FSA bottom bracket. The rest of the gearing is shimano 2300. The technician said the bottom bracket was quite wide, the chain was straight it the highest gear, he said this would mean the chain would be at a high angle in many gears and would rub on the derailleur. He also said the fsa crank was fairly low quality and may need replacing as the teeth aren't great and this makes shifting harder.He tried to shape the teeth by filing the ends of them.

Does anyone have any advice on this, i have been getting gear jumping issues in low 1st and 2nd gears. Should I replace the bracket or just the crankset (he suggested Sora but that I should see how I go with the adjustments he made). Don't want to throw cash at replacing components that won't be much different.

Apologies for the essay of a post!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

9 comments

Avatar
joeegg | 11 years ago
0 likes

I've got a Vero chainset on my hack bike mated to Shimano components and have never had a problem in the 4 years its been in use.
Sounds like your drivetrain just needs setting up properly.As someone mentioned you will get chain rub if the chain becomes crossed.

Avatar
Simon E | 11 years ago
0 likes

If you select the big chainring - big sprocket combination on a a triple chainset then you'll likely get rubbing on the front mech simply due to the angle of the chain (the same can happen with small ring & smallest rear cog).

Avatar
spongebob | 11 years ago
0 likes

By low gears are you meaning the big ones at the back?

Are the gears at the front skipping when in both the big and small chainring?

Avatar
ajmcgreg replied to spongebob | 11 years ago
0 likes

It was the big gears at the back, the front skipping has stopped but the rubbing is still continuing. It was happening in the smallest and largest front gears but the middle seems ok. The rubbing is happening in the same places.

Avatar
ajmcgreg | 11 years ago
0 likes

Thank you for all the comments, I think I'll take it back to the original shop and get them to look at it. SammyG I should clarify that it was the front skipping in low rear gears. I was still getting some rubbing on my ride in this morning but I'm not sure if this is the derailleur rubbing or something in the pedals as it only happens at certain points in the pedalling.

Avatar
spongebob | 11 years ago
0 likes

If the chain is skipping at the rear I would not worry about bottom bracket width at the front, first properly adjust your rear derailleur:

Loosen bolt holding your gear cable

Set high and low limits

Set B adjustment

Turn your barrell adjuster all the way to the right (righty tighty)

Ensure you are in your lowest (hardest) rear gear with your shifter and then pull your cable tight and retighten the bolt.

Check shifting, shift into a middle sprocket and then use your barrell adjuster to ensure that your uppermost jockey wheel is running directly below the sprocket.

That should eliminate rear skipping.

Avatar
Yorkshie Whippet | 11 years ago
0 likes

Agree with the above comments about filing teeth.

However if the BB is a touch long or installed off centre then it maybe the cause of your problems. I doubt the bb is too long. Is the BB an X-type ie the cups/bearings are external or the older internal type. It maybe that there are spacers incorrectly fitted on the Xtype. Or the cartridge has been been fitted none central. Both could push the drive side out.

Mind you if the first shop has failed to identify or correct the problem, I wouldn't have much faith in them.

Avatar
Gkam84 | 11 years ago
0 likes

Its natural for it to need adjusting after a couple of weeks as cables stretch a little and can knock the gearing off slightly.

Filing the ends of the teeth....Return the bike and NEVER go near that guy again, get your money back and RUN.

You can replace parts until the cows come home, but if you don't know how to do it and rely on this guy at the bike shop, your bike is going to be a MESS.

I think you should take it somewhere else, get them to have a look at it and see what they say before doing anything else.

Avatar
Simon E | 11 years ago
0 likes

Filing the teeth on a virtually new chainset is not going to help! Don't let that clown near your bike again.

There shouldn't be a compatibility issue between an FSA chainset and Shimano shifters etc.

I would take it back to the shop you bought it from, tell them that the gears haven't been right from the start and it's getting worse. You shouldn't really have to pay extra to get it working properly.

Latest Comments