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PSA: Your chain routing through the front derailleur is probably wrong
I kept seeing bikes come into the shop with chains rubbing on the front derailleur cage, even after I adjusted the limit screws and cable tension. Turns out, about 4 out of 5 people were routing the chain on the wrong side of the little tab inside the derailleur. I only caught it after staring at a Shimano diagram for 10 minutes last Tuesday. Has anyone else noticed this hangup with new builds?
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alexw7512d ago
Man, I feel this one deep in my bones. I spent a solid afternoon last month chasing a ghost rub on a brand new Ultegra build, swapped cables twice, re-did the limit screws three times, and was about to lose my mind. Turns out I had the chain sitting on top of that little tab instead of behind it, exactly like you're describing. It's one of those things that makes you feel like a total rookie after you finally spot it, but once you know, you never forget it. Good on you for putting this out there, it's a real easy trap to miss when you're focused on the bigger adjustments.
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the_anthony12d ago
Is it really that deep though? I've done that exact same thing and it took me maybe ten extra minutes to figure out. Yeah, it's a pain when it happens, but I wouldn't call it a whole afternoon lost.
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grantschmidt11d ago
Heard a bike mechanic on a podcast talk about this exact issue. Said he sees it all the time with new builds. People get tunnel vision on the derailleur hanger alignment or cable tension. But it's always the small stuff that trips you up. That little tab is like a hidden trap. Once you know about it, you never make that mistake again.
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