Newbie Question: Derailleur (?) noise.

[Adam]

I've just bought a 2001 (as far as I can figure) Bianchi XL with a Boron Steel
frame and Ultegra/Dura Ace 9 speed double groupset. (Well only the front
derailleur is Dura Ace).

I'm a *complete* novice to riding, so I have what is probably an often-asked
question. When in the highest gear, that is when the chain is on the smallest
sprocket at the rear, there's this rubbing noise. It makes no difference whether
the small or large sprocket up front is being used. I've been sick since buying
the bike, so I was only able to ride it for about 20min yesterday, still I tried
everything while on the bike to stop the noise, but couldn't get it into top
gear even once without that noise. I looked down at the chain as much as I could
(I still lack confidence/control to twist and lean around in the seat while
rolling), and it looks like the chain might be rubbing against the front
derailleur... I definately can't see where else moving parts could be in contact
where they shouldn't be.

I have managed to find another thread here that seems to have been about the
same problem... but I'd still appreciate any replies. My sister has a mountain
bike which has had this exact same problem for ages. (and she got her's new)

In the other thread, one of the suggestions was to trying using the shifter
without actually changing gear... I'm sure I've tried that, but I'll try again
as soon as I get home. Which way should I shift? Up again, or down? I have the
kind of shifters that sit under the brake levers, and you move the whole brake
lever to shift up... I think this might be called STI? Told you I was a novice
:-)

Anyway, having spent $800AUS on this bike, I would sleep easier knowing this
problem is fixable...

Thanks heaps,

Adam.

[Jim Flom]

"Adam" wrote...
> I've just bought a ... Dura Ace 9 speed ... front derailleur ...
>
> I'm a *complete* novice to riding, so I have what is probably an
often-asked
> question. When in the highest gear, that is when the chain is on the
smallest
> sprocket at the rear, there's this rubbing noise. It makes no difference
whether
> the small or large sprocket up front is being used.

For the record, you don't want to be using the small (front) chainring -
small (rear) cog combination.

> I tried
> everything while on the bike to stop the noise, but couldn't get it into
top
> gear even once without that noise. I looked down at the chain as much as I
could
> (I still lack confidence/control to twist and lean around in the seat
while
> rolling), and it looks like the chain might be rubbing against the front
> derailleur... I definately can't see where else moving parts could be in
contact
> where they shouldn't be.

First of all, clean everything thoroughly. Then, you want to determine if
chain rub is the source of the noise. While off the bike, get down beside
the bike so you can see up close while it is in the appropriate gear
combination and slowly turn the pedals backwards (or put it in a stand and
pedal forwards) until you isolate the cause of the noise.

> In the other thread, one of the suggestions was to trying using the
shifter
> without actually changing gear... I'm sure I've tried that, but I'll try
again
> as soon as I get home. Which way should I shift? Up again, or down? I have
the
> kind of shifters that sit under the brake levers, and you move the whole
brake
> lever to shift up... I think this might be called STI? Told you I was a
novice

That intermediate kind of shifting (what's the term for that again?) might
help if you are in the small-small combination, but again, you don't want to
ride in that combo. If you do determine that the noise is coming from the
front derailer cage rubbing on the chain, a more likely solution will be to
adjust your high limiting screw on your front derailer so that the cage
moves outward 1 mm from the chain when in the closest position. On
Dura-Ace, there are two small screws on top of the front derailer. With the
chain in the large chainring, small cog, try turning the outer screw
one-half turn counter-clockwise and if you are turning the right screw you
should be able to see the cage move away from the chain 1mm or so.

JF

[Rick Onanian]

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 06:12:08 GMT, "Jim Flom"
> wrote:
>That intermediate kind of shifting (what's the term for that again?) might

"Trim". Try it first.

>help if you are in the small-small combination, but again, you don't want to
>ride in that combo.

If it's a double crank, it's generally okay; triple cranks are where
the chain angle gets too sharp.

Anyway, here's my answer for a similar problem asked yesterday:
http://groups.google.com/groups?&selm=8lanb09rg7hm90je864m8csv2c8vbouane%404ax.com

Also, it could possibly be a chainline issue, in which case you can
measure and adjust your chainline (by replacing parts) (google for
downloadable copies of the Barnett's repair manual), or just live
with it.
--
Rick Onanian

[Adam]

Thank you both for the replies... I just have to wait until the weekend to try
this out now...

I also found these two links in a post that came up in a google groups search:

www.parktool.com
www.chainreaction.com

both of these a very helpful for anyone else with a similar problem.

Cheers,

Adam.



>I've just bought a 2001 (as far as I can figure) Bianchi XL with a Boron Steel
>frame and Ultegra/Dura Ace 9 speed double groupset. (Well only the front
>derailleur is Dura Ace).
>
>I'm a *complete* novice to riding, so I have what is probably an often-asked
>question. When in the highest gear, that is when the chain is on the smallest
>sprocket at the rear, there's this rubbing noise. It makes no difference whether
>the small or large sprocket up front is being used. I've been sick since buying
>the bike, so I was only able to ride it for about 20min yesterday, still I tried
>everything while on the bike to stop the noise, but couldn't get it into top
>gear even once without that noise. I looked down at the chain as much as I could
>(I still lack confidence/control to twist and lean around in the seat while
>rolling), and it looks like the chain might be rubbing against the front
>derailleur... I definately can't see where else moving parts could be in contact
>where they shouldn't be.
>
>I have managed to find another thread here that seems to have been about the
>same problem... but I'd still appreciate any replies. My sister has a mountain
>bike which has had this exact same problem for ages. (and she got her's new)
>
>In the other thread, one of the suggestions was to trying using the shifter
>without actually changing gear... I'm sure I've tried that, but I'll try again
>as soon as I get home. Which way should I shift? Up again, or down? I have the
>kind of shifters that sit under the brake levers, and you move the whole brake
>lever to shift up... I think this might be called STI? Told you I was a novice
>:-)
>
>Anyway, having spent $800AUS on this bike, I would sleep easier knowing this
>problem is fixable...
>
>Thanks heaps,
>
>Adam.
>
>
>
>