Problem with shifting

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Hello all, I am new to Cycling Forums and am in need of your expertise. I have a 2003 Gary Fisher Wahoo and am having problems with the front derailleur. It is equiped as follows: Shimano Acera rear derailleur + EF29 shifters + C050 front derailleur. Now to the problem. When I go to shift from 1st to 2nd on the front sometimes it will go fine and most of the time it will not, I have to actually press and hold the shifter above the 2 position until it decides to finally kick up to that gear, same for 3rd. I have tried adjusting the high limit with little to no success. I have removed tension from the shifter cable with it in 1st gear, no success. Does anyone have any techniques or comments of guidance on what I could be doing wrong?:confused: :confused:

Not much to say here other than, "yeah, it'll do that" ;)

Because of the force required to shift the front cogs, the front derailleur needs a bit of help, by you holding the shifter paddle in until the shift is completed.

I find that on my road bike, when the drivetrain starts to get really dirty, the front shifting isn't very crisp and does something similar to what you've described (especially if I'm in a big cog on the back.)

Not sure about the equipment but this is what I do to set up the front gears on a standars config gear set.

Make sure you set up your gears with the bike in the upright position, not upside down.
Set the lowest stop of the front derallier so that the cable is just slack and the chain tinkling the derallier with the inside side of the derallier, when the largest rear gear is selected (tinkling 1 or 2 times a chain rotation). Then increase the tension of the front derallier cable until the tinkling of the chain on the deralier gets irritating, then back it off a gnats nob. Then try the front derallier gear changes again and make sure that the top stop allows the gear selection but not too much that the chain jumps off the large gear.
Try it and see how you get on.

B

Sounds like the cable needs to be tighter.
Also sounds like 7sp gear. Low quality gear (shifters in particular) are difficult to get correct. It can be done but will most likely need re-adjusting more often than say deore-level gear. Chain age and quality is also very important as well as chain lube.
Depending on age the cable might it appreciate some lubrication.

Hope that helps.

Brian

Yes your cable tension needs to be set correctly. Since typing this is cumbersome to me I will give you this:
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/index.shtml

I hav Shimano Acera rear derailleur too + EZ29shifters but Shimano Deore Front dereilleur and I never had a problem with shifting.

Also keep in mind that where the chain is on the rear cassette can make a difference, too. For example, if you are in the granny gear in front and biggest ring in back (easiest gear combo), shifting to the middle chainring up front may take a little extra push on the shifter than if you geared up a bit in the rear first.

Thanks for the help everyone, I just pull the shifter cable as tight as I could get it with it in 3rd gear up front and it fixed it for the most part.