Front Derailleur shifts with difficulty

MakeNine

Hello,

I have a Defy 2 bike with a compact chainring and Tiagra shifters. The last time I was out on the bike I had a hard time shifting from the small ring to the large, while shifting back down was still quick and easy. The cable on the left hand side which seems to go to the front derailleur is much looser than the other cables. This happened before and it seems to be the only cable that is loosening. Will tightening it correct the shifting or does the derailleur itself need adjustement?

Thanks for any advice

Darkglasses

Two possibilities as I see it - Either the "High" end-stop screw is set too far in, or you need to increase the cable tension very finely. Increase the tension using the barrel adjuster ever so slightly, and see if that helps.

ashleey

The cable should be slack when on the small front chainring. However, cables will stretch over time. Take the bike for a spin and turn the barrel adjuster on the left hand side of the downtube anti clockwise half a turn. Shift gears. Keep repeating until all is fine. Too tight a cable and you won't be able to shift up either. Make sure all is clean first to rule out sticking due to dirt

n-dawg

This has happened me on a few occasions... if you don't use your front derailleur very often it can get very cruded up and become very stiff... this becomes particularly noticeable on up shifts. I would recommend removing it completely and giving it a good clean. Then giving it a quick spray with something like http://weldtite.co.uk/products/detail/tf2-aerosol-spray-with-teflon-400ml and work it with you hands to ensure it is moving freely.

Another thing to check, especially if its a few years old is the cable. A new cable costs a few € and can make a huge difference to shifting...

MakeNine

Thanks, I'll give it a try