Cycling UK Forum

Thanks for all of your replies. I know about the trimming - low trim/low/high trim/high. That function works okay. I've tried pushing against the up-shift lever when in those gears to see if it makes any difference, but it doesn't. It won't budge. This made me wonder whether it would be an idea to adjust the cage outwards just a tad more to see if that did anything (short of throwing the chain off, of course).

Yes - I take the point about sending it back. I guess it's really going to be the only solution in the end. The problem is I no longer have the box - it was simply too big for me to store it in my tiny place. Canyon have said I could just pick up an empty bike box from a bike shop and use that. Problem there is that I live a fair distance from my nearest 'new' bike shop, and don't have a car. So I was trying to avoid that as the very last resort. I'd resigned myself to thinking I'd just have to live with this, and that perhaps it was part and parcel of this new derailleur design. Like I said, it's not a bad rub. It's like a very light, faint rattle in those gears. Only those gears, too. No problems at all on the small chain ring. I even wondered if the cage might have pinched together a bit in transit - half a mil, that would be all.

Thanks again, anyway.

Hi folks,

I recently bought a brand new Canyon Endurace 7 road bike with a Shimano 105 R7000 groupset. The gear set up is twin chain rings 52/36 and an 11-speed cassette 11/34. On first riding it, I noticed a light chain rub on the 3 sprockets below top gear on the large chain ring. I put it up on the stand and did some micro-adjustments to the front derailleur cable tension and high-limit screw. Not a sound on the stand. But as soon as I was back on the road, the rub came back (I'm 180lbs in weight, so not over-heavy for the bike). Finally, after setting up the entire front derailleur twice from scratch and still getting the problem, I contacted Canyon. They told me to take it to a bike shop and they'd cover the bill under the guarantee. I did so - only to be told by the mechanic that the large chain ring looked a bit 'out-of-true', which was probably the cause. I let Canyon know, and they said I could replace the chain ring and, again, they'd pay for it. I did that - brand new chain ring, true as the day it was made - and the situation definitely improved. But I was still getting a very light rub - now on the two sprockets below top gear. Since then, I've had the bike on the stand again countless times, re-set and re-indexed both derailleurs... and still I get that light rub on those two sprockets!

Today, I finally set the whole thing up again from scratch and went for a run. Every 100 yards or so, I was stopping and making micro-adjustments to the front cable tension and high-limit screw. I must've tried a couple of dozen times. But the rub persists! And the closer I get to eliminating it, so I find it then starts on sprockets lower down, with trimming not being able to remedy that.

Now I'm beginning to wonder if it's just me! The rub is very light, like the chain rivets are just brushing over the derailleur plate, with a fag-paper gap! (actually, when the bike is on the stand, I use a thin piece of paper to see where it's catching, and adjust accordingly). Perhaps this is 'normal' for these new 'pivot' front derailleurs, where 'high' and 'low' adjustments work differently to earlier models. I'm assured by others, though, that there shouldn't be any extraneous noise at all. On my other bike, I've got a Claris/Tiagra set up with triple chain rings and a 9-speed cassette - and I don't get any sound at all in any of the usable gears. That, though, has the older-style front derailleur, where 'high' and 'low' adjustments were more straightforward.

Canyon have now said my only option is to send the bike back for repair. But I can't believe it actually needs repairing. I'm sure it's just down to adjustment at the front. I do know what I'm doing with these things, and have often found that my own adjustments have been better than those done at my local bike repairer!

My questions are: Has anyone else had this problem with the newer 105 'pivot' front derailleurs with the same set-up? And is there a special knack, or some other little thing I can try to eliminate this?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

PS I've tried small adjustments to the height and angle, plus the frame contact screw (braze-on). I've set it up exactly as per the Shimano manual. The cable tension marks line up exactly. Everything!

Thanks for the advice, folks.

I'm sure it will be anodized. It's just that there are some areas where the chipped lacquer has got quite dirty. I wondered if there is any way of cleaning the frame up before varnishing over the chips. There are a few things suggested online. Baking soda mixed with water. Vinegar. I'll try some, maybe using some low-grit paper with light rubbing on some of the really marked areas. Someone suggested Solvol Autosol, but I don't think that would do anything. I've only ever used soapy water before.

My trusty Specialized is doing fine for 19 years old. The frame, inevitably, has picked up plenty of scratches, marks and chips in that time. I want to try to do something about it. I like the brushed aluminium finish and don't want to paint it. I was wondering if there is any product I could use to clean it up a bit. There must be some sort of protective coating on it, so an alternative might be to strip that off and try using wet or dry paper in increasingly finer grades to go over the frame and remove all the defects, then cover it again with protection tape or some other type of coating.

Has anyone got any suggestions for the job, please?

At work the other day, I was checking over the bike of our CEO (he had it made for him). Having a keen eye for detail, I noticed that his rear tyre was on the wrong way around. The 'arrow' tread pattern was pointing down at the very back - against the correct forward pattern at the front. I mentioned it to him in passing, and he said he'd had a puncture whilst on a ride. He had to turn the bike up on its handlebars and saddle to get the wheel off, and had put the tyre back on with the tread pointing forwards - forgetting, of course, that the bike was upside-down! 'It won't matter too much on that bike, anyway,' he said. I guess not. Though it's a tourer with 1.4" wheels. As long as he's happy with it, I suppose.

I've done the same thing myself, in the days before I got a maintenance stand. Bought two new tyres, turned the bike upside down to do the replacements, got the tread pattern facing forwards.... and then realised the error when I turned the bike up the right way again! Easy mistake to make. But I couldn't live with that. So... did it all again. I probably could have just turned the front wheel around - but then it meant messing with the computer thingy on the spoke, etc. Nope. It had to be right

I had to take the wheel off to fix a puncture, so used the opportunity to give the cassette a thorough clean. Also cleaned up around the hanger, jockey wheels, etc. That seems to have cured it!

Was definitely that loose valve core. It unscrewed and came out with no difficulty, just using my fingers. I tightened in back in with a pair of long-nosed pliers. Fine now.

Thanks, folks.

I eat my words! Flat again this morning. Seems the valve core was loose. I've changed the tube anyway, but I'll see if tightening the core works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7XzK0p_03o

Here's one I've not had before...

I found my rear tyre flat today (road bike, 700 x 25c Schwalbe Lugano Endurance II tyre - new not long ago). Took it off and checked the tube thoroughly - not a puncture anywhere. Tyre likewise checked. The valve is okay, too. Put it back on, pumped it up - still rock hard 2 hours later.

Any ideas what might have caused that? The bike is kept indoors and no one else has access to it, so it's not sabotage! There is just one thing, though. I usually pump the tyre up to 80 psi. It has a range of 95 - 115 psi, but at 80 it's usually solid enough. However, I was reading a piece about ideal tyre pressures based on the cyclist's weight, and for me (12 stone 7 lbs) it recommended a minimum of 95 psi. So last weekend I pumped it up to 95 (bit of an effort getting there, too).

Could that have been a factor? I certainly can't think of anything else.

slowster wrote: ↑9 Aug 2022, 10:57am A common cause of that sort of problem is a misaligned/bent derailleur hanger. Unless you have a suitable alignment tool, this is usually something you need to get your local bike shop to check and fix. That said there are ways of doing it without a proper tool, e.g. using a spare wheel by screwing the axle into the dropout, and then using the spare wheel to check for alignment (parallel to the existing wheel) and to re-align/bend the dropout if necessary.

If it is a removable hanger and you don't have a suitable tool, a good quick way to check is to fit a new derailleur hanger and see if that makes a difference: if it does, that is a good indication that that is the problem. It's always advisable to have a spare derailleur hanger anyway. Incidentally, I think a lot of bike shop mechanics report that even a new hanger might not give perfect shifting, and might need fine tuning when installed.

Park Tool video link below:

https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/re ... -alignment

R J The Bike Guy's video on doing it without a proper tool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnwreRrorIA

Thanks, slowster. I've checked the hanger and it looks okay. I'll give it a more thorough check over when I get a chance.
Cheers.

Thanks again for all your advice, folks. Much appreciated.

Steve76. The rear derailleur mech is actually from an earlier drivetrain replacement - about four years ago, when I also had to have the shifters replaced. Everything at the front was replaced in February (Claris chainset, bottom bracket), plus the rear cassette and (obviously) the chain. But not the mech. It's working fine. In fact, doing a cable change last week, I took it off and gave it a good clean and lube.

Mentioning that cable change, though... I did it because when the drivetrain was replaced, neither of the gear cables were. I'd have thought that would have been done as a matter of course for the job, but not so. Maybe its not an absolute necessity if the cables seem okay, but it's something I'd have done myself. Maybe I'm just a bit 'belt and braces' with stuff like that, but my way of thinking about it is that if I'm replacing a tyre, for instance, and the existing tube has been patched - the tube gets replaced, too!

Anyway... I had noticed that there was one gear, and only on the middle chain-ring, that always needed a double-click of the shifter when changing up. The shift from cogs 3 to 4 of the 8-cog set. Changing down again wasn't a problem. Nothing serious, but it was niggling me, and I thought the cable change and re-indexing would probably solve it. Not so, though. Everything is working perfectly now otherwise - no slipping or chain-rub, smooth shifting - but that shift up between those 2 cogs still requires a double-click of the shifter. I tried adjusting the cable tension a bit, but it makes no difference. And it's still only on the middle chain-ring. The others - no problem.

Any ideas what might be causing that? As I said, I can live with it as everything else is okay. But it niggles!

Thanks, cycle tramp. Anti-teevee Man is probably what most people know me as, given that I haven't had a TV in almost 20 years now. Too many other things to do in my spare time (including, now, repairing my bike). I agree with his sentiment, too. I don't chuck anything away if I can help it, and only if whatever it is is completely knackered and no longer has any use. My washing machine and fridge were both secondhand when I bought them 17 years ago. Still going okay (touch wood). Make do and mend. As a committed green, I can see the waste and destruction advertising and marketing have caused. I'll never be swayed by any of it

Thanks, too, 531colin. I do keep an eye on the forks. No creaking or anything yet, and no outer signs of any damage. Can't see any white on the alloy, either. The original owner's manual recommended changing the forks every three years to be safe, but every cyclist I've spoken to about it has said the same: makes no sense - except to Specialized's parts department's turnover! I'll keep in mind your advice and look at what's available if I think replacement would be a good idea. I'm glad at least to know that I should be able to find something to fit.

Thanks again.

Thanks for your replies, folks. Much appreciated.

I probably will stick with what I've got on the bike. Occasionally, I find that something extra at the top end would be handy - but it's probably not often enough to worry about. For most of my cycling, what I have is enough. There are some fairly steep hills on my usual rides, but I'm pretty fit and often don't need to change right down to get up them. The top speed I've managed on the bike is 38 mph - and the older I get, the more nervous I get once I'm up in the 30s going downhill!

At the time, the Sequoia was about the only bike I tried that I felt completely comfortable on - and was the one recommended to me given my measurements. I don't think it's available in the UK now. I have been doing a bit of tentative research to see what's out there now. But this has never let me down, and I'm pretty attached to it. It has a lifetime frame guarantee, and the frame is as solid and (virtually) as clean as the day I bought it. I tend to look after my things! The one thing that may force the issue is if the carbon forks on the front fail. I'm not sure they'd be replaceable now - and even if they were, the cost would probably be astronomic.

Thanks again for your advice.

Hello folks,

I'm new to the forum - and also relatively new to bike maintenance. I have a Specialized Sequoia road bike, 2003 vintage (owned by me from new), which I bought at the time as a recommendation for my height and leg length (6' 5", 36" inside leg). I wanted a decent road bike which could also be used as a tourer if needed, so this seemed to be the ideal choice. After 19 years and many thousands of miles of cycling, it still serves me well. I'm not a racer, but am a fairly keen leisure/fitness cyclist, and currently do between 50 and 80 miles a week.

I last had the drivetrain replaced in February, and had the usual 24-gear set - 3 ring chainset, 8-cog cassette. The replacement was a Shimano Claris chainset and a Shimano Tiagra rear derailleur (I understand these to be pretty standard basic components, but I don't really have any complaints). Since then, I've done my own adjustments and indexing, and have managed to improve the performance set by the cycle mechanic who did the replacement. Smooth shifting, no chain rub - all good. I've always been happy with the 3-cog set-up at the front. I mainly use the middle ring, but get good use out of the other two as well, with plenty of hills and straight fast stretches around where I live. I tend to cross over pretty quickly to the middle ring from the others, though - so probably mainly use around 15 gear combinations in total

I just have a couple of questions for you all. Firstly, a few people have told me I might find a switch to a 2-ring chainset with a larger cassette to be just as good, and easier to maintain. I'm not sure about this, and wondered what you might think, based on what I've said. Secondly, whether I switch to 2-ring or stay with 3-ring, if I decided on an upgrade to the current components - maybe to get a bit more top-end speed - are there any particular ones that you would recommend?

Many thanks for any inputs or suggestions anyone can make.