Most best inline gear adjusters?

[Colin63]

This has been a very useful thread. Thanks everyone.

I've been using a Shimano Deore XT M770 rear derailleur with down-tube shifters for 13 years and never had any problems with getting it to work satisfactorily – So long in fact that I'd forgotten about cable tension as a factor in making these things work properly. This morning I pulled my hair out trying to get my ancient beasty to run smoothly, but slowly it dawned on me (like muscle memory) that I need to be a little bit more sci-ent ific in my approach to maintenance. I need some finesse and sensitivity to get the old gears changing smoothly once more, so these thoughts on various cable adjusters have helped a lot.

I love tinkering with my bike, and to be back in the saddle is such a joy.

My kitchen table (upon which my bike is currently resting upside down) is covered in tools and greasy old rags and it looks as if I'll be missing dinner tonight. I can't imagine why my wife decided to leave me… (bless her for putting up with me as long as she did) I did buy her a Mercian after all!

[Colin63]

I walked around the shops of Lancaster this morning and failed to find a single barrel adjuster. Nobody has them. So I came home and disabled the SIS on the lever and will now see if I can return to a world of friction shifters. I hope so, because it'll save me a few quid and take me another step to becoming a stuck-in-the-mud oldie.

It was interesting chatting to some of the bike shop folk. Two shops told me that they simply couldn't get stock due to the effects of Covid and Brexit. The cupboards are bare. One told me that they are having to buy in components from other online shops to be able to service customer's bikes.

[Mick F]

I walked around the shops of Lancaster this morning and failed to find a single barrel adjuster. Nobody has them.

These are mine (in red).
Seems they're out of stock.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/token-tk684-al ... r-grappler

[Mick F]

PS:
SJS have ONE pair left in stock.

Better be quick if you want them!
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cables/blue ... -per-pair/


Amazon too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Token-TK684-Al ... B00SBLGI42

[gregoryoftours]

I have a road bike that came with washing line STI shifters and inline adjuster for the front derailleur.
The adjuster was installed in the middle of the section of outer cable cable running from the shifter to the down tube cable stop. It used to self adjust as the bike was steered due to the twisting motion on that section of the cable outer. Changing the adjuster for a Jagwire one that jammed into the cable exit point on the STI cured the problem.

[Colin63]

Having to buy online I picked up something for just a couple of quid. These do nothing but make small adjustments to cable length and as Mick said earlier in the thread, once adjusted you just leave them alone and forget about them. Why pay £12.00 for something so simple?

[Mick F]

To be fair, the Token ones come as a pair.
I only need one on Moulton, and not required at all on Mercian as it has DT adjustable mounts.

At least I have a spare, though there may possibly be some merit on fitting one for the front mech.

[Colin63]

I rode this morning without indexed gears but the DT shifter didn't really have enough friction for me to feel comfortable with it as a longterm solution. I think that the ability to switch off indexing on the Deore shifters is more useful as an emergency feature if you have a knock while out on the road.
I did rather enjoy changing gear by feel though, even though the last time I did it was when there'd only be a five speed freewheel with sprockets wide enough apart that accuracy was not so important. I briefly considered not bothering to install the adjuster, but it would be a bit daft.

[Colin63]

This is what arrived in the post this morning: A pair of ittle Jagwire Mini barrel adjusters for £4.99. Hopefully I'll never think about them again.

[Mick F]

Excellent!

I see you have the same rear mech I have on Moulton. Mine's 10sp.
I bought a brand new one a few weeks ago, and probably the last one available anywhere on Earth.

[Colin63]

Excellent!

I see you have the same rear mech I have on Moulton. Mine's 10sp.
I bought a brand new one a few weeks ago, and probably the last one available anywhere on Earth.

Maybe I need to keep my eyes open for replacements for the spares box. I'm happy with my set up and will be cheesed off to be inconvenienced by redundancy should something fail. This is the only bit of kit on the bike that I didn't choose. It was Grant at Mercian who said that this was a solid and reliable mech. 13 years later I can't disagree with him.

[Mick F]

The good thing about that mech, is that the top pivot isn't a pivot that moves in use.
Any rear mech with a top pivot will wear, and the indexing will suffer.

I'm so pleased with mine, that in the fullness of time when my Campag rear mech wears away (as it has a top pivot, and it's the second one since the last one wore out) I'll be fitting the Deore and take the consequences with Campag Ergo vs Shimano rear mech.

I have a thread about all this somewhere.

[Mick F]

Found it.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=141895