# Front Derailleur Adjustment - Technical Question



## Matt1986 (Mar 19, 2010)

Howdy,

I'm probably just being thick and missing something, but the campy instructions for adjusting my Chorus 11 front derailleur just don't seem to make sense to me. Help is needed.

The problem I'm having is that step one requires me to set .5mm clearance for the low gear and clamp the cable (straight forward), but then the following step requires me to shift 3 steps and use the barrel adjuster to tension the cable and bring the inside derailleur plate within .5mm of the chain while in the big ring and the biggest rear socket. 

After making this adjustment and setting the high limit, the additional tension placed on the cable by the barrel adjuster then messes up my initial low gear adjustment, with the cable being too taut to return to the position I set with the limit screw. 

Am I missing something really obvious? Can anyone offer a more straight forward approach to getting an 11 speed FD into optimal adjustment?

Thanks,
Matt


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## rcharrette (Mar 27, 2007)

"use the barrel adjuster to tension the cable and bring the inside derailleur plate within .5mm of the chain while in the big ring and the biggest rear socket."
I think it should be the outside derailleur plate that is .5mm clearance in the big ring. 
This procedure is just eliminating run on the derailleur. Inside (small ring) adjust to eliminate rub on inside plate. Outside ring (Big ring) adjust for outside plate. From there use barrel adjuster to fine tune.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

I think what I've always done is: 
Set lower limit with chain on small ring, big sprocket
Pull/tension cable and attach
Set upper limit with chain on big ring, smallest sprocket
Fine tune with barrel adjuster as needed (so far haven't had to do this)

The trick for me has always been to pull the right amount of tension on the cable when hooking it up after setting the lower limit. If I don't get it right the first time I unclamp the cable and do over.


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## Matt1986 (Mar 19, 2010)

rcharrette said:


> I think it should be the outside derailleur plate that is .5mm clearance in the big ring. This procedure is just eliminating run on the derailleur. Inside (small ring) adjust to eliminate rub on inside plate. Outside ring (Big ring) adjust for outside plate. From there use barrel adjuster to fine tune.


This is what I would have assumed (and have done previously when setting up a friction FD) but the Campagnolo instructions definitely seem to mention getting the inside plate within .5mm of the chain while running big to big. 

What I'm referring to is on page 13 of this PDF: http://www.campagnolo.com/repository/documenti/en/11S_Front_derailleur.pdf

In any case, I'm tempted to do what I would ordinarily do (set the limits for the lowest and highest gear as Kristatos described) but I am a bit concerned by the instructions mention that "the derailleur must work in three steps" - i.e. when setting the upper limit it doesn't seem I can simply throw the lever as far as possible and adjust inwards.


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## jazclrint (Dec 29, 2009)

I think the instructions want you to adjust cable tension to the inside of the FD plate when in the big ring and biggest cog. But adjust the limit screw when in the big ring and smallest cog. Does that make sense? Other wise, basically set the limit screws as close as possible for both rings. Then adjust tension so only 3 clicks of lever 2 gets you into the big ring, and make sure you an use the whole cassette in the big ring with no rubbing.

On my 10 speed drivetrain I actually have the lower limit screw backed off just a skosh, and use the barrel adjuster to get the FD that extra bit closer so there is no slack in the cable, making the shifting just that bit quicker.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Kris has it just right. 

plus get the angle perfect and height right.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Matt1986, when you adjusted the cable tension, was the chain on the largest sprocket?

Everyone's advice is interesting in that no one is matching Campy's instructions, which is fine. 

The instructions tell you to adjust the cable tension to 1/2 mm from the inside cage when in the largest sprocket. It's clear the intent is to use the full cassette range in the large ring with no trim. You will then have two clicks in the small ring; one for trim. 

I just set up my first 11s group last night. It is difficult getting that level of precision with no barrel adjuster.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Campy instructions are littered with errors and poor translation.

Was checking the 10-speed FD one yesterday where in one paragraph it instructs to line up the inner plate, and then in the next one it says to line up the outer plate.

Anyway, obviously the inner stop has to be set up with the chain in the innermost position, which would be small ring/large cog. Which is what we are saying. Release thumb lever and attach cable with a little tension.

There could be further fine adjustment of the cable from there so as to optimize performance.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Yeah, I was talking about a step after that. Attach the cable. Two clicks up, big chainring and big cog. Adjust cable tension so there is 1/2 mm between the chain and the inside FD fork. 

This is page 13 of the instructions. Step 5.2. It even has a handy diagram (only legible in the PDF version).


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## goldmine848 (Jul 13, 2012)

I have Chorus 11 on an Orbea frame. There is no barrel adjuster. I have the limit screws adjusted properly, but my issue is that when the chain is on the big ring I cannot get it to hold the last click. It will click over but when I stand and put pressure on the hood it clicks down; so the last click is not a complete click. Does this indicate too much or too little cable tension? Any suggestions?


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## CheapSkate (Feb 26, 2012)

goldmine848 said:


> I have Chorus 11 on an Orbea frame. There is no barrel adjuster. I have the limit screws adjusted properly, but my issue is that when the chain is on the big ring I cannot get it to hold the last click. It will click over but when I stand and put pressure on the hood it clicks down; so the last click is not a complete click. Does this indicate too much or too little cable tension? Any suggestions?


I have barrel adjusters, and when I get the problem you describe, I reduce the tension by half a turn.

I think the problem you have is you force the last click on the shifter while the der is pressed on its limit screw. So the cable has huge tension on it. When you mess with the hoods the tension is too much for the shifter mechanism and it drops a click.

I would reduce the tension a bit, say 1 mm. That way the "last click" won't put the cable under so much tension.


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## Matt1986 (Mar 19, 2010)

bikerjulio said:


> Campy instructions are littered with errors and poor translation.
> 
> Was checking the 10-speed FD one yesterday where in one paragraph it instructs to line up the inner plate, and then in the next one it says to line up the outer plate.
> 
> ...


Yep, late follow up, but after following the instructions posted here (which is how I would ordinarily set up a regular FD) I got the shifting set up perfectly and it now runs like a dream. I can only determine that the official instructions for FD adjustment are not up to scratch.


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