# SRAM Rival Front Derailleur Jettisons Chain



## ybgirnadnerb (Mar 15, 2012)

Stock Cannondale 2012 CAAD10 with 53/39 up front and 11-26 in the back. Bike is less than two weeks old.

I like to climb my favorite hill in 39x15ish? Then as I approach the top I switch to 53. Unfortunately, today, as I was attempting to do this, my front derailleur had a different plan in mind. It decided rather than foisting the chain onto the chainwheel, it would noisily toss the chain off and onto my crank arm to snuggle my pedal and shoes. My foot was lonely, so it appreciated the gesture, but I did not enjoy stopping, dismounting, and putting my chain back on. Many leaves died to cleanse my hands of the grease.

Thoughts? Is this growing pains? LBS adjusted FD recently, but I *cough* may have fiddled with it the other night...is this just a matter of bringing the FD in more?

I can take the bike back to the LBS, but not for a while because I have finals coming up and it's really only a semi-local BS.


----------



## vagabondcyclist (Apr 2, 2011)

ybgirnadnerb said:


> LBS adjusted FD recently, but I *cough* may have fiddled with it the other night..


Here's your problem right here. Take it back to your LBS.


----------



## ybgirnadnerb (Mar 15, 2012)

thanks, will do.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

you probably messed w/ the limit screws, yeah? there are plenty of videos on youtube showing how to adjust a front derailleur. normally they're not too hard, but certain bikes really need a lot of fiddling to get them really good. check out the videos, especially the ones that SRAM puts up. basically you want to:
1) set height and angle (parallel to chainrings to start)
2) shift rear to large cog and set low limit on front der
3) attach cable to front der
4) shift rear to small cog, then slowly shift to big ring in front and check/set high limit on front der
5) depending on what brand you're using (you didn't say) there can be some differences in how much cable tension is ideal, you may need your shop to help get that perfect.


----------



## ybgirnadnerb (Mar 15, 2012)

thank you so much for those thoughts and links to evil virii


Moderator's note: links removed.


----------



## RoadrunnerLXXI (Jun 3, 2012)

I watched about 6 different youtube videos on adjusting the front derailleur. I fine tuned to the best that I can but the chain still rubs the FD a bit when it's on the smallest cog in the rear and the small chain ring. I know you are not suppose to ride cross-chain but some of the video mentioned even when cross-chaining, there still shouldn't be any rubbing. Is it b/c the Sram Rival FD isn't as wide as the Shimano FD?


----------



## ybgirnadnerb (Mar 15, 2012)

RoadrunnerLXXI said:


> I watched about 6 different youtube videos on adjusting the front derailleur. I fine tuned to the best that I can but the chain still rubs the FD a bit when it's on the smallest cog in the rear and the small chain ring. I know you are not suppose to ride cross-chain but some of the video mentioned even when cross-chaining, there still shouldn't be any rubbing. Is it b/c the Sram Rival FD isn't as wide as the Shimano FD?


With my SRAM Rival setup, small chainring up front, smallest chainring in back rubs along the front chainring, not the front derailleur. Look closely and pedal slowly, I bet yours is the same. If that's the case, no amount of adjusting the FD makes that combination rideable: it's rubbing the large chainring itself, not the derailleur cage.

Sometimes when people say cross-chaining, they mean only big chainring-big cog (53x23), not little chainring-little cog (39x11).

I would stay away from 39x11. Shift into the middle of your cassette first, then go up in the front. The more teeth difference you give your derailleur to swallow at once, the more abrupt and unreliable your shift will be.

I also tore up my frame trying to shift from 39x11 to 53x11: the chain would snag and rough up the bottom of the chainstay.


----------



## AJ88V (Nov 14, 2012)

Now with my 3rd SRAM bike... The front derailleur is tricky to adjust and I still don't think the Rival or Force FD works as easily as Shimano, although I like the trim on the Force shifter.

Others have already given good advice on how to adjust.

Recommend you look at a chain catcher. I got a Krex chain catcher off ebay for less than $10 shipped. I heard it work one time on my ride Saturday - the chain was in place on the chain wheel, but noticed small marks on the catcher that weren't there before. It only happened once, but it works. GREAT INVESTMENT. The only downside is an extra 10 grams and the need to set up your derailleur again as you install the catcher (PITA). The peace of mind is priceless.


----------

