Lower gear changing woes

[surreypete]

Hi

I've just put a new Shimano Hyperglide cassette and a SRAM chain on my Cannondale F500 as the originals were well past there best.

Everything with the new set up is great apart from one small niggle, if I have the chain on the middle chainwheel at the front and I select the rear gears 1-6 everything is fine, but if I go for 7 or 8 it doesn't shift smoothly.

What seems to happen is the chain gets stuck on the cog above and seems to not want to shift down, if I stop peddling and then start peddling again the chain will normally pop down to the next gear but sometimes it is hit and miss and it sometimes does it under load which is annoying.

The stops for the deraillers are spot on, all the higher gears 1-6 work fine and select fine and are matched with the clicks but after 6 to 8 they seem to be out from the clicks of the twistgrip, everything is oiled up and there doesn't seem to be any problems with fraying cables.

How would I get the lower gears to select properly and what method would people suggest is the best way of doing it?

Cheers.

[GeorgeET]

I just went through this. It sounds like the shifter shifts OK to larger inboard cogs but does not shift ok going to the smaller cogs. Correct?

This suggests that your cable is too tight. Try turning adjusting barrel in either at bars or at the derailleur.

Sometimes the shifter can be cleaned and re oiled or it can be worn and need replacing. Sometimes the extreme crossover of chain is problematic.

Nice bike BTW

PS always follow manufacturers directions, some of the sprays are nasty.

[surreypete]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah your spot on, the bigger gears, 1-6 all work fine and select as they should, the smaller gears 6-7-8 all seem to not select properly and sometimes hang between gears, when i stop pedaling and restart it makes the chain move.

I have wound the adjuster right in at the grip shifter end, this has helped a little but it still does it, when I replaced the chain and cassette I took everything else off the bike and cleaned and lubed it up thoroughly.

I'll try loosening the inner cable at the derailleur end and see if it helps.

[GeorgeET]

[quote='surreypete' pid='6538' dateline='1271774743']
Thanks for the reply.

Yeah your spot on, the bigger gears, 1-6 all work fine and select as they should, the smaller gears 6-7-8 all seem to not select properly and sometimes hang between gears, when i stop pedaling and restart it makes the chain move.

I have wound the adjuster right in at the grip shifter end, this has helped a little but it still does it, when I replaced the chain and cassette I took everything else off the bike and cleaned and lubed it up thoroughly.

I'll try loosening the inner cable at the derailleur end and see if it helps.
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Ye, 10-4 to that. Sounds like you started with the cable too tight. Put the chain on the smallest rear gear and middle front . It should have wee bit play. BTDT.

Nice Bike.