Granny Gear Problem

[araby4]

Hi! Background: front derailleur problem? New trek 7200 owner now on/off road had a chance to finally use my granny gears at Hashawa on the "wilderness trail" and poof - stayed in second gear with lots of grinding - the front derailleur was hitting the chain with no shift to first(low). Troubleshooting - could not get it to shift to low at all and my cable was quite loose requesting first gear. No problems in second or high. Should I take it to Race Pace for help or try to adjust it myself using your tutorials? I'm new to troubleshooting and really want to be able to take care of issues myself....but have some really massive hills on my rides and having problems 15 miles from home is a pain. Thanks for the feedback!

[TESTUser111]

Sounds like you front derailleur's 'L' screw might be too tight (it stops the chain from shifting down into your frame). Check the front derailleur video at about 1:15 for some tips on this. Try loosening it 1/2 a turn at a time and see if that helps you get down to the small sprocket.
As you've loosened your cable you'll have to re-adjust the cable tension as well (see the same video).

[araby4]

Thanks so much Alex, you've been a great help. This site is a fabulous resource!