Adjusting the Rear Derailleur
Over time, you may notice chatter or noise from the chain on your bike, or the rear derailleur may start to play up. Usually, this is caused by a dirty rear derailleur or a loss of tension on the derailleur cable. Fortunately, this is easy to fix and doesn’t require any special tools or professional help.
You’ll need:
- bike lube,
- a toothbrush,
- soap and water,
- and a bike stand (optional, but makes the job easier!)
If you don’t have a bike stand, you’ll have to find some method of jacking the bike up off the ground so you can pedal and shift gears.
Clean and adjust the derailleur
- Make sure the chain is on the SMALLEST sprocket on the rear gears before starting.
- If the derailleur is dirty, clean it well with soap and water. If the derailleur is bent, you’ll need to take it to a bike shop to get fixed.
- After cleaning the derailleur, lubricate the moving parts with the bike lube.
- Start pedalling the bike, and try shifting onto the second smallest sprocket.
- If the chain will not shift onto the second smallest sprocket, keep pedalling and turn the adjusting barrel counter clockwise until the chain jumps onto the right sprocket.
- If the chain moves past the second smallest sprocket onto the third smallest sprocket, keep pedalling and turn the adjustment barrel clockwise until the chain jumps back to the second smallest sprocket.
- Once the chain shifts between the three smallest sprockets correctly, you’re done!
