Hit a curb 6 months ago and just realized I was indexing my rear derailleur backwards

I've been building bikes for like 15 years and always adjusted the limit screws by feel, never really checked the high/low basic setup. Last week I watched a Park Tool video after a buddy pointed out my chain was rubbing on the 11t cog. How long did it take you to figure out something simple that you had been doing bass-ackwards for ages?

2 comments

2 Comments

terry_barnes1d ago

Park Tool totally saved my ass on this too! I read a forum post once where a guy said he spent two whole years adjusting his shifting by ear and getting it close but never perfect. Turns out he had the B-screw cranked all the way in thinking it gave more tension. Felt like a fool after watching that same video you mentioned. I still catch myself doing little stuff like checking chain stretch with a ruler instead of a gauge because that's how my dad taught me in the 90s. Always funny how these little habits stick around until one random tutorial blows your whole world open.

rose_grant781d ago

Hold up, did that guy ever say why he thought the B-screw was for tension? I'm trying to figure out if that was a common myth back then or just one of those things people made up. Curious if your 90s ruler trick actually works well enough or if you've eventually switched over to a gauge.