How to adjust your rear derailleur., by Wild Boar Cycling on YouTube. 10 min 4 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 4 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Shift the chain onto the smallest rear cog and the smallest front chainring. This gives you a clean starting point and slack cable for the checks ahead.
Check the derailleur hanger is straight. A bent hanger is the most common cause of bad shifting, so straighten or replace it before touching any screws.
Turn the barrel adjuster on the shifter or derailleur clockwise to remove cable slack, then recheck shifting through the gears.
Set the high limit screw so the upper pulley sits directly under the smallest cog. Turn the screw marked H in small quarter turns while pedalling.
Set the low limit screw so the chain cannot shift past the largest cog into the spokes. Turn the screw marked L until the pulley lines up with the big cog.
Adjust the B screw so the upper pulley sits about 5 to 6mm below the largest cog. Too close causes noise, too far slows shifting.
Index the gears by shifting up and down the cassette. Turn the barrel adjuster a quarter turn at a time until each shift lands cleanly on the cog.
Lube the cable and pivots, then ride and shift through all gears. Fine tune the barrel adjuster again if any gear hesitates.
Tips and common mistakes
Clean and lube the chain before adjusting anything, since a dry or dirty chain mimics bad shifting.
Turn limit screws in small quarter turns and check after each one so you do not overshoot.
If shifting is still poor after all checks, the cable may be frayed or the housing worn, so replace them.
Questions
Why does my derailleur skip gears?
Usually the cable tension is slightly off or the hanger is bent. Check the hanger first, then fine tune with the barrel adjuster.
Do I need to replace the cable to fix shifting?
Not always. If the cable moves freely and the housing is clean, adjustment is enough. Replace it if it is frayed or sticky.
What do the H and L screws do?
They stop the derailleur moving too far. H sets the outer limit at the smallest cog, L sets the inner limit at the largest cog.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
