For the hanger alignment, I usually find the valve stem and use that as my check point. I'll rotate it to the top, check the alignment distance, then rotate the wheel so the stem is at the bottom and check there. Same for left to right. This takes the possibility of the rim being bent out of the equation. Also, when setting the limits, I'll try and manually move the derailleur to go past the limits to make sure it won't try and skip off the end of the cassette.
Right on! You’re not the first person to mention it. I used to spin the wheel with the tool. Gotten lazy over the years and found the it doesn’t make a huge difference unless the wheel is super wacky, which you can usually see by inspection. Cheers!
As a previous student of "Professor Sauce", I can attest to his exceptional teaching inside the classroom as well. He's held in high regards with his students.
One thing the viewers might not know is the whole cross chain thing if it applies to your bike. If you have a front derailleur, assure it is on the smaller, inner front cog when checking the rear low limit screw. Assure on the larger, outer front cog when checking the rear high limit screw. Should be obvious, look at the chain and make sure it is straight. Cross chaining can keep it from ever aligning well. I liked that hanger tool. Gotta grab one.
great video and good tip on starting on the 2nd cog when dialing in the index shifting. Not that way I've done it but it makes sense! Love the balance of your explanations and where you think it is ok to bend some rules in a pinch.
Pro wrench here: You should first check the hub and freehub bearings for play; loose bearings mean the cassette (or chainrings up front) are "floating" and not running 100% true. Checking the condition of the chain, cogs, and chainrings should be at the beginning as well; dialing in shifting with a worn out chain is semi-pointless. As someone else commented, the cable and housing should be inspected for corrosion and/or kinks, cuts, etc. Cable housing does wear out; if in doubt, replace it. If the shifter feels vague or you can barely feel it indexing, the shifter should be flushed with a degreaser and re-lubricated.
Excellent explanation! I generally do all the maintenance by myself and know a thing or two about derailleurs, watched a ton of YT stuff and I can tell you that this was exceptionally good instructional video! Kinda how I imagine myself explaining to others how bicycle components work but in a much more structured and professional manner 😅 Good work!
When someone comes to me with a badly-shifting bike I always check the axle tightness first, then derailleur bolt. Sometimes that's the only issue and is a quick, easy fix that will have you chasing your tail if you don't check it first. After that I run through gears, and if it's bad in just one or two cogs I straighten the derailleur hanger.
Excellent. Thank you. The tip on using the second smallest cog for indexing makes so much sense after you explain it. Indexing drives me crazy sometimes. This helps a great deal.
Very comprehensive tutorial! If i may add, be careful of the rear derailleur itself not aligned correctly, and if you value the derailleur quite well, might have had to align the hanger to the derailleur. So by eye, to the derailleur cage when extended fully (biggest cog). When i changed the cheaper derailleur to GX eagle like yours, i have to realign the RD hanger. My guess the GX eagle derailleur would be quite aligned, so my cheaper derailleur is the misaligned one.
As others mentioned, you should reference the DAG against the same spot on the rim. this accounts for any rim/axle wobble. Also, you should check to make sure the cassette is tight (and has the proper spacers if required) and that there is no play in your freehub/bearings. FWIW, I have no problem with WD-40 for some of this stuff, just know that it does have solvent in it, which will dissolve any grease in your bearings, so stay away from those. I prefer Boesheild T9 for the fact that it doesn't have any solvent. It is technically a film wax (surface protectant), but it will penetrate the bushings on jockey wheels and the pivots on your derailleur without risking rinsing the grease out of your bearings. Its also great to put on your exposed bolts, like water bottles, stems, etc. to help prevent corrosion (this is what Boeing designed it for). I use it every time I wipe down the bike (especially the trainer mounted bike).
The cable is also important to keep on top of too! If there's too much resistance, it can affect the downshift as the extra resistance of the plastic tube can sort of 'grab' onto the cable, causing an extra delay in shifting making it inconsistent
#1 check: Test cable friction. Dirt, rust, kinks in the cable or housing. Undo derailleur cable mount, pull the cable housing out of the shifter an inch. Then pull the cable an inch or so in and out from both ends. It should glide with no effort
On my GRX I have the adjuster right there on the rear derailleur which means I can basically set the shifting ‘by sight’ and 99% I don’t have to do any other adjustments. With XT on my MTB the adjuster is on the shifter which makes it unnecessarily more complex because you have to go back and forth.
You used the derailleur hanger bar at 1:45 wrong. You should always spin the wheel and measure from the same point according to the manufacturer of that tool park tools. The reason is so that you don't adjust for a wheel with poor truing tolerances.
If the wheel is relativ true: no problem at all. This minimal tolerances doesn´t affect any shifting performance. Mostly I´m using a old wheel mounted in the hanger and it´s working well. If your tolerances are so huge, you better change the hanger. You can only correct old steel frames so much.
Very good and clear explanations, as always, thanks! When checking the RD hanger alignment, would it be better to turn the wheel as well as the tool so that you're always checking the same point on the wheel rim (to take the lack of true of the wheel out of the equation)?
When aligning the derailleur hanger, you should rotate the wheel so that you always measure at the same spot (e.g. the valve). Otherwise, your result is flawed when the wheel is slightly warped.
"The derailleur hanger is just a sacrificial piece of metal." Yes, 100% correct and ANYONE!!! running around in "out-of-the-way" places and not carrying a spare, is just asking for trouble. I'm not talking about the guy running around town or on very local trails. I'm talking about the person who is 50 miles from the closest bike shop any number of times throughout the week. If you don't carry one, you had better have a way to convert your bike into a single speed or plan on pushing your bike XX number of miles when it does break. The more you tweak it with that derailleur hanger tool, the more likely it is that weak piece of metal will fail. You had better learn to protect your hanger or have a ~$15 spare.
Nice vid until you came to wd40. It is not a lubricant. It can help loosen stuck parts or remove grime but it evaporates quite fast and thus do not lube anymore
I had the same problem with my bike a week ago and i noticed that my shifting is kinda weird. I looked at my bike derailleur hanger for me it looks straight but when i take it to the bikeshop the mechanic checked it and it was bent.
Your explanation of WHY to use the 2nd smallest cog is a piece that has been missing in every other explanation I've seen. For the TL;DW crowd: Biggest and smallest are also influenced by the H/L set screws. So, one in and it's tension only.
tbh this mostly aplies when working with a sram deraileur haha :D that stuff is such a sensitive bitch to work with :D Love from a collegue from the Netherlands bro :D love the video
Interesting thing that I learnt from setting up my RX812 derailleur is that the dealers manual recommends to set the lower limit screw so that the derailleur pulley is in line withe the very right side of the smallest cog. Meaning it has to be a tiny bit lower. Any thoughts? Was it always supposed to be like that?
@@TheBikeSauce 😜. I bought a new bike last year that had shifting issues which took the shop a while to figure out. Turns out the cassette was loose. Another thing you just don’t expect with a brand new bike.
