Workshop wisdom

How to adjust your front derailleur in five simple steps

- Will Soffe

Although you'll use your front derailleur less than the rear derailleur, ensuring it's set up correctly will save you the frustration of a dropped chain or chain rub. In this guide, we explain how to adjust your front derailleur in five simple steps. We also cover how to set up electronic front derailleurs.

Set the derailleur position.

First, set the lateral (side to side) position of the front derailleur on the seat tube. Loosen the fixing bolt and adjust the cage until it's parallel to the chainrings when looking from above. Next, set the height of the derailleur. Shift into the largest chainring and the outside edge of the cage should sit 2-3mm above the teeth.

Adjust the lower limit screw.

There will be two limit screws (A) on the front derailleur - the one that's closest to the frame is usually the one that controls the lower limit, or how close the derailleur's cage can get to the seat tube. To set this, make sure the chain is on the smallest chainring and the largest cassette sprocket, and that there's no tension on the gear cable. Turn the lower limit screw clockwise and watch as the inside plate of the derailleur cage moves towards the chain. You need it to be close, but not touching.

Tweak the cable tension