3.14 drivetrain

Front Derailleur Setup (Mechanical)

Front Derailleur Setup (Mechanical). Step-by-step procedure for bike maintenance — tools, time, and what to watch out for.

Difficulty ★★☆ moderate
Time ~20 min
Applies to Bikes with front derailleur (mostly older Road, some Gravel, older MTB)
Front derailleur height and rotation alignment

Tools

  • 5mm hex
  • Phillips screwdriver (or hex for newer designs)
  • cable cutter

Procedure

  1. Mount position

    • Loosen the FD clamp bolt.
    • Position the outer cage so it sits 1–3 mm above the tallest tooth of the largest chainring at its closest point.
    • Rotate the FD so the outer cage is parallel to the chainring (look from above — the cage edge should match the chainring's edge, not point inward or outward).
    • Tighten the clamp bolt to spec (5–7 Nm typical).

  2. Set the low limit (L screw)

    • Shift to the small chainring and largest cassette cog.
    • Disconnect the cable if connected.
    • Turn the L screw until the inner cage is 0.5 mm from the chain (a hair's gap, no rub).

  3. Connect and tension the cable

    • With the shifter in its lowest position (small chainring), pull the cable taut through the pinch bolt.
    • Tighten the pinch bolt to spec (typically 5 Nm).

  4. Set the high limit (H screw)

    • Shift up to the large chainring and smallest cassette cog.
    • Turn the H screw until the outer cage is 0.5 mm from the chain with no rub.

  5. Test all gear combinations

    Some chain rub is unavoidable in cross-chain combos (small-small, large-large) on 2x setups; minor fine-tuning with the trim function on the shifter handles the rest.