Anyone have an easy solution for poor shifting due to bike being on trainer?

[Tobias]

When I place my bike on the trainer for winter riding I have to flex the rear derailleur cable and housing out of the way to clear the trainer’s axle support. It’s not much, but just enough to cause added friction so that when I go to shift into the 11T small cog for standing intervals the shift doesn’t occur until it gets nice and ready. Sometimes it can be 5 seconds or longer. Apparently there isn’t enough spring tension to overcome the added cable friction.

I know a quick fix would be not to use the 11T, right? :rolleyes: Other than that or replace the cable and housing to make it longer (or maybe shorter? ) so it bypasses the trainer is there something else I can do that won’t affect shifting when I take the bike off the trainer and hit the roads?

Thanks in advance

[false_Aest]

Ride outside.

lube

[John M]

....replace the cable and housing to make it longer ....so it bypasses the trainer is there something else I can do that won’t affect shifting when I take the bike off the trainer and hit the roads?



If it is twisting or kinking when you flex it to mount the bike on trainer, I would go with longer housing. Longer won't hurt the shifting. Shorter may exacerbate the problem you already have.

[thwart]

Ride outside. Gotta love those Cali dudes. They complain bitterly when it rains... Not sure if they know what a trainer is. ;) :D

I've had something similar happen in the past. Of course, weak riders like me spend very little time in the smallest cog.

Rerouting the cable/housing is the only solution I can think of.

[Charles M]

If someone near you has a few left over NOKON links, that housing bends A LOT easier and with less friction. You could leave your cable and just rerun the housing.

[palincss]

Gotta love those Cali dudes. They complain bitterly when it rains... Not sure if they know what a trainer is. ;) :D


Well, sure they do. Most people have one, a guy or gal who helps them with their fitness program.

[Dave]

The probem can also be do to the flexure of the rear dropout, due to the clamping force on the skewer. I've watched my RD change angle as the trainer's clamping force was increased.

A fraction of a turn on the limit screw might take care of the problem, but you'd need to return it to the proper position before hitting the road.

[Tobias]

As crazy as it may sound, after looking at it last night I’m first going to try to route the cable through the jaw that clamps the axle. Since the cable happens to naturally sit close to the middle (doesn’t work well top or bottom), I’m hoping that routing through the centerline may fix the problem. The clamping jaw on my CycleOps has a wide and deep grove large enough to hold the cable and housing. I just need to find a different skewer nut that isn’t as deep so the cable doesn’t get pinched at the base of the grove while in the tight position. Plus I have to be careful that the jaw doesn’t rotate while tightening.

[RPS]

I just need to find a different skewer nut that isn’t as deep so the cable doesn’t get pinched at the base of the grove while in the tight position.
Reversing the skewer might provide enough clearance for the cable to pass. Would on my trainer -- lots more room on the QR side.

[Tobias]

Thanks all, problem solved.

Turning the skewer around allowed me to route the cable as I wanted, but that didn't help because the cable was then flexed too far away from the wheel. :crap: However, by turning the skewer around it allowed me to route the cable between the QR lever and dropout, close enough to its normal position without getting pinched by the trainer's clamping jaw. Seems to work OK now.

Thanks again for your help.