How To Tune Bike Gears The Easy Way - Adjust Your Rear Derailleur Like A Pro

Tuning the gears on a mountain bike can be a struggle! In this video I walk You & April through the process of tuning a rear derailleur the easy way!

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00:00 - 0:57 Intro, Overview & Tools Needed
0:57 - 2:38 Step 1 & Alignment
2:38 - 3:18 B tension Screw
3:18 - 4:04 H limit Screw
4:04 - 5:55 Adjusting Cable Tension
5:55 - 7:26 L limit screw
7:26 - 7:55 Fine Tuning
7:55 - 8:40 Congrats!!
8:40 - 9:00 Parting Message, Performance Bike
9:00 - 9:35 Blooper

[linkinparkdrift]

For beginners, it's often confusing trying to remember which way to turn the barrel adjuster. A good way to imagine it is, spinning it to the right moves the derailleur to the right; while spinning it to the left moves the derailleur to the left. Great video.

[kadhir]

Damn this is the best tutorial I’ve watched! Every other just explains theory and barely goes in-depth on the how. More videos like this please!

[AprilRideMTB]

This was our first go at a tech video! Let us know if you liked it or if you have any suggestions, we have a bunch more ideas for ones to do throughout the winter if you guys do enjoy this one :)

[JeremyMcNeil_ca]

Best video on rear derailleur adjustment. A lot of videos make it too complicated, which it is not! Thanks for doing this video! Do brake bleeds (Shimano) next!

[Junnanma]

I learnt all these hard ways (through videos here and there, friends' tips and my own mistakes...) I wish there was a video like this that covers everything in such a great detail in one go when I started out.

[AlexMTB]

This is insanely useful! With bike shop delays it's more important than ever to know how to fix your own bike. Thanks for doing this.

[jimhalpert]

This is by far the best derailleur adjustment tutorial I have seen. Very well done and I liked especially that you mentioned and also showed every single step. Most other videos skip some steps, which makes them much harder to follow. It's also really nice that you show both the correct and the wrong settings.

[rachelharrison]

i'm getting some sporadic "crunchiness" from my derailleur/chain while riding recently. i'm grateful for this video because i think it'll help me diagnose and possibly fix what's causing it!

[jonasmathiassen]

What you do right both with your technique videos as well as in this tech video is showing how it looks when something is wrong. It is really incredibly helpful, thanks guys!

[bbman]

A few tips from my own experience wrenching on my bikes:
- Setting the H-limit: Do this without the shifting cable attached. This will ensure that the limit is set by the screw instead of the cable tension.
- Don't try to rush it. You'll be amazed how much difference even a quarter turn can make. In addition, if you take the time to do this properly, you probably won't need to touch the H/L/B-limit screw until you change wheel or cassette.
- Do a test ride afterwards. Your bike or suspension may twist ever so slightly with the weight of a rider on top. If you take a few tools with you, you can finetune your settings on the go until you're satisfied.

[DaveInMinnesota]

Thank you Kyle and April for this and all of your videos. They are always fantastic; detailed, entertaining, and helpful. I got a new bike in the mail, put it together, and was very discouraged on my first ride as my chain constantly slipped on the rear gears. After watching this video and following it step-by-step, it now shifts perfectly!

[jaimeyoo]

I was stuck and frustrated watching literally every video on youtube then recently came across your guys. Literally the easiest explanations and now i can fullt adjust my own derailer. Applaud you both for such a simple yet effective video 🤘

[dubblearr]

This is the best step by step video for setting up derailleur on you tube . I’ve watched a lot of videos on this topic. It is explained well and have a lot of tips. Great job and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[sebastianmg]

you should do a video for grease and lube, I was told at the bike shop that my hardtail needs some grease but they charge $50 buck for the maintenance. Would appreciate it!!! Great vid.

[johndyer]

Thanks for the rear derailleur video! Using these videos and the Park Tool videos I was able to do it myself! It took 2 days, after the 1st day I almost gave up. Thankfully it came together on day 2.

[nearcyclemisses]

What a fantastic tutorial. I’ve watched countless video’s before and never been able to master the process. I went straight out with my iPad and whilst watching your tutorial I dialled in and tuned my derailer properly. It now slips up and down the gears like butter.

[stevecabrera]

Im really down for a April teaches kyle to ride moto video!!

[vtspd]

So, you guys are awesome! I love that April is learning Mechanics and Kyle has a great way of speaking so its clear and easy to follow. I have always wanted to learn to work on my own bikes, but never had clear steps...building my own bike stand this week! Laughing is always one way to end a segment.

[nsfr]

One of the better videos out there. Park tool sometimes explains things like it's magic.

[swrigley]

Thank you for including the B tension adjustment to pick up slack in the chain. Other tutorials I've seen don't mention that at all and just say that you probably need a new chain (even when the chain is not stretched!). Awesome tutorial.