"Mike Kozlowski" wrote in message
...
A few weeks ago, I bought a bike (Diamondback Topanga Comp '04) for
the first time since the '80s. The most impressive improvement,
obviously, is the indexed shifting. It's deeply cool.

But: It seems to work much more smoothly on the rear than on the
front. Front gear shifts are slower, jerkier, and way more likely to
"miss" (i.e., not shift, and leave the chain rubbing up against the
side of the shifting mechanism; or shift, and leave the chain rubbing
up against the side).

Jerkiness is the hallmark of indexed front derailleurs. If you're not used
to it, you probably wonder what all the clunking is about. Sounds like
something must be wrong.

Why is this? Is it because the front derailleur isn't as good as the
rear one (Deore vs. LX)?

Deore front derailleurs are kinda flimsy, IMO; but that's probably not the
problem.

Is it because the front derailleur is a bit out of alignment?

There could be problems with alignment (angular), position (on the seat
tube), limit adjustment, or cable tension adjustment. Cable tension is the
most common mis-adjustment, followed by limit screw settings (two screws
that are used to adjust the inner and outer limits of travel for the front
derailleur).

Or is it just that front shifts are inherently more awkward than rear
ones?

Well, that's also part of it. It's often much harder to get front
derailleurs "dialed in" than rear derailleurs. Many riders prefer shifters
that allow the front derailleur to be "trimmed" (adjusted) while riding,
instead of the 3-position indexed shifting that most shifters have nowadays.

-=B=-