Hi guys, in need for some help because I've been at this for way too long and I'm at my wit's end. I've looked for manuals and previous posts but can't find anything useful. My bike is a 2023 Diverge Comp Carbon. It has Shimano GRX R810 derailleurs (11 speed in the rear, 2 in the front).
My goal was to align my chain. I've been watching Park Tools videos for Front Derailleur & Rear Derailleur adjustments. These two videos have almost 20 million views, but I can't find any videos to help with my situation. They show how to adjust the front and rear barrel adjusters but my bike doesn't have these!
I think I have Inline Adjusters along with brake adjusters(?).
After spending an insane amount of time trying to find the handlebar and derailleur barrel adjusters as shown in Park Tool's video, I came across some folks on this subreddit saying sometimes bikes have inline barrel adjusters instead. I think I've found mine (pic above) but they both are absolutely rock solid. I cannot, for the life of me, turn them. Even with a wrench. Am I missing something here??
I also naively thought I was adjusting the inline barrel adjuster at one point, only to later realize that I was turning, what I assume is, something that controls the rear hydraulic disk brake. How do I tell if I messed something up? I kept turning it while looking for derailleur movement, and only after several rotations did I realize what I was doing.
Here's some pics of the:
- handlebars to show there are no barrel adjusters up there
- Front derailleur with no barrel adjusters – Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3
- Rear derailleur with no barrel adjuster – Pic 1 (that plastic thing does not budge), Pic 2
Please help me!
by audiophileguy
4 Comments
Are you trying to set your high and low limits? You don’t use the barrel adjuster to align the limits
Your high and low limit screws are those size 2 Allen’s on the front and rear.
Barrel adjusters are for fine tuning the shifts after the limits are set more so in the .middle of the cassette.
To adjust the front, you have to set your high limit, shift all the way up, do one trim shift down and then align the 2 lines with the adjuster on the top of the front derail… it’s very confusing if you have never adjusted a new shimano front.
I would suggest taking it to a shop and pay the $20 if you have never worked on the new shimano set upside. It sounds like you’re just turning and messing with a bunch of stuff 8ncluding tje brakes that you have no idea and its very unsafe .
You have include but you have them flipped. The one you think is brake is your shifter barrel adjuster, the one you think is the barrel adjuster is your quick connect for the hydraulic brake line. You should have been able to piece this together based on the fact the one cable/hose is going to the front brake caliper. Obviously that one is going to be a brake…
The plastic thing is the barrel adjuster on the rear as well. I’m not sure why it’s not moving. Do you have the bike in the highest gear? (smallest cog with the cable all the way released) What about if you take off the cable. Can you turn it then.
Front derailleurs do not typically have barrel adjusters unless it’s in-line. There should be a tension screw or adjustment if I remember correctly on newer Shimano, but haven’t used one of those archaic front derailleurs in almost 8 years. Also as we discussed above, you have an inline barrel adjuster.
The way to adjust these is to think like this. When you have it all the way tightened in the overall length of your cable housing is as short as it can go. By loosening the barrel adjuster you are in a sense lengthening the cable housing which makes the cable tighter. If your derailleurs aren’t moving enough to change gears, you need to lengthen the cable housing. If they pull too much when you move the shifter you need to tighten it to shorten the housing.
In general, I recommend having the barrel adjuster all the way tight, then back it off just a turn or so then clamp the cable tight in the derailleur. Then start adjusting from there.
Also, before you start worrying about this, you need to make sure you have you high/low limits and b-tension set correctly. It’s an art and takes some time.
[Shimano doc on how to adjust the FD 810](https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/GAFD001/DM-GAFD001-01-ENG.pdf). Found by searching “GRX 810 front derailleur adjustment”
The part you highlighted on the RD is indeed the barrel adjuster. It just might be tightened down too much from the shop
On the pic of the cables coming out of your handlebars: You have hydraulic brakes, the things you are pointing that that you think are barrel adjusters are actually hydraulic couplers for the brakes. The things that you are pointing at that you think are for the brakes are in fact in-line barrel adjusters for your derailleurs. IMHO I really hate inline adjusters, often the whole thing spins (not adjusting anything) instead of screwing open and closed to adjust the cable tension. And frankly there is zero reason for your bike to have inline adjusters, because:
Your rear derailleur does have a barrel adjuster. You need to pull the little plastic thing out in order to unlock it and free it to turn.
Front derailleurs generally do not have barrel adjusters but the Shimano toggle link FDs have a tension adjust screw that does about the same thing, it’s the screw sticking diagonally up out of the top.
Ok now that said: what are you actually trying to achieve? What about your shifting needs adjusting?
When it comes to the front derailleur, ignore ANYTHING you read online that’s not very specifically about Shimano Toggle Link FDs. Instead, read the [Shimano Dealer Manual](https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/GAFD001/DM-GAFD001-01-ENG.pdf), particularly starting midway down page 19.