How to Adjust the Front Derailleur on your Bike – Video
As with all gear adjustment jobs, its better to have the back wheel off the ground, use a work stand if you’ve got one or use the washing line in the back yard, hang the saddle on the line and then you can work away. These instructions are for double or triple chain sets, mountain bike or road, triples need a bit more fiddling, doubles are easier.
Where to start
The front mechanism works on the same principal as the rear, basically it “derails” the chain from one chain wheel to another, before you start to adjust the gear it is best to check that the cable is running smoothly, change it if its worn, oil and grease it if its dry.
The other important thing to check is the height of the front gear mechanism, it must be approximately 2mm to 5mm above the large chain wheel, the angle of the cage is also of importance, normally the inside of the cage is parallel to the inside chain wheel.
Once you have set up the gear, you might have to fine-tune the height and angle of the mechanism, a fraction up, down, left or right can make for better and more responsive gear change.
The adjusting screws
As with the rear gear there are two screws that stop the chain going too far one way or the other. With your bike off the ground turn the pedals with one hand and change gear with the other, if the chain comes off the inside and onto the frame, adjust the screw that stops this, but not so far that the inside of the cage of the mechanism touches the chain wheel.
Then when you change onto the large chain wheel you want the chain to go up, but not too far that it falls off the outside, adjust the screw to stop this so that the cage doesn’t touch the chain on the chain wheel.
The next step 
With the chain on the smallest cog at the rear gear, shift the front gear from inside chain wheel to outside chain wheel, checking that the chain doesn’t fall off or that the mechanism rubs against the chain set, then do the same with the chain on the middle cog and the largest cog, it will work the smoothest on the middle cog and may not run so smoothly on the other extremes, this is normal, but with slight adjustment of the angle or the height you can help the smooth running.
Indexing
Some gear levers for the front gear are indexed and others just have many clicks, this is my favorite kind as it allows you fine tune the front gear on the road, where as an indexed gear has to be accurately set up before hand.
To do this follow the previous directions, then you have to use the cable adjuster on the lever for mountain bikes or on the cable or frame for road bikes.
To get the tension right so that the clicks in the lever are in the right place to change the front gear between chain rings, if it goes to far and rubs on the chain wind it back a bit and if doesn’t go far enough wind it forward to go a bit further, experiment with it and you will get it right. Follow all these instructions and you should have smooth gear changes all the way.
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