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I have a Shimano Acera that hits the spokes in first gear (largest rear sprocket.)

I found three screws on the derailleur Which one should I turn, in which direction?

The bike (Specialized Sirius 2.0) is brand new, by the way, I thought I would fix it myself, as dealer service seems very busy atm.

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  • A trick I use to avoid looking up the manual: Usually you can see the end of the limit screws and the part of the derailleur they hit to limit its movement. By shifting up and down and looking at that part you can figure out which screw is which.
    – Michael
    Sep 4, 2020 at 6:20

1 Answer 1

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You need to adjust the L-Limit screw - Have a look at this Park Tool guide.

The problem may also be a bent derailleur hanger. Checking and, if needed, fixing this is best done with a specialized tool, and is quick and easy if you have that tool. While it is possible to make the check and repair without the tool, the precision is nowhere near as good. This Park Tool guide might be helpful

Given that it's a new bike, I would do a sight check for a bent hanger; if obviously bent, send it back to the shop. If not, have a go at adjusting the L-Limit. If it does not all come together easily with smooth shifting and good spoke clearance, get the shop onto it as it could still be a bent hanger. Without the tool, it takes a good eye to spot a small error.

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  • I found the L screw, it is even marked, but I only saw that on the blown-up photo, not in-person. It is the lowest of the three screws, near the cable, and needed one revolution inward.
    – Bram
    Sep 4, 2020 at 3:05
  • Considering the scratches on the derailleur I’d still check for a bent hanger.
    – Michael
    Sep 4, 2020 at 6:16
  • A bent cage is also worth checking for (my hanger is steel, part of the frame, so the cage is much weaker, but it's still possible to bend just the cage with an aluminium hanger)
    – Chris H
    Sep 4, 2020 at 9:38
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    Lower limit adjustment too far inwards does not make the derailleur move to far in, the indexing would have to be off as well.for that to happen. If the derailleur is indexing on the lowest gear approximately well, but the lower end of the cage is hitting spokes it definitely points to a bent hanger or cage. Sep 4, 2020 at 12:50

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