Quote Originally Posted by liza View Post
I don't know anything about MTB shifting -- but usually with road systems, you can trim the front derailleur a bit by giving the shifter a little "half-shift" tap (seems like the newer Shimano shifters are specifically designed to allow this -- you have to shift "two clicks" for a full shift -- but it's possible on the older indexed systems as well). So if your gear combination is causing some chain rub, you can shift the derailleur just a little to the left or right to alleviate the rubbing.

Any possibility your shifters might allow this?
There are some mtb shifting systems that allow this, like grip shifts; I don't think mine is one of them. But I think trimming applies to lateral rub (rubbing against the sides of the chain holder), not vertical (on my bike it's rubbing against the *bottom* of the chain holder).

What I think would need to happen is to somehow get the derailleur to go lower when in the small ring but stay where it currently is in the big ring. I suspect that's not possible.