B
B. Sanders
Guest
This year, two of my three MTB's are sporting 9-speed drivetrains. Both have LX 9 speed shifters and
XT or XTR 9 speed (Mega 9) rear derailleurs. One bike is used (bought on Ebay), the other is brand
new. Cables and housing are brand new Shimano OEM. Frames have no misalignment.
I can't seem to get the LX shifters dialed-in on either bike. Both have the same problem: Either
downshifts are perfect, and upshifts are dodgy, or vice versa. I've spent hours fiddling with the
cable adjusters, but can't find the sweet spot.
The best I've been able to achieve is when shifting to a larger cog (downshifting), it requires
moving the thumb shifter lever very close to the next detent click. The problem is, LX shifter
clicks are so soft that I frequently over-shift to the next detent (click), which leaves the
derailleur in between shifts, so I have to then upshift to correct it. This is incredibly annoying.
I'm not happy.
I've ridden other 9-speed bikes that didn't have this problem. My M5 Low Racer recumbent had a
27-speed drivetrain with Dura Ace barcons (bar-end shifters) that snicked through the gears like a
champ, with zero problems. My only conclusion is that the LX shifters are garbage. I thought the
brand new LX shifters might be a little better; but they're exactly the same. This is surprising,
since I've had pretty good luck with Rapid Fire Plus shifters in the past.
Your comments and advice will be appreciated.
-Barry
XT or XTR 9 speed (Mega 9) rear derailleurs. One bike is used (bought on Ebay), the other is brand
new. Cables and housing are brand new Shimano OEM. Frames have no misalignment.
I can't seem to get the LX shifters dialed-in on either bike. Both have the same problem: Either
downshifts are perfect, and upshifts are dodgy, or vice versa. I've spent hours fiddling with the
cable adjusters, but can't find the sweet spot.
The best I've been able to achieve is when shifting to a larger cog (downshifting), it requires
moving the thumb shifter lever very close to the next detent click. The problem is, LX shifter
clicks are so soft that I frequently over-shift to the next detent (click), which leaves the
derailleur in between shifts, so I have to then upshift to correct it. This is incredibly annoying.
I'm not happy.
I've ridden other 9-speed bikes that didn't have this problem. My M5 Low Racer recumbent had a
27-speed drivetrain with Dura Ace barcons (bar-end shifters) that snicked through the gears like a
champ, with zero problems. My only conclusion is that the LX shifters are garbage. I thought the
brand new LX shifters might be a little better; but they're exactly the same. This is surprising,
since I've had pretty good luck with Rapid Fire Plus shifters in the past.
Your comments and advice will be appreciated.
-Barry