Sram components -- double-click?



CapeJAN

New Member
Apr 5, 2011
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I have a newer compact road bike with Sram components. I really like this bike, but I'm a bit confused sometimes whether I'm actually in gear. Yesterday it sounds almost as if I had playing cards in my spokes (circa 1972). Has anyone had a similar issue with the double-click sram shifters? I'm looking for any advice about working with these gears and powering up hills, too.
 
Suspect tuning of the rear derailleur, before blaming the shifters.
At first thought you probably need one or more of: hanger re-alignment, limit scew adjustment and cable re-tensioning.
 
You were absolutely correct about the derailer! I've never had so many shifting issues or had a problem with the gears loosening the way that they do with this bike. Is this common to road bikes that I haven't experienced before? Thanks so much for your post. I didn't feel so lost when I went back to the bike store to have them check it out.
 
As the number of sprockets has increased, derailleurs have become more and more susceptible to minor mis-alignment. There is less margin for error in adjustment with 10 speed than with 9 speed, for example, and less again for 11 speed.
Derailleurs can also be expected to "go off" in the weeks after a new cable has been fitted. The cable strands pull taught into each other and bed in more with each shift, leading to a slight elongation of the cable (loss of tension). Cables tend not to stretch any further after this initial bedding in, so all it really needs is a slight addition of tension to correct.
 
This is a common sitiuation which is why most bicycle shops offer free adjustments up to 30 days after the purchase of the bike.
 
I am running the Apex and seemed to take a while to get it to settle in. Also noticed the rear der seems to be bent or deflected more to the outside (not parallel to the cogs) than I would expect. Seems to be working OK now.

All the same I think I will likely change everything out to Shimano 105 at some point. The SRAM has a different pull ratio on the rear der and can only be used as a matched set (der and shifter) but the SRAM cassette is exactly compatible in terms of gear spacing with Shimano. A couple of my bikes came with SRAM cassettes and Shimano shifters/ders.

Am running the SRAM 11-32 in the rear now.
 
Originally Posted by doiturself .

I am running the Apex and seemed to take a while to get it to settle in. Also noticed the rear der seems to be bent or deflected more to the outside (not parallel to the cogs) than I would expect. Seems to be working OK now.

All the same I think I will likely change everything out to Shimano 105 at some point. The SRAM has a different pull ratio on the rear der and can only be used as a matched set (der and shifter) but the SRAM cassette is exactly compatible in terms of gear spacing with Shimano. A couple of my bikes came with SRAM cassettes and Shimano shifters/ders.

Am running the SRAM 11-32 in the rear now.
Like you, I use SRAM cassettes and chains with my Shimano 105. The SRAM cassettes are so close to Shimano cassettes that one might think that they were reverse engineered, and SRAM chains are better because you can use thier Power Link instead of having to replace a chain pin with an expensive replacement pin. But the over riding reason is that they are less expensive than the OME Shimano parts .