# 9150 Rear Derailleur & Chain



## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

Hi everyone.

I have recently installed a 9150 groupset on a new SWorks Roubaix frame and the shifting between the middle few sprockets isn't quite right. Hanger has been checked, chain length is right and I've been over all the Di2 adjustments several times.

My query is regarding the B-Tension screw which the 9150 manual calls the End Adjust Bolt. If I tighten it to spec and it's real close to the largest sprocket (30 tooth) the shifting is real good, but by the time I shift to about the 6th sprocket, the chain goes loose and sloppy. If I tighten it up again in the lower gear, the shifting is poor.

These un-sprung 9150 derailleurs are a bit strange because their hanger mount just flops around until you get chain tension on them. Does anyone have any experience with them which you can pass on please?


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Something is not right, take it back the bike shop and have them take a look.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

How do you know your chain length is correct? What method are you using?


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## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> How do you know your chain length is correct? What method are you using?


Straight from the R9150 dealer's manual which is chain around the large chainring and sprocket + 3 pins (1 full link). I then used the Chain Length Calculator app to double check. I think the app uses the Park Tools rigorous equation to calculate the number of links.

But I think you are on the right track. If the chain had a little more tension in the lower gears it would be ok. I wonder if minus 1 link would help.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Shift into the small up front and small in the back.

What does the rear mech cage and pulleys look like vs. the chain? Anything touching? How much tension is on the cage in this gear?

Take a picture of it in this gear, the small/small and post it.


If you haven't guessed yet, I'm telling you to resize your chain using the small/small method.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

^This^. I'm a fan of the longest possible chain.


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## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

Thanks, will do that tonight and post the picture. With the 52/36, 9150 Di2 won't allow me to go fully small/small but I'll post what I see in the smallest sprocket and small chainring.


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## LiquidCooled (Jun 9, 2017)

Rebem said:


> With the 52/36, 9150 Di2 won't allow me to go fully small/small but I'll post what I see in the smallest sprocket and small chainring.


Why's that? My 52/36 Ultegra 6870 Di2 allows full cross chaining (big-big or small-small) better than any group I've ever tried. And small-small is very quiet (more so than big-big).


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## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

The default programming is to restrict it so as not to cross chain. You can remove the restriction but to be honest I don't mind the setting.


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

Rebem said:


> The default programming is to restrict it so as not to cross chain. You can remove the restriction but to be honest I don't mind the setting.


^this^


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## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

Spoke to Shimano tech support yesterday and the advice is that the 9150 is sensitive to chain length. Looks like I need a link or two shorter in order to get the chain tension on the smaller sprockets. He suggested placing the bike in the 52/11 combination and observe if the rear pulleys are vertically aligned. Mine aren't - the lower one is slightly further back so I can probably lose a link or two. Will try it over the weekend and report back.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Rebem said:


> Spoke to Shimano tech support yesterday and the advice is that the 9150 is sensitive to chain length. Looks like I need a link or two shorter in order to get the chain tension on the smaller sprockets. He suggested placing the bike in the 52/11 combination and observe if the rear pulleys are vertically aligned. Mine aren't - the lower one is slightly further back so I can probably lose a link or two. Will try it over the weekend and report back.


Put the bike in the work stand. Small/small. Does the chain rub on the rear derailleur anywhere? Like the bottom of the upper pulley? If it doesn't you're good. You can double check this by shifting to big ring. Shift up to the big cog and check the position of the pulley cage. You can hold the chain w/ your fingers and twist it like you're pretending to make the chain shorter. If the pulley cage goes wayyyy forward/up and pedaling the bike by hand doesn't feel smooth then you probably don't want to shorten the chain. 

Remember...just because the guy your spoke to works at Shimano doesn't necessarily mean he has all the right answers.


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## LiquidCooled (Jun 9, 2017)

Rebem said:


> The default programming is to restrict it so as not to cross chain. You can remove the restriction but to be honest I don't mind the setting.


Interesting. Is that only in Synchronous mode or even in manual mode?


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## Rebem (Jan 16, 2010)

LiquidCooled said:


> Interesting. Is that only in Synchronous mode or even in manual mode?


All modes to my knowledge. I run in manual and it's there. Synchronous would just handle front-back changes for you and semi-synchro just flicks a couple of sprockets when you change the front chainring.

@cxwrench - point taken. Checked your suggestion and it was all good. Removed one full link tonight and it's shifting perfectly.


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## Donzo98 (Oct 1, 2008)

Rebem said:


> The default programming is to restrict it so as not to cross chain. You can remove the restriction but to be honest I don't mind the setting.


How do you override this?? 

I have read that anything over a 14T difference in the front chain rings won't allow small/ small + the second to smallest. If I tell the Etube App that I have a 53/39 (14T diff instead of the 52/36 (16T) will that allow me to use all the gears?? Not that I would... but the second to last cog is useful at times.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Donzo98 said:


> How do you override this??
> 
> I have read that anything over a 14T difference in the front chain rings won't allow small/ small + the second to smallest. If I tell the Etube App that I have a 53/39 (14T diff instead of the 52/36 (16T) will that allow me to use all the gears?? Not that I would... but the second to last cog is useful at times.


I have just purchased a GS cage Ultegra R9150 for use on my existing DuraAce setup to allow me to use a lower ratio cassette on the rear. However while I can get it to go onto the 11T while on the big ring on the front (50T) as soon as shift onto the small ring (34T) the rear derailleur auto shifts backdown 3 cogs and will not shift back up while on the 34T ring? It sounds as if its a similar issue and is incredibly annoying as I am losing 2 gears on the small front ring. Does anybody know how to get around this?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

sgc said:


> I have just purchased a GS cage Ultegra R9150 for use on my existing DuraAce setup to allow me to use a lower ratio cassette on the rear. However while I can get it to go onto the 11T while on the big ring on the front (50T) as soon as shift onto the small ring (34T) the rear derailleur auto shifts backdown 3 cogs and will not shift back up while on the 34T ring? It sounds as if its a similar issue and is incredibly annoying as I am losing 2 gears on the small front ring. Does anybody know how to get around this?


If it's 'incredibly annoying' you've been spending a lot of time in the wrong gears. On many bikes the chain will hit the inside of the big ring in the last 2-3 cogs...why would you want to ride in those gears?


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## Donzo98 (Oct 1, 2008)

sgc said:


> I have just purchased a GS cage Ultegra R9150 for use on my existing DuraAce setup to allow me to use a lower ratio cassette on the rear. However while I can get it to go onto the 11T while on the big ring on the front (50T) as soon as shift onto the small ring (34T) the rear derailleur auto shifts backdown 3 cogs and will not shift back up while on the 34T ring? It sounds as if its a similar issue and is incredibly annoying as I am losing 2 gears on the small front ring. Does anybody know how to get around this?


Make sure you don't have Synchro shift (semi sychro mode) enabled... sounds like you do.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Donzo98 said:


> Make sure you don't have Synchro shift (semi sychro mode) enabled... sounds like you do.


No synchro is disabled, it appears to be a shimano default on the new rear derailleur


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## Donzo98 (Oct 1, 2008)

What front rings do you have??


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

50/34


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## Donzo98 (Oct 1, 2008)

Go into ur Etube App... and change the front rings to 53/39... that should do the trick.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Donzo98 said:


> Go into ur Etube App... and change the front rings to 53/39... that should do the trick.


I see where you are coming from, unfortunately at the moment I dont have the bluetooth sender on the system to communicate with the Etube App, use a laptop to interface with the Di2. Looks like I may need to purchase one and try adjusting it through the App.

Thanks


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## Donzo98 (Oct 1, 2008)

sgc said:


> I see where you are coming from, unfortunately at the moment I dont have the bluetooth sender on the system to communicate with the Etube App, use a laptop to interface with the Di2. Looks like I may need to purchase one and try adjusting it through the App.
> 
> Thanks


I can't imagine you can't do the same with the laptop set up.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Possibly, but I dont recall seeing that on the laptop interface, will have a check tonight


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Quick update for anybody with the same issue.

1. I can confirm that the latest version of the PC software has the ability to alter the FD setting (I was using out of date version!!)
2. Setting this to 59/39 will resolve the issue of not being able to use the 12T and 11T cogs while on the small ring, however there is one additional setting you need to make for this work. There is an additional setting called "Gear Control" on the same page. Make sure this is set to "off"

Thanks to all for suggestions, additional gears now available for those who like using them

regards


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## LiquidCooled (Jun 9, 2017)

*9150 Rear Derailleur &amp; Chain*

I'm sure you tried this, sgc, but just to be explicit, what happened when you left the FD as 50/34 but turned off "gear control?"


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

LiquidCooled said:


> I'm sure you tried this, sgc, but just to be explicit, what happened when you left the FD as 50/34 but turned off "gear control?"


Didnt try this, everything I have read to date said change the FD to 53/39 so I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that others had tried the 50/34 option? It isnt too much hassle to set it up with the 50/34 option, so will see if that works and report back

regards


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## LiquidCooled (Jun 9, 2017)

sgc said:


> Didnt try this, everything I have read to date said change the FD to 53/39 so I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that others had tried the 50/34 option? It isnt too much hassle to set it up with the 50/34 option, so will see if that works and report back
> 
> regards


Yeah, that's what I read, too, but your post was the first time I've read of the "gear control" option. I'm wondering if that new option is solely responsible for disabling cross chaining. The older di2 groups (6870, 9070, etc) don't have the "gear control" knob, and they allow full cross chaining.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

I'll give it a try tonight and see if the theory works?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

sgc said:


> Quick update for anybody with the same issue.
> 
> 1. I can confirm that the latest version of the PC software has the ability to alter the FD setting (I was using out of date version!!)
> 2. Setting this to 59/39 will resolve the issue of not being able to use the 12T and 11T cogs while on the small ring, however there is one additional setting you need to make for this work. There is an additional setting called "Gear Control" on the same page. Make sure this is set to "off"
> ...


Good to know.


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## sgc (Jun 22, 2013)

Curiosity got the better of me!
Only those options with a gear difference of 14T or less will work, ie 54/42, 55/42, 53/39, 52/38. If you choose any other option, the gear control option is greyed out and will not allow you to make any changes. So one of the initial comments about the 14T differential is correct.

regards


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## LiquidCooled (Jun 9, 2017)

Good to know. Thanks for checking, sgc.


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## adilosnave (Jan 17, 2018)

Little late to the game on this. Have been running Ultegra 6870 Di2 with internal battery BTR2 for years but upgraded to 8070 derailleurs. Using the PC interface but it doesn't provide me with options to modify the gear ration in order for me to still use first two gears while in the small ring. This is discussed in-depth in the thread above. Am I correct that I'm not seeing this option because of the BTR2 battery and that I need to upgrade that to the DN110?


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## Finx (Oct 19, 2017)

adilosnave said:


> Little late to the game on this. Have been running Ultegra 6870 Di2 with internal battery BTR2 for years but upgraded to 8070 derailleurs. Using the PC interface but it doesn't provide me with options to modify the gear ration in order for me to still use first two gears while in the small ring. This is discussed in-depth in the thread above. Am I correct that I'm not seeing this option because of the BTR2 battery and that I need to upgrade that to the DN110?


The PC version of the ETube app does allow you to change these settings. I think 'sgc' confirmed this in this thread, and I've done it myself. 

I don't have the app available to look at it, but it's in there.


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## Old&Slow (Apr 22, 2019)

Finx said:


> The PC version of the ETube app does allow you to change these settings. I think 'sgc' confirmed this in this thread, and I've done it myself.
> 
> I don't have the app available to look at it, but it's in there.


I have the pc connector and app, have connected to the bike and made the necessary changes, including the gear control and the bike still won't allow the full spectrum of gears!! Is there anything else that needs to be done in order to get this to work?
Cheers


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