# Question about SRAM Dual Drive



## lybern (Jul 10, 2005)

I am a 52-year old recreational/touring biker. Over the years, I have logged many miles on one bike or another, and currently ride about 100 miles a week, so I am not new to biking but I have a new bike that will be my downfall if I don't figure it out! I had been riding a decent Gary Fisher but I decided to look into a new bike because the arthritis in my left hand has rendered it useless for shifting. I thought it was pure luck that my LBS had a Cannondale Adventure 800, featuring SRAM dual drive that uses the right hand for all the shifting! Made for me, I was convinced! Anyway, it was a dream to ride - the first 200 miles or so. Then it got a little cranky both upshifting and down. Ready for its first tune-up, I decided, and took it into the dealer. They changed the cables and did whatever adjustments it required. (I haven't really ever gotten very knowledgeable about bike repair, preferring to leave that to a reputable dealer.) When I got on it, though, something was not right. It would not shift - up or down. It slipped, popped out of gear and skipped some gears altogether. It would not go into "1" at all. I took it right back. They said the [brand new] cables had stretched. They adjusted it again. I took it home and, again, not good. I took it back again. The technician said it worked fine on the rack. I made him take it on the road and try it. He came back and said he saw what I was talking about and made the necessary adjustments while on the road. I took it home - and again - not good. A little better, but far from the silky smooth ride I had when it was new. I called SRAM and spoke to a techie there. He assured me I should be able to run through all the gears, as with any bike, just could't shift under load. I'm not really sure what that means in practical terms since when going up hill there is always going to be some load and if I can't shift when I need to, what good is having 24 gears? (My son's $100 bike from Costco actually shifts better than this.) I am concerned about losing momentum if I have to stop pedalling on an uphill in order to downshift. I ride on very hilly roads - no sooner are you down one hill than you are climbing the next. I really have to ride the momentum and if I downshift too soon, I will be spinning out all the time and wearing myself out and exhausing my gears prematurely. So, my question, does the dual drive require different shifting technique than, say, my Gary Fisher which never gave me this much grief? Is it not good on hilly terrain that I ride? How should I deal with the LBS? I am really appreciative for any advice.


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## cdmc (Feb 3, 2004)

Lets seperate the two issues:

1) If it shifted great when new and now does not shift well, something is not adjusted properly. I can't believe after 200 miles that any component would be worn out. Take it back, tell the dealer they need to fix it properly. YOU SHOULD NOT BE PAYING ANYTHING AT THIS POINT. The bike should not need new cables after 200 miles. If they can't get it shift properly, tell them you want to return the bike as it is obviously defective. If need be, tell them you will escalate it to the manufacture and/or file a small claims action to have them purchase it back. 

Note if you ride 200 miles a week, this is a 2 week old bike. If you paid by credit card, you can simply dispute the charge if the dealer doesn't want to refund you. 

2) Shifting. When climbing a hill under high loads, you generally want to back off a little on how hard you are pedaling when shifting. That said, you can force most deraillers to shift under load without much trouble, but it will accelerate drivetrain wear. If you have been riding for years, I highly doubt your riding style is the problem with the bike.


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