# SRAM Red Rear Derailleur shifting issues



## Taskmaxter

Hey there - quick question. I've picked up a new bike and it has SRAM components on it. My first bike with SRAM as my past bikes have had Shimano. I love the componets, but I find the rear derailleur doesn't always shift correctly. It is a SRAM Red read Derailleur. The problem is this: sometimes when I'm shifting up to the bigger cogs in the back, the chain will move up but then fall back into the cog that I was originally in. I've put a few hundred miles on the components now and have had the LBS I bought it from check it out (and their adjustments have helped), but it still does this "hop" at random after the second click. I haven't completely ruled out user error since I'm still new to the SRAM components. Thoughts? Anyone else had this issue and were able to resolve the issue by getting the components dialed in? 

Thanks

Forgot to mention - This is 2010 SRAM components


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## XR4Ti

I assume by bigger you mean lower, larger dia. cogs.

Are you sure it's not going up 2 and falling back 1? You can move 1-3 cogs on a downshift with Sram. When I first started using Sram, I found I was holding in the lever too long for a single downshift and would occasionally get it to start onto the 2nd cog but then fall back to the first. A bit more familiarity/practice fixed that.


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## Taskmaxter

XR4Ti said:


> I assume by bigger you mean lower, larger dia. cogs.
> 
> Are you sure it's not going up 2 and falling back 1? You can move 1-3 cogs on a downshift with Sram. When I first started using Sram, I found I was holding in the lever too long for a single downshift and would occasionally get it to start onto the 2nd cog but then fall back to the first. A bit more familiarity/practice fixed that.


Yes, lower and larger dia cogs. You may be right, it may be going up two and then falling back 1. I haven't quite figured out what it is doing. It only seems to happen when I get up into the larger dia gears. When moving up 11 thru 15 gears it doesn't seem to happen.


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## dougrocky123

*Sram*

I think I saw something like this mentioned in Road Bike Action magazine so I tried it myself on my Rival. If you are in the largest cog and try to find the non-existent next cog it will drop down one. So if you try to shift two gears and you only have one it may drop it back down. Then again it might be my poor shifting!


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## timaplin

Taskmaxter,

I think you'll find it that it is just your own inexperience with the group. I had similar troubles when I first started using SRAM, but with patience and practice, it has become second nature and now i rarely, if ever at all, miss a shift. 
But remember, SRAM loves it rough, don't baby your shifts. Be aggressive and show it who's boss  it'll learn

Tim


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## Taskmaxter

Thanks you guys. I seem to be getting better at it. It just seems sometimes that I'm not getting the second click for the rear derailluer. When that happens it will move up to bigger cog in the back and then drop back down to the original cog. Not sure why - either I'm still getting the feel for the second click, or something else is going on. Thanks


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## timaplin

yeh it just sounds like your not shifting the lever far enough. I can't imagine why else it would be dropping down immediately after the shift. Is it clicking then dropping back down because of insufficent cable tension?


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## Taskmaxter

Well, from a couple of rides over the weekend it appears this issue for me seems to happen when shifting under a load. When I ease of the pedals when shifting in the back, the shifting in the rear derailleaur is much more consistent. When under a load it will sometimes do the following on the double click:

1) The chain will move up two cogs and then drop back down one cog (to where I wanted it to be on the shift)
2) The chain will move up to the next biggest cog (like I want it to) on the double click, but the chain doesn't immediately engage the rear cog when it gets there. It seems to move to that cog and then when cranking it will "pop" or "clack" into place.

I've had the LBS I bought teh bike from run it through and they it works beautifully on the bike stand. Just seems like an issue under load. Thoughts? For number 1 above, it might be just an issue with me, but for item number 2 it seems like there is some other issue happening.


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## timaplin

Are you sure the cable tension is perfect? a quarter turn can make a world of difference to the sram derailleur in my experince. It sounds like the chain is overshifting in the second situation described above. I dunno mate, i'm running out of ideas...


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## Cyclo-phile

Definitely sounds like a cable tension issue. Try backing out the barrel adjuster on your rear derailleur 1/4 turn at a time and see if that doesn't help. Over time new housing will compress a bit meaning the cable will now be too loose. The symptom of this condition is that shifts to larger cogs are less consistent.


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## Taskmaxter

Thanks guys - your feedback is very helpful.

I dropped the bike of today at the LBS. They are going to check the cable tension. Also, they said that since the bike was set up with a Shimano 11-28 cassette and it is running a SRAM chain - this might be causing a problem. They are going to swap out the SRAM chain for a Dura Ace chain. I'm hopeful these adjustments/changes will do the trick.


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## Argentius

This.

Also, YMMV, but in the nasty PNW conditions those stock PFTE-coated cables got gummed up quickly, I had much better results with D/A cables. 



Cyclo-phile said:


> Definitely sounds like a cable tension issue. Try backing out the barrel adjuster on your rear derailleur 1/4 turn at a time and see if that doesn't help. Over time new housing will compress a bit meaning the cable will now be too loose. The symptom of this condition is that shifts to larger cogs are less consistent.


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## Taskmaxter

*Problem Fixed*

Well, the LBS where I bought the bike swapped out the SRAM chain with a Dura Ace chain and also replaced the PFTE-coated cables with Shimano cables and I must say the problem appears to be fixed. The shifting is now very quick and the only time it will miss is when I don't push the lever far enough for a double click. Night and day difference!


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## timaplin

On the subject of cables, do some research on "yokozuna." You won't be disappointed


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## Traceride1

I also was having trouble with my sram force rear derailleur holding upshifts to larger cassette rings. I replaced the chain, which upon measurement indicated a little stretch or wear, and it is now shifting great again.


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