# SRAM Force hard shifting



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Not much action in the SRAM forum so thought I would try here too...sorry for the double post.

Long time (20+ years) Campy user here. I recently built up a new bike to replace my commuter. I decided for no other reason than to have something different that I would go with SRAM. I ended up with an entire Force bike except for the Red cranks (thanks bonk town). With my busy schedule I even had the shop I got the frame from do the complete build...so I can't believe there are any install issues.

Is is normal to have to really, and I mean really, push the Force levers hard to shift from the small chainring to the larg or from smaller cogs to larger cogs in the rear? I test rode an Apex equiped cross bike for just a short ride a few months back before deciding on SRAM and don't remember it being that stiff. I feel like I am just about to break the lever before it shifts. I recall the Apex bike needing much less effort and not a much lever travel.

To be honest I am a bit bummed out with my decision at this point. Only a couple of rides as the weather, holidays, family issues, etc has limited my time on the new ride. Will it get better? Is this normal? Do they tend to loosen up over time?

Anyone with campy 10s experiance and SRAM notice a drastic difference in effort to shift?


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

Short answer is NO it should not.
Long answer is that it definitely sounds like a set up issue to me.
I find that if I set up my front cable too tight it will be hard to shift and will slam back down into the small ring too.
Never had that issue with the rear but I would be looking at cable tension there too.


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## forge55b (Jan 30, 2011)

If you can't believe it then you have way more faith in shops than I ever will. Somethings wrong, for sure. Defect possibly but highly doubtful. FTR pretty much sums up what it probably is. The front cable is probably on there too tight and simply re-doing the cable will probably fix the issue.


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## nismo73 (Jul 29, 2009)

Redo the FD. Undo the cable where it's attached, hit the lever so the cable is all the way out, connect to FD again, give it a try. You don't have to pull hard on the cable as you tighten it up to the derailer. 
When I first setup up mine, it was like you were describing. Just try to redo it again and make sure it's routed correctly going up to the screw where it's attached to the FD.

Also...check that the trim position is working correctly too. In the big ring, hit the lever once and the FD should move to the left a little bit.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

nismo73 said:


> Redo the FD. Undo the cable where it's attached, hit the levers so the cable is all the way out, connect to FD again, give it a try. You don't have to pull hard on the cable as you tighten it up to the derailer.
> When I first setup up mine, it was like you were describing. Just try to redo it again and make sure it's routed correctly going up to the screw where it's attached to the FD.


Depending on your barrel adjusters you may not even need to remove the cable (just wind in the adjuster to reduce tension).


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

There's a difference, but not like that. There's something wrong with your setup or install.

( suppose there could be something wrong inside the mechanicals, but that wouldn't be my bet.


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Guess I should add that the build included Nokon housing/cables for the shifters full liner from levers to derailleurs. That is the only non-SRAM part on the drive train. Never had those before either. I was trying to go a bit different on this bike...Steel, disc brakes, SRAM, American made frame, custom paint. Maybe I'll just stick to the Colnago/Campy.

Thanks for the ideas so far. I'll throw it in the stand and go back to doing my own work. If that does turn out to be the problem I'm going to be quite let down. Bought both my wife and I new steel frames for the off season as wet bikes and the shop charged $200 per bike for the complete "pro" build. Guess I'll hold off judgement till I know for sure.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

rplace13 said:


> Guess I should add that the build included Nokon housing/cables for the shifters full liner from levers to derailleurs. That is the only non-SRAM part on the drive train. Never had those before either. I was trying to go a bit different on this bike...Steel, disc brakes, SRAM, American made frame, custom paint. Maybe I'll just stick to the Colnago.
> 
> Thanks for the ideas so far. I'll throw it in the stand and go back to doing my own work. If that does turn out to be the problem I'm going to be quite let down. Bought both my wife and I new steel frames for the off season as wet bikes and the shop charged $200 per bike for the complete "pro" build. Guess I'll hold off judgement till I know for sure.


Well I have had Rival, Force and Red.
None of them shifted like you are describing after i worked out the cable tension.
If it is what I think it is I would be seeking a refund of my $200.


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## AvantDale (Dec 26, 2008)

I had the same issue where I had to press real hard to release the cable to shift into the smaller ring. That came down to cable tension. The SRAM FD's are more sensitive to tension than other manufacturers.

I also had an issue with the rear derailleur where the farther up the cassette I went...the tighter the shifting got. That was due to the way I routed the cable at the rear derailleur. Once that was fixed...shifting was smooth.

I guess you can also check for kinks in the cabling...


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

That happened to me. A drop of lube on the cable guide under the BB fixed it, and shifting is so easy again.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

I'm going to bring this old thread back to life since I really need to figure this stiff shifting out for myself. A bit of background on me:

I have been building up my own bikes for years. Most everything I have on my road bikes is Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace. All my Shimano STI bikes shift like a dream, and I am meticulous about cable/housing quality, routing, cleaning and lubricating. I keep my under-bb guide clean and lightly lubed. There's nothing more pleasant than easy, crisp shifting. And I have that on my STI bikes!

Now I own two SRAM double-tap bikes. One is all Force (except for the long-cage X0 RD... the reason I went with SRAM so that road shifters would work with a wider-range cassette), the other is all Rival. I built them both up earlier this year the same way I've built up my others. The only difference is that I used the SRAM teflon-coated cables that came with the shifters. And the reason I'm here: They are just too stiff to shift the rear end conveniently and accurately (front works fine on both bikes). When I'm fresh at the start of the ride, I do OK. But after five or six hours, I begin to lose the strength and precision in my fingers to make confident down shifts (again, only the rear end - front is great!). I can't just gently click into position and let go. I have to push hard, hold and sort of shop around and hope it holds on the bigger gear without jarring me back down to the gear I was just in. I originally attributed the stiffness (and vagueness, really) to the fact that I'm swinging a much shorter lever - so less mechanical advantage compared to STI. Understand that I don't have to push to the point of the OP... it doesn't not feel like I'm going to break anything. I just have to push much harder than is conveniently. Probably 2x the pressure that I use for my STI bikes. And it is same for Rival or Force.

In this thread I've heard folks talking about the cable being "too tight" - and I can't figure out what that could possibly mean. The cable is adjusted to where it needs to be for proper shifting. Most of the "too tight" responses seem to be aimed at the front shifting problem though the OP (like me) also has the issue at the rear. Making the cable "looser" simply means it can't cover the whole cassette. The tension of the cable is determined only by the spring in the RD, not in any adjustment I can make... or is SRAM somehow magically different in this regard?

So... cable and housing quality is good. Everything is clean. Routing is as good as it gets (gentle bends everywhere). What mysterious SRAM-specific adjustment am I missing here? If I just had the one bike, I would think it was a fluke (or that it was just the cheaper Apex, etc) But to have the same stiffness on both Apex and Force... well, I don't get it. It definitely sucks some of the enjoyment out of the ride when I have to fight the shifts... especially when I get tired and want the bike to take better care of me!

I rarely hear of this complaint, so why am I twisting in the wind out here all alone?? Curious to hear your suggestions or thoughts.


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## OnTheRivet (Sep 3, 2004)

darelldd said:


> I'm going to bring this old thread back to life since I really need to figure this stiff shifting out for myself. A bit of background on me:
> 
> I have been building up my own bikes for years. Most everything I have on my road bikes is Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace. All my Shimano STI bikes shift like a dream, and I am meticulous about cable/housing quality, routing, cleaning and lubricating. I keep my under-bb guide clean and lightly lubed. There's nothing more pleasant than easy, crisp shifting. And I have that on my STI bikes!
> 
> ...




When I built up my cross bike with Rival a few years back I had the same problem, fiddled with routing and found some thinner cables that helped a bit, just assumed it was a SRAM deal. After the Rival shifter exploded I switched to SRAM RED shifters (I know glutton for punishment) these were a MASSIVE improvement. Not sure if it was the shifter or the thin teflon coated cables that came with them but a huge improvement.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Red shifters don't come w/ teflon coated cables, they're Gore Ride-On cables. the inner mechanism is basically the same, just Zero-Loss...it works exactly the same as Force/Rival/Apex. 
as for darelldd's problem, it's impossible to say w/ any certainty what it is w/o seeing the bike. i've had this happen a couple of times w/ Force/Rival bikes, but usually has something to do w/ routing/length of housing/housing cuts not being clean. sometimes it's drag on the bb guide. a little piece of Gore liner at that point really helps...


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

Thanks guys. I don't know anybody who spends more time on housing ends than I do. I cut with cable scrap, grind totally flat with a slow, cool wheel. I re-open the liner hole. Clean all grinder/metal dust. Use the highest-quality machined ferrules. length and bends are optimized for least friction. If drag on the BB guide is a problem with new Teflon (I assume) coated cable, on new, totally clean plastic guide with a drop of oil... we have a problem.

When somebody posts negative comments about SRAM shifting (usually when they have a chip on their shoulder) the responses generally go down the road of, "you haven't followed the super-special SRAM instructions, idiot!" And again I thank you all for not going there with me.... 

But what magical instructions are there? I've read the paperwork. I've watched countless videos. There's NOTHING truly different or surprising with SRAM. You route the cable properly. You set the B screw and you set the limit screws. Tension the cable until it shifts properly. I can't find the magic.

Only thing I can think is to spend $100 on cables and housings and have another go. What's the suggestion on the best inner and outer to use with these groups? I'm currently using the inners that came with the shifters as I've said.

Thanks again. I'd so love to get this solved. I have borrowed friend's SRAM (Rival and Force) bikes, and they all shift better (though not nearly as well as my other bikes still). I need to go grab a bike with RED and see how good that could be. I'm pretty much ready to go electronic at this point. I'm too old to have to work to shift. 

Probably an important item here: I've shown the bikes to two different respected mechanics. Both say, "That's just how it is." How do I keep hearing countless reports of how easy the SRAM shifting is (not from anybody I know personally, btw. Only from the internet folks)? Gaaah! I want that!


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

Darell

Post a pic.
I have used Rival, Force and Red and have none of the issues you are describing with my rear derailleur.
The front can be a little finicky but the rear is easy peasy.
Only thing I find is that you need a decent loop into the rear derailleur.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

I'm on the road right now... you want a pic of my lovely loop into the rear? I'm happy to post pics if there's any chance it can help. But I can tell you right now that everything LOOKS great. 

Understand that my XO rd pretty much does away with any "loop". I have an image... let me get it up.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

blue Force bike

There's the closest thing I have to a "loop" - housing length gives ideal exit/entrance angle to both stops.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

purple Rival bike You have to look through the rear wheel to see the beautiful loop.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

What size cassette is that?
Looks like a MTB version?
I may be completely wrong but I wonder whether the drama is that the derailleur is just not able to cope with a cassette of that size?


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

This image makes it looks like there is a kink in that rear loop. There isn't!

The cassette is an 11-32, matched with a WiFli Rival RD that is specified for that cassette (same as Apex). Here: SRAM Rival WiFLi Rear Derailleur | SRAM

And now I realize that I blew it. I was going to go Apex on the purple bike, and when I tested a friend's Apex group, found the shifting too stiff... so I decided Rival would be better. I'm going to edit my initial post to put in Rival since I feel like an idiot now.....


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

OK.
I would be pulling the cable from the rear derailleur and trying to isolate where it is grabbing.
As I said, I have used every SRAM group except for Apex and it has all shifted flawlessly.
It is a stiffer, more mechanical feeling but not like you have described.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

Yeah, each isolated bit of the system feels fine. The shifters pull cable smoothly. Pulling the cable shifts the RD smoothly. The cable gllides across the BB guide. Only feels stiff when it is all buttoned up. I've had it apart several times as you can imagine. And remember - it is the same on both bikes - Force and Rival.

Hear you calling it "stiffer" really makes me wonder if what I have is, in fact, normal for SRAM. I hear so many people talk about how easy and smooth the SRAM shifting is. That some even prefer smoother feel to Shimano. To me, it just feels like everything drags compared to my non-SRAM setups.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

darelldd said:


> Yeah, each isolated bit of the system feels fine. The shifters pull cable smoothly. Pulling the cable shifts the RD smoothly. The cable gllides across the BB guide. Only feels stiff when it is all buttoned up. I've had it apart several times as you can imagine. And remember - it is the same on both bikes - Force and Rival.
> 
> Hear you calling it "stiffer" really makes me wonder if what I have is, in fact, normal for SRAM. I hear so many people talk about how easy and smooth the SRAM shifting is. That some even prefer smoother feel to Shimano. To me, it just feels like everything drags compared to my non-SRAM setups.


Well it feels nothing like Shimano if that is what you are expecting.
As I said, mechanical and stiffer/crisper.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

Odd to me is how great my front shifting is on both bikes. Nothing to complain about there at all. Just as good as on my STI bikes. And most SRAM complainers are all over that front shifting, it seems. My mom always said I was "special" I guess.... 

All this discussion has me itching to go home and try taking it all apart one more time. I want me some of that smooth, easy, precise shifting. Honestly, I just can't be confident the shifts as things stand now. Probably one in ten misses the mark... until I get tired, then it is probably one in five.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

FTR said:


> Well it feels nothing like Shimano if that is what you are expecting.
> As I said, mechanical and stiffer/crisper.


I don't expect them to feel the same of course. I just wasn't expecting the imprecision nor the effort. I just can't believe what I have is normal. I can't imagine anybody could race like this! I should put a scale on my STI lever and my SRAM lever and see just how much stiffer we're talking about. Definitely not "crisper." If I had to come up with two comparison words they would be:

Draggier/clunkier

Bonus word would be "imprecise."


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

darelldd said:


> I don't expect them to feel the same of course. I just wasn't expecting the imprecision nor the effort. I just can't believe what I have is normal. I can't imagine anybody could race like this! I should put a scale on my STI lever and my SRAM lever and see just how much stiffer we're talking about. Definitely not "crisper." If I had to come up with two comparison words they would be:
> 
> Draggier/clunkier
> 
> Bonus word would be "imprecise."


Well I reckon that there HAS to be something wrong with your setup somewhere because despite me saying that the feeling is mechanical and stiffer, I have never had a problem with it being imprecise.

Somehow, somewhere I reckon you have something interfering.


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## darelldd (Oct 17, 2006)

Well, my goal is to find it and report back. Next week.... no bike for the next two days, and it is about killing me. I feel like a lump. Thanks for your effort. I'll figure it out eventually. What I'm confident with here is that it can't be this bad for the thousands of satisfied riders out there!

Best,


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

darelldd said:


> Well, my goal is to find it and report back. Next week.... no bike for the next two days, and it is about killing me. I feel like a lump. Thanks for your effort. I'll figure it out eventually. What I'm confident with here is that it can't be this bad for the thousands of satisfied riders out there!
> 
> Best,


HI, after 3 year of great and easy shifting I'm now having the same issue with my rival 22. So bummed. I've gone through the same gyrations as you trying to isolate the problem. The cable seems to move smoothly through the different sections of housing, and the shifter is working fine. Just getting up the cassette requires WAY more force than it used to and its sticky going down. I'm going to try buying new housing and a sram specific cable and see what happens. Like you I'm a DIY'er and work on bikes every day including in shops so not a noob. I'm resisting taking it to a shop at the moment. And... This is my first go with Sram and I WAS liking it. Now not so sure. I've had DA shifters pack it in but by and large Shimano is just bullet proof and long lasting. Next bike - downtube shifters and direct mount rim brakes. I've had it with the supposed "upgrades" of hydraulics, disc brakes, etc. Or maybe just skip it and go to electronic shifting? Probably not.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

ChrissCrash said:


> HI, after 3 year of great and easy shifting I'm now having the same issue with my rival 22. So bummed. I've gone through the same gyrations as you trying to isolate the problem. The cable seems to move smoothly through the different sections of housing, and the shifter is working fine. Just getting up the cassette requires WAY more force than it used to and its sticky going down. I'm going to try buying new housing and a sram specific cable and see what happens. Like you I'm a DIY'er and work on bikes every day including in shops so not a noob. I'm resisting taking it to a shop at the moment. And... This is my first go with Sram and I WAS liking it. Now not so sure. I've had DA shifters pack it in but by and large Shimano is just bullet proof and long lasting. Next bike - downtube shifters and direct mount rim brakes. I've had it with the supposed "upgrades" of hydraulics, disc brakes, etc. Or maybe just skip it and go to electronic shifting? Probably not.


How many miles have you ridden in those three years? I would say replace the cables at the very least.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

The housing is where all of the wear takes place, definitely replace them if it's been 3 years.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> The housing is where all of the wear takes place, definitely replace them if it's been 3 years.


Ahh, I was hoping you would chime in cxwrench. That is giving me second thoughts about going to SRAM.

I recall you outfitted the teams with SRAM, use very large loops in the rear like the OP here and that you advocate regular housing changes. I have over 9K miles on the housings on my 6800 Ultegra set. Granted the right shifter eats cables for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack which is why I am about to replace with Force 22. Now I'm having second thoughts since my 6800 sets shifts smooth as butter until that rear cable frays inside the shifter!


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

Lombard said:


> Ahh, I was hoping you would chime in cxwrench. That is giving me second thoughts about going to SRAM.
> 
> I recall you outfitted the teams with SRAM, use very large loops in the rear like the OP here and that you advocate regular housing changes. I have over 9K miles on the housings on my 6800 Ultegra set. Granted the right shifter eats cables for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack which is why I am about to replace with Force 22. Now I'm having second thoughts since my 6800 sets shifts smooth as butter until that rear cable frays inside the shifter!


 I replaced the cable with a generic "shimano/sram" cable and even greased it which I've never bothered with on my Shimano stuff. No better. 
Next step is the housing. So, another question....
My inclination is to buy the SRAM housing, but other brands are cheaper (jagwire, shimano) and me being cheap I'd normally just get the cheap stuff. However, I think I've read somewhere that the sram cables and shimano cables are not exactly the same size and I don't know how other brand housing will play with the shifter and derailleur insertion points. BTW, my bike runs a full housing from the shifter to the RD. 
Any comments/help appreciated. I'll post the outcome but will have to wait for delivery of whatever housing I buy. 
Thanks.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

SRAM uses the same housing size as Shimano. The SRAM shift cables are 1.1mm, most all the others are 1.2mm. It doesn't seem to make a bit of difference to me. I use cheap Shimano or Jagwire cables in my Red22 shifters and they're smooooooth. Use something better/more expensive if you want, it can't hurt. I don't lube anything. I do like big rear ends  errmmm...loops. If your shifting is rough/high effort/not totally smooth you're doing something wrong. Pop the cover off the shifter and shoot some lube in there.


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

cxwrench said:


> SRAM uses the same housing size as Shimano. The SRAM shift cables are 1.1mm, most all the others are 1.2mm. It doesn't seem to make a bit of difference to me. I use cheap Shimano or Jagwire cables in my Red22 shifters and they're smooooooth. Use something better/more expensive if you want, it can't hurt. I don't lube anything. I do like big rear ends  errmmm...loops. If your shifting is rough/high effort/not totally smooth you're doing something wrong. Pop the cover off the shifter and shoot some lube in there.


I know for sure its not in the shifter - I have cable connectors by my head tube. I can slide the housing apart there and grab the shifter cable right next to the head tube. The shifter action is smooth and shifts up and down easily. So.. you'd conclude the problem is downstream somewhere. I took the second bit of housing - from the head tube to the RD, and flipped it around to try to see if maybe there was a rough/worn spot in my big loop. Didn't change anything. And.. with the cable disconnected from the RD I can move it easily up and down the cassette manually while turning the pedals. My only conclusion is that there must be a bad spot in the housing. 
Which just seems plain odd. I'm still using the original housing on my 12 YO Synapse with DA that's probably got 15+K miles on it and still shifts and brakes great, but I have replaced the cables.
I've never worn out a housing.
Stay tuned.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

ChrissCrash said:


> I know for sure its not in the shifter - I have cable connectors by my head tube. I can slide the housing apart there and grab the shifter cable right next to the head tube. The shifter action is smooth and shifts up and down easily. So.. you'd conclude the problem is downstream somewhere. I took the second bit of housing - from the head tube to the RD, and flipped it around to try to see if maybe there was a rough/worn spot in my big loop. Didn't change anything. And.. with the cable disconnected from the RD I can move it easily up and down the cassette manually while turning the pedals. My only conclusion is that there must be a bad spot in the housing.
> Which just seems plain odd. I'm still using the original housing on my 12 YO Synapse with DA that's probably got 15+K miles on it and still shifts and brakes great, but I have replaced the cables.
> *I've never worn out a housing.*
> Stay tuned.


Yes you have, you just don't know it.


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

cxwrench said:


> Yes you have, you just don't know it.


Yeah, probably right. Just in denial. I suppose next time I change my bar tape I'll do the housings. thanks


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> Yes you have, you just don't know it.


But if it still shifts great, does it matter?


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

cxwrench said:


> ...... I do like big rear ends  errmmm...loops. I.....


Y'know, back about 1977, when I was working my first job at the local bike shop, the owner SPECIFICALLY told me to always make the loop small. He didn't want it to get caught in the spokes, it seems. Took me years to get over that.....


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Back then you could make 'em pretty small and it didn't hurt. Nowadays if your rear loop ends up in the spokes you've got other more pressing issues.


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

Lombard said:


> But if it still shifts great, does it matter?


yeah, thats the question. What's the harm if it's working fine? Wear out a cable every 2 years instead of 3? Ignorance was bliss. 

I've just gotten very jaded from working in a bike shop. Customers come in with their 1 year old bikes and the shop owner "advises" them they should be changing their cables and housing every year. And that's with cables and housing marked up 100% making the whole thing a pretty expensive (in my thinking) exercise. I guess it takes a lot for a LBS to keep the doors open these days, but I just hate seeing people get ripped off. And now with things going electric, wireless, hydraulic and each new version being incompatible with the last, bike ownership has the potential of becoming expensive and unobtainable for a lot of people. Off topic, but grrrrrrrrr, just pi*ses me off.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

ChrissCrash said:


> yeah, thats the question. What's the harm if it's working fine? Wear out a cable every 2 years instead of 3? Ignorance was bliss.
> 
> I've just gotten very jaded from working in a bike shop. Customers come in with their 1 year old bikes and the shop owner "advises" them they should be changing their cables and housing every year. And that's with cables and housing marked up 100% making the whole thing a pretty expensive (in my thinking) exercise. I guess it takes a lot for a LBS to keep the doors open these days, but I just hate seeing people get ripped off. And now with things going electric, wireless, hydraulic and each new version being incompatible with the last, bike ownership has the potential of becoming expensive and unobtainable for a lot of people. Off topic, but grrrrrrrrr, just pi*ses me off.


Well in defense of the bike shop, preventive maintenance also prevents angry customers who will come in a month later complaining of problems. OK, hypothetical situation here: Shop replaces cables, shifts great. Then a month later, shifts lousy. Turns out housings were on the verge of wearing to the point of problems. So then they end up with a customer who thinks "Why didn't they do that in the first place?". Not to mention that most of that job is labor, so as long as cables are being replaced (especially if it's a PITA internally routed cable replacement), it's cost effective to replace housings as well. 

I have dealt with all types of bike shops from exemplary to dismal. While there are rip off shops for sure, most shops are not ripping people off left and right because in the age of the internet, if they do, they won't be in business for long.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

^This^ People have this habit with their bike that they don't do 'maintenance', the only 'repair'. They wait til brake pads are worn to the metal and ruin their rotors too. They wait til cables break. They let chains wear to the point that they ruin the rest of the drivetrain.


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## ChrissCrash (Jul 10, 2021)

Thank you for everyone who has contributed to this. You may be happy to know that I've now had a great shift!!
After double checking, RTFM (reading the f'g manual) etc I decided to start all over. I splashed out on new housing and a cable. Despite my best previous attempt, it seems the original housing was indeed toast. So I meticulously followed the SRAM instructions and even loosened the 'brifter' to aid in threading in the new cable. Cut new housing to match, carefully filing the cuts to remove any unwanted detritus, and ensuring correct BAL. All seemed fine on the work stand, but I was still apprehensive. Took it out yesterday and whadayaknow? I'm a frikin' master mechanic apparently. And, hold on to your hats - Rival 22 with a 36 tooth cassette, NOT the 32 that Sram says is the max. Great shifting up and down. Very happy, and lesson learned. Any hints of crappy shifting or braking and I'll be checking cables and housing. Thanks for the tips guys. Saved my pride and having to drop my bike at the shop - something I haven't done since 2011 for a stinkin' creaky bb30 bottom bracket, but that's another story and something I'll try to avoid buying in the future.


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