# Rear shifting drag on 2010 Madone 6 Series



## wedge962005 (Jan 4, 2010)

My pride and joy is a 2010 6-Series Project 1 Madone with Force. I love this bike but I have an issue with the rear shifting. It is tough to shift with a lot of drag. This is especially noticeable when I go from my CAAD10 race bike to the Madone. Both are SRAM equipped but the CAAD has traditional cable routing instead of the internal system used on the Madone.

I've changed cables a few times including using the stock ones from SRAM as well as old fashioned regular un-coated cables. The un-coated worked best so far since the coating was just rubbing off on the bottom bracket exit guide.

I know that this issue is related to the cable routing and I'm wondering if other internal routed Madone owners have improved on the situation.

The primary option I'm considering is running a "sealed" system like Gore or Nokon. I'm thinking this because I believe, as does my LBS, that the primary problem is friction created at the little guide plate where the cables exit the frame under the BB and the re-enter the frame again. If I had a sealed system, the cable itself wouldn't be pinched against the guide, the inner-seal tube would be, and the cable might have a bit less friction.

What say you oh great and powerful forum?


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

I would not bother with the Gore cables. A lot of users report that the coatings flake off prematurely and then cause more friction. Two things I would suggest - 1) make sure the loop from the chainstay stop to the rear derailleur is not too small in radius. Most SRAM teams run noticeably large loops on this part of the housing. 2) try the Nokon shift cables and housings. They get great reports everywhere and they are available in shift cables/housings only if you don't want to change brake cables.


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## okiefo (Jan 10, 2009)

What helps TREMENDOUSLY on Sram equipped bikes is to route the housing to the backside of the handlebar where it exits the shifter vs. routing in front of the bar. In every case I've dealt with, including my own bike there is a ton of drag created when the housing has to make the sharp turn from the shifter along the inside of the bar. 

Hope that helps.


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## wedge962005 (Jan 4, 2010)

Thanks for the responses. Nokon is at the top of my list to try but the channels in the guide plate at the BB are not big enough to fit the inner housing in Nokon. To use it I will need to open up those channels, something I'm nervous about doing.

okiefo: great point and the first thing I checked, I should have mentioned that. It did make a small difference when I did it previously.


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