# Looking for a Sram "Miracle Worker"



## eggdog (Jan 20, 2011)

Had this posted in the Rocky Mt forum, but obviously this may be a better place to help find me a solution.

Which shop/mechanic out there can help me get my Sram Force set up to shift half way decent? I have taken it to every possible bike shop in Boulder, have had Sram Support look at it at CX races, and they did their best, but still shifts like crap. ( goes down the cassette fine, but terrible going up the gears to the larger cogs..) It has been like this since day one.

It has a new Sram 1070 cassette, new Sram 1091r chain, new Sram cables( non gore), new 2011 Force Right Shift lever,( Sram sent me a new one to see if that helped..It didn't ) RD hanger has been checked and double checked for alignment, cable length is proper, no cable hang ups at all... I have also tried it with a 10sp DA cassette ( new) with same results.. So if anyone has any ideas or can recommend a shop that might be able to help, I am all ears... If not its off to Ebay!:mad2:


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

i really doubt anyone here can help you...how could we if we can't see the bike? i've never had those kinds of problems w/ anything, from any brand. SRAM is dead easy to set up, i can't imagine what going on w/ yours. i've worked w/ it since the pre-production stuff in very early '06. maybe someone will have a good recommendation for a shop to try but there must be something really simple going on here. it's just not that tough...


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## alexp247365 (Dec 29, 2009)

I'd take a guess and say the cable flex could be an issue. Try taping down all your cable segments to prevent them from flexing, and adjust. While this next suggestion doesn't make logical sense to fix your issue, try adjusting your b-limit screw so the deraileur pulley wheels aren't so close to your cassette.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Turn your barrel adjuster 1/4 turn counter-clockwise and check it. If it's not fixed, do it again. Shifting up the cogs should improve. If you find a sweet-spot where up shifting is fixed and down shifting is still good, you're done. If up-shifting gets better at the expense of down shifting, your bottom end point (small cog) is off. That's the key, bottom end point is where it all starts.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

eggdog said:


> ( goes down the cassette fine, but terrible going up the gears to the larger cogs..)


Maybe the cable is slipping a little at the rear der? Is the clamp super tight? Or maybe the cable wasn't pulled tight enough when set up? 

My best guess based on your description is whoever set up the bike did something wrong. LBS and SRAM techs wouldn't necessarily catch something like inadequate seating of the housing in the shift lever as they'd assume that was done properly. Since the shifter was replaced it would have had to been set up wrong again the second time. Was the housing and ferrules replaced when that happened?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

no one should 'assume' that any part of the install/adjustment was done properly, especially if the OP has had problems w/ this for a while. there is really no use guessing at what could be wrong via the interwebs. the OP needs to find a good shop w/ a very experienced mechanic and the guy/girl needs to probably just start w/ new cable & housing. having a SRAM tech work on it is good, but most of those guys (not all, but many) are local shop mechanics. only a few of them are actually full-time SRAM mechanics. they're generally very good, but if they check out a bike w/ problems at a race or ride, they don't have time to really go over it and/or replace cable/housing. i'd check everything...hanger, the derailleur itself, how the shifter feels, the routing, the ferrules...all of it. it's not rocket science, it will work.


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## medimond (Apr 26, 2009)

IMO installing the cable is so critical to the function of the system. My Force works flawless. I would remove your existing cable and inspect it. 

Then I would replace the entire cable system, cut all of the end really clean and square. Verify that they were all cut clean and square. Make sure all of the ferrels are in place.


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

Replace the cables. It's probably not even the cables, it's probably routed poorly in the shifter or somewhere...


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

MarvinK said:


> Replace the cables. It's probably not even the cables, it's probably *routed poorly in the shifter* or somewhere...


routed poorly IN the shifter? :shocked: not sure how that would happen, as the cable can only go through the shifter one way. cable routing is what it is, more likely it's a cable that was kinked or maybe a poorly cut piece of housing. or maybe a cable if frayed inside the shifter.


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## Gearhead65 (Jan 23, 2010)

Go to a KMC chain. SRAM chains don't shift that well.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Gearhead65 said:


> Go to a KMC chain. SRAM chains don't shift that well.


where does advice like this come from? :shocked:


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## new2rd (Aug 8, 2010)

I just had the opposite experience going from a KMC to a SRAM helped my bike shift better... another person who works at my LBS just did the same thing on a new SRAM Rival set-up.


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## eggdog (Jan 20, 2011)

*Update !!*

Well after trying everything recommended here and then some, I came to the conclusion that it had to be the hanger flexing.. When the shop checked the hanger alignment we noticed how "flexy" the hanger was. All modern hangers are kind of like a pasta noodle anyways but we figured it might be that..So I drove over today to Wheels Manufacturing Inc in Louisville and picked up a nice CNC hanger for the BMC.. , bolted it on, took it out for a ride and PERFECT shifting!! 
I can't believe that the flex in a hanger could alter shifting that much, but that fixed it.. So if you ever need a solid replacement hanger for just about any bike check out Wheels Manufacturing. Now I just need some warmer weather !!
Thanks for all the suggestions


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