Re-indexing gears
- Thread starter MichaelO
- Start date
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Have you watched all of the others then?
To quantify for the
, having watched a lot of other videos, imho that is the best one (subject of course to any others being added after I last watched it) 
Dragonwight
Guest
Buy some SP41 and cable and replace, its alot easier than you think, your wonder why you spent hours trying to index the bike after you have done it. Make sure you have decent cable cutters by the way.
jonnysnorocket
Guru
Had trouble indexing mine a while back, new cables, outers, plenty of lithium grease everywhere......... all to no avail, turned out to be a worn shifter!!
Shut Up Legs
Down Under Member
I watched a few videos while learning to index the gears, then ended up just having Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance in front of me while I did it. Good book, that one 
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srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
Do it by eye. On the rear, when the indexing is correct, the mech lines up exactly with the cog above it. Takes seconds and is spot-on. The front is slightly more complex but more forgiving - on biggest and smallest chainrings the mech is slightly outside the true line and on middle ring you just need to make sure you know which trim position you're working on.
Before you start, make sure the wheel is properly seated (release QR, put bike on the road, tighten QR) and tighten up any cable joints (only applicable to tandems!)
Don't even think of adjusting the limit screws.
I got this hint from somewhere in this forum, and it's saved me a lot of hassle ever since.
Before you start, make sure the wheel is properly seated (release QR, put bike on the road, tighten QR) and tighten up any cable joints (only applicable to tandems!)
Don't even think of adjusting the limit screws.
I got this hint from somewhere in this forum, and it's saved me a lot of hassle ever since.
junkie_ball
Senior Member
- Location
- Somerset
Great link i have managed to crack the front gear adjustment think this will help me crack the rear adjustments.
Blurb
Über Member
- Location
- Somewhere on the Edgware Rd.
I had a problem with my EZ-Fire shifters on the rear cogs and was constantly re-indexing them, but could not get it right. Eventually took off the cover on the shifters and saw that the cable had been steadily fraying and I guess it was slowly stretching throwing it out of whack. Got the LBS to replace that and the rear outer and back to good as new.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
This thread seems to be fizzling out, so I hope it's OK to hijack it.
I have SRAM Apex and I've found that although I can adjust it so that the upshift (ie to smaller sprocket on the cassette) is clean, the downshift (to bigger sprocket, lower gear) often isn't, and results in some "chatter" from the mech. I often have to follow a downshift with a corrective upshift, if you see what I mean. The upshift doesn't necessarily change gear, just cancels the chatter.
To adjust it I've slackened it right off, then put it into gear 8-ish and adjusted the mech in towards the frame until it just starts to chatter, then slackened it back off until it runs quietly. Then worked my way up and down the gears and tweaked until it's running fine. But I can't get rid of the (occasional) need for a corrective upshift after a downshift.
I've fiddled extensively with it, but to be honest I don't really have a feel for it, so most of my adjustments are random (it's not working, so I'll twiddle the adjuster clockwise ... or maybe anticlockwise ... who knows).
For those not familiar with SRAM double tap shifters a single short click on the lever is an upshift, and a long pull across is a downshift, which I find generally takes you down a couple of gears. But I generally get a couple of gears plus a bit extra, which I then correct with an upshift. The only downshift that is guaranteed to be clean is into bottom gear (where it hits the limit screw).
I don't know if this is user error (maybe I'm not using the shifters right) or what.
Any SRAM experts out there?
It's not a big problem, in fact it's not a problem at all really, but it does happen. This bike is my first foray into the world of indexed brifters, away from down tube friction. My reaction has been "meh".
I have SRAM Apex and I've found that although I can adjust it so that the upshift (ie to smaller sprocket on the cassette) is clean, the downshift (to bigger sprocket, lower gear) often isn't, and results in some "chatter" from the mech. I often have to follow a downshift with a corrective upshift, if you see what I mean. The upshift doesn't necessarily change gear, just cancels the chatter.
To adjust it I've slackened it right off, then put it into gear 8-ish and adjusted the mech in towards the frame until it just starts to chatter, then slackened it back off until it runs quietly. Then worked my way up and down the gears and tweaked until it's running fine. But I can't get rid of the (occasional) need for a corrective upshift after a downshift.
I've fiddled extensively with it, but to be honest I don't really have a feel for it, so most of my adjustments are random (it's not working, so I'll twiddle the adjuster clockwise ... or maybe anticlockwise ... who knows).
For those not familiar with SRAM double tap shifters a single short click on the lever is an upshift, and a long pull across is a downshift, which I find generally takes you down a couple of gears. But I generally get a couple of gears plus a bit extra, which I then correct with an upshift. The only downshift that is guaranteed to be clean is into bottom gear (where it hits the limit screw).
I don't know if this is user error (maybe I'm not using the shifters right) or what.
Any SRAM experts out there?
It's not a big problem, in fact it's not a problem at all really, but it does happen. This bike is my first foray into the world of indexed brifters, away from down tube friction. My reaction has been "meh".
OP
OP
MichaelO
Veteran
Cracked it!! Thanks for the video @ianrauk. I was changing wheels anyway, so gave the bike a huge clean & fitted the new wheels, cassette & chain. Turned out the cable tensioner at the back wasn't quite attached correctly - all fixed & running smoothly again. I may well get the gear cables replaced at soon-ish - they've done a couple of winters & 4,000 miles. Can't wait to get back on it now!!
