How To Set Up & Adjust Any SRAM Rear Mech | Mountain Bike Derailleur Adjustment

[@CodSlap]

@4:44 & @6:47 Pro tip: if you have wide tyres and this is a problem, try looking through your phone’s camera. You can also enable grid view from the camera settings (if available) to have nice, clean vertical lines for reference.

[@KickOuT74]

I was doing that just for the laziness of taking off a tubeless tire but didnt used the grid of the camera, thats a genius idea

[@CodSlap]

@@KickOuT74 Thanks man.

[@john_john_john]

I was going to mention the phone's camera, but the grid bit is actually genious. Didn't think of that, I'll try that later today.

[@MehYam2112]

little hand mirror could work too

[@stuartreynolds4359]

I have a Specialized Turbo Levo SL and I think it’s the best bike I’ve ever owned. I like doing some maintenance myself but I want to make sure I don’t bugger anything up as the bike was so expensive. Anything I need to know, Doddy has a video to show me how to do it right. I wanted to change the tires - Doddy has a video to show you how to remove the wheels . After I changed the tires, the chain was jumping between the 11th and 12th cogs - Doddy has a video to show you how to adjust the SRAM derailleur to make the gears shift smoothly and accurately. His explanations are clear, the videos show you exactly what to do, and I can follow his instructions with ease. What a great source of valuable information.

[@karensturgeon4059]

I've watched a few of these and this is by far the best.

[@happyhooker493]

Second that!

[@hardboildchef8157]

100%

[@vincef7487]

👍🏽‼️

[@shenobi007]

Yes agreed!!

[@richeldridge6480]

I’ve watched countless derailleur adjustment videos and this is by far the best one. Thanks!

[@riccochet704]

This is the best video I've found on explaining everything cleanly, concisely and in a way that easy to understand. This helped me get my new bike shifting like it should. Thank you GMBN!

[@djsaunter]

I've watched a few of these, I've now completely messed everything up, lol. Damn

[@BGraves]

Get a derailleur hanger alignment tool. Doing it by eye is not good enough

[@djsaunter]

@@BGraves it turns out a well used casette was the big issue. A new one is on the way which should hopefully get everything back in order.

[@Mystyfication]

Man, you and this video saved me. I've been struggling with the NX mech for 2 days, it would simply not shift to 1st & 2nd gears. After playing with the cable & limit screws properly all went well and works like a dream.

[@ghazanhaider]

Indeed this is the best rear derailleur adjustment video. Not just step 1 2 3 but what each bit does and how important it is. I also didn't know you can straighten the hanger with a wrench. I've just been replacing it.

[@stevegergely4198]

Great video. Thank you! Note that you may have identified the limit screws incorrectly at 6:30 (or maybe you were holding the derailleur upside down?). I tried over and over to index the gears, then noticed you actually used the opposite screw to adjust for the high gear (small sprocket) at about 6:45. Works great now. Just sharing for the folks below who said they couldn’t get dialed in. Make sure you are using the correct limit screw. As stated in the video, you should be able to see the assembly move as you turn the screw.

[@brandonpfeifle7057]

Yup

[@asafcohen3272]

Thanks! I've been struggling with this one

[@samsmak]

Yes he did and that he not a small miss.

[@alfredjealouse7040]

Damn i thought thos might have hapoened. I have been stuggling for about an hour on it this evening!

[@thirtyinthebin]

Hey, I bought a second hand bike and been watching your videos almost every week. I almost never comment on YT but now I just wanna say thank you. Your videos are super detailed without being overwhelming and your explanatons are always easy to understand. You also choose the camera angles well. So yeah.. thanks for the good content man! It's been helpful.

[@Kurt_Outdoors]

This is an excellent video! The tension in the shifting cable is very critical as he points out. So what I ended up doing is over tensioning it and slowly releasing tension in about half millimetre steps and bang the perfect sweet spot revealed itself. Gears shifting perfectly! Thanks man!

[@scottishking9731]

No matter how many tutorials i follow i still mess up.

[@mia3045]

I am stuck in the freaking limits

[@Lil_eee]

😂 me too just mess around u will get it

[@iwontreplybacklol7481]

@@mia3045 srsly, c'mon man. You dont set the limits at the same time. Its smallest sprocket limit first. Tension second to make sure it moves up 3-4 gears correctly, then set the larger gear limit and b screw and then fine tune the cable tension somit shift from low to high smoothly.

[@chesterfrancis2882]

Same here 😔😁😁

[@jp2586]

It's a freaking conspiracy to keep bike shops in business. There is zero reason this needs to be this complex

[@joh141]

this is why i love this channel. i can always come back and get more detailed videos and explained to me with a video i can work along with. Great work as always!

[@pedrodozer]

I've watched several of these derailleur service vids, and this is the best and most comprehensive. While experienced with derailleur tuning, servicing and general problem solving now, I still got some great tips out of this. Well explained and walked through.

[@LuisGonzalez-qh3tm]

Thanks doddy! Saved me some money on this one. Now I can shift into my highest gear for some steep climbing on a hardtail. Appreciate it brother! I’m also a maintenance tech and understanding how things work is key to fixing them.

[@humbles73]

I admit, it took me a few goes to get it right, but this video was really helpful. Mech shifts smoothly and confidently now...there's quite a few steps, so if it's your first time, be kind to yourself and follow Doddy

[@sonyexplora]

I have watched a few videos on indexing before, but this was the first one that had me happy with my results. Very good advice and examples that I heard for the first time here. After 1000k on my first roadbike I feel like the shifting finally is where it should be.

[@pacentermakaveli]

2:02 the orientation which cable tightening was up-side down, you should tighten the cable on the upper position of it, SRAM actually design a groove under the anchor washer to secure the cable tightly.

[@Croseb2]

This is so helpful. My local bike shop had a 2 month wait list for a derailleur install and I was able to do it on my own in 30 minutes. Cheers!

[@bugboy152000]

#GMBNTech Thank you Doddy!! This really gives me the confidence to get it done myself. Thanks to you I have bled my own breaks, serviced front and rear suspension and cleaned up my cable routing. In many ways your are my hero!

[@go6emtb534]

Best totorial out here, did not even have to watch the full vid and already setup the drivetrain!

[@super8forever]

oh my god, i've watched so many videos to help me with this issue and this is by far the only ones that actually is helpful!

[@jeffreyminteer399]

Doddy, there is such a thing as cable stretch. It is caused by the cable strands getting tighter together in the wrap. This changes the diameter of the cable and causing the cable diameter to get smaller and in turn the cable gets longer. While we may not be pulling the cable with that much force, it still happens.

[@relaxedsand1760]

he said that, and cables dont stretch the same as how chains dont stretch, they just wear down

[@TorstenLif]

Actually, there art two things that make it feel like the cable is stretching. The first is when it's new and you've just installed it. The cable will settle so that after some time of use, the places where it has the sharper bends take on that form semi-permanently. This is why it's normal to need to adjust the barrel once or twice in the beginning. The other is when the cable is old and starts getting close to its end of life. When the metal strands have been bent back and forth so many times that they start breaking. Each time a strand breaks, the others move in closer together and this really makes the remaining cable a tiny bit longer. Now, I'm sure none of the other good people on this channel are so sloppy as to ever have this happen to them, but I've made this mistake a couple of times and I've come to recognise this "second stretching" as a warning sign that the cable is about to break, so replace it soonest! When you need to adjust the barrel on a cable that's been there for a year or more, beware!

[@sayerm8]

Been having problems shifting for months, took it to a shop and they "fixed" the problem. Just today after watching this and the hanger straightening video and going to work on my bike I've finally got it perfect. Came bad from the dealer and now is the first time I've got it to run dead on. Awesome!

[@gmbntech]

That's great you found our videos useful! Glad you managed to get everything running nicely Thanks for the support! 👍

[@sayerm8]

@@gmbntech thanks for the clear, concise and easily followable information you guys put out. Greatly appreciated!

[@nick_john]

Doddy, thanks to this video, after 30 years, maybe I'll finally get my bikes shifting right. I never knew there was such a thing as the B-screw.

[@rupedog]

8:20 Doddy, u clamped the cable round the wrong side of the bolt! 😁It goes over the TOP of the bolt, against that little bit of metal, around front of the bolt and sits in the groove on the underside, then points down....not under the bolt, pointing out/up!!👍 That way will also rub on the routing hole before, (u can see its not inline with hole), possibly causing friction, wear, and insecure cable.

[@paulbutler1602]

Beat me to it! Doddy....rookie mistake.

[@teoleoni]

And then at 11:00 it is correct

[@paulbutler1602]

Should really have gone back and done it correctly or pointed out the error.

[@ananthkutuva3748]

I was wondering why that looked off 🤔

[@aarons4180]

I scrolled down to the comments to say this

[@tizer214]

Finally a clearly explained how to for derailleurs. Thank you.

[@GroovyRides28]

Awesome video, man. Saved me a trip to the expensive bike shop..! You did it perfectly. Great closeups, great explanation. Very well done.! Thanks for sharing.

[@malikfonseka2877]

Thanks Doddy !!!!! you really saved me from spending money at the bike workshop. My SRAM NX now shifts like butter, thanks to your guidance.

[@rupedog]

SRAM can be more susceptible to incorrect set up, so great u did this vid Doddy👏👏👏👏

[@aaronroe4127]

Well explained tutorial thanks, been riding years and always just took it to one of my mates when the gears messed up. Thought I’d have a crack at it tonight, had it down within 20min with your guidance, top man 🤟🏻🤙🏻!

[@timjohns3743]

Doddy, nice job for a pro photographer. Nice language and great job!

[@georgesayers6832]

This video was gold! Have been struggling to tune my Sram set up for a while. I followed this video to the finest detail and achieved perfection. Gear changes are very smooth and all my chain vibrations have gone away. Thanks Doddy!

[@nightfrailer]

After struggling for three hours with a GX derailleur and a new 34 tooth cassette on my cross bike not shifting out of the largest cog, this video finally showed me how to reset everything and figure out that it was the B screw adjustment. Pulley was too tight up against the cog not allowing the shift to engage. THANKS!!!@@!!!!!!!!!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thank you so much for this! I had to review a couple parts several times, but after 25 years I finally understand how to adjust a derailleur now!

[@rupedog]

Nice.... Always good to check the hanger with a hanger alignment tool, like park tools DAG1, or ice tools, even brand new ones. And use the same point on the rim (turn wheel when turn tool) to negate any rim true issue, as if ur rim is out of true, it can make it look like hanger is bent when its not! Not in the instructions, but essential as most wheels are off a touch.

[@DEEZEEMTB]

Agree. The Park Tool is critical for any pro or home shop

[@rupedog]

Top tip...set ur own b gap on sram 11/12 speed. Your LBS likely won't set at sag as they arent aware of the need and the extra time/effort, but it's TOTALLY ESSENTIAL on some fs frames as Doddy rightly said...tho some fs designs its less important due to their kinematics (and hardtails obvs there is no sag!)

[@hrdjr]

God bless hardtails.

[@dirkmoolman]

This is a great video. I am a new biker, ie, I haven’t ridden since my school days. And bikes are so different these days. I bought a bicycle last week, a 12 speed, but the shop did not set it up properly for me. So when I got home, and tested it, I was only able to use 11 gears. But thanks to your video, I was able to set the high limit screw, and I’m set ! … the gears work perfectly now 😃 THANK YOU

[@Coopdegras]

There's loads of videos on this process but it's knowledge, terminology and simplicity why I choose this man's tech videos, he knows his sh*t. Hope I can sort this jumping gear out with this method now my bikes bedded in.

[@mikeyskitchenfoodporn1171]

I would agree with some of the other comments Your videos are pure gold, The guys at Park tool do a really good job with their demonstration videos but sometimes leave out some of the tricks of the trade you include. Or don't mention certain products because it's not something their company has an affiliation with. Thank you and keep them coming!

[@duncancoolidge4041]

Very clear and complete instructions. The British accent automatically adds a few points to the apparent intelligence of the presenter.

[@rogerthompson2005]

Thanks for the details in your video. I've just bought a 2020 GX mk2 derailleur, it has a different / better B gap adjustment tool, and you adjust with you bike in your sag position (let certain amount of air out of shock), but note that you now adjust in the 2nd largest gear. Easy to find the sram video online. cheers

[@spoungepanda5339]

nicely explained, with concise and straight up commentary! good job!! learning more each time i watch it

[@JgCompTech]

Spent a good idea faffing with mine trying to get it to work having no clue what any of it did. Watched this video which was very simple and easy to understand and within 5 mins I got all my gears working again 👍👌😎

[@blueskyguyvideo]

really helpful, first time i changed anything like this and had to do all 3 (cassette, derailleur and trigger shifter in 1 go ) this was really helpful to get them changing well. Thanks.

[@andrew.cho_]

Thanks so much GMBN tech you videos have definitely helped my maintenance on my bike

[@PsyMongSki]

I never have any troubles setting up my gears normally i get it 99% but this video has just goven me that extra bit of information and now every time i set my gears up they are 100%. Thanks top video.

[@straightSWIFT]

@GMBN Tech Helped a bunch, had a few gears that were a little slow/jumpy, every shift is a smooth one now. Thanks a lot!

[@mitchsharman1274]

doddy makes bikes so understandable

[@jasonainge76]

Another thing to be wary of with SRAM 12 speed stuff is that the connecting link is directional. My bike came from new with the link fitted the wrong way around, which made the chain jump in smaller cogs. Switched around and all working lovely.

[@scenczyk1429]

I recently purchased a bike with a SRAM 1x, it's my first experience with this kinda gearing and after having having varied success with 2x and 3x indexing I was worried to explore this, they've not felt right since the bike arrived so I thought, screw it I'm doing it and followed this and now they're perfect, thanks for the clear and concise tutorial

[@renenavarro4121]

Thanks daddy, in my case was the b tension screw preventing my m3ch to shift smoothly..spent 1 hr scratching my head till I saw ur vid..

[@yairvainroj494]

BIG tip: make sure the little wheels on the derailleur are clean of anything that could disturb the chain fitting into the teeth of these wheels. Like in my case, I have a Sram X0, and these wheels are made of plastic, so after a looong time without any issues I started hearing some jumping gears. After a lot of checking, I realized it had nothing to do with the gear calibration itself, but rather these wheels had peeled off a bit and these tiny plastic hairs (on the sides of this plastic wheel) where getting on the way of the chain. So each time I pedaled the chain would rest on these plastic hairs until the tension on the chain would make it snap onto the teeth. So yeah, make sure you keep it smooth :)

[@jridges9956]

This video was a huge help! My bike was shifting like absolute crap, jumping gears all over the place and stuff, But I was broke from having to fix it. With help from this video I seriously got it so it shift Better than when I Bought it new 😂😂

[@alainmona268]

Thanks man!! I got to align my derailleur thanks to you

[@doonhilla]

Great video, really helkpful! After taking off my cassette, chain and front ring and giving them a good clean my gears were horrible after putting them back on. This guide got them back to perfect.

[@tesss1819]

I watched this 3x. Brilliant!!!!!!

[@dnywh]

Heads up for folks only skimming the video: at 6:05, during the close up of the limit screws, Doddy's voiceover doesn't match which limit screw does what. The right order is shown at around 2:07 (and when Doddy actually works on them): Left limit screw: higher gear/smaller sprocket Right limit screw: lower gear/bigger sprocket

[@SmakerJAK]

Mate, thank you for this! I couldn’t get back into the lowest gears and had no idea why. This explains it. Thanks again

[@JasonRozinka]

This is by far the best I've seen! Thank you!!

[@rupedog]

Personally, I suggest always setting upper and lower limits with cable unclamped...should do really.

[@geemail369]

Yup - no cable, no chain, clean part ... saves a *lot* of hassle when setting it up!

[@jkamer2168]

100%

[@JD-ig5cj]

@@geemail369 I tried this approach, however I couldn't remove enough play out of derailleur when low limit was set in line with 52T cog. I could push the derailleur towards spokes. Any idea?

[@jeroenberger9064]

This might be the best en clearest explanation on the yootoobe on the subject. Great clip! A shame about the damn commercials though..

[@flipped68]

My god...best video I’ve seen una long time. Great work!

[@matthewbrown216]

I've been looking for a video like this for so long thanks doddy and gmbn!! 🙏🙏

[@pedallinraw]

Agree once set up and understood they are super easy to maintain at home and on the trail,always had shimano until recently bought a bike with sram,very impressive and that button which helps with rear wheel removal is for sure genius! Currently using an osymetric ring with kmc 12 speed chain and it works like clockwork 🙂👌🏻

[@mrsparkle19]

Great video. It’s no wonder it has so many views. Everyone watches it at least three times.

[@stevejenqpnelson9770]

Fantastic vid! Thanks for this!! I’m set to ride again after replacing a busted chain. Shifting nicely now.

[@kenmeyer100]

Great explanation of fundamentals. Thank you!

[@stevetaylor4382]

Great instructions - I was able to fix the issue with my SRAM Eagle rear derailleur. Many thanks.

[@scottkouns8578]

Fantastic video and videos. Very well done!! Keep up the great work

[@JakeEpooh]

Hey there, Doddy, I love your how-to vids! In this case I noticed something that might be confusing to those who are totally new to bike maintenance. At about the 8:00 mark you talk about pushing on the derailleur with your thumb to get it to cycle through the gears, but the footage is of the gears being shifted from the handlebar. I know that would have thrown me off when I was new to the sport.

[@armaniac14]

Brilliant video. My gears no longer knackered!

[@philipp26_s60]

Thanks mate finally got my shifting clean

[@coreygalven2377]

Awesome content if You listen to what this guy is saying it takes some trial and error and I nailed it TY

[@Bedawson]

First time I’ve actually been able to tune my group set!

[@vferriag30]

Hi Doddy, I upgraded a 2015 Cube One Race to 1x12 sram SX. I had problems changing on the big sprockets. I had to change the dropout (Cube #149) with another model (Cube #148) from cube and now it works perfectly.

[@jimmarshall807]

This is great, thank you! I've set up my Sram using this

[@johnthatcher2293]

Frick Yah! Perfect info, perfect delivery!!!

[@stevenschenck7275]

Huge help - Thanks - I found on deep inspection a rack screw was coming through frame and by 10th inch was blocking chain from getting to smallest gear.

[@peterdamphouse8955]

Very helpful and simple instructions thanks

[@georgebrown5866]

Great video, had to do this after I broke my derailleur hanger so really helped out👍🏻

[@gofiodetrigo8756]

this video is gold

[@andreww.3208]

6:43 Couldn't get my derailleur lined up at this step even with the limit screw fully out, turns out my hanger was bent. Thought that might be a good thing to mention here.

[@Durwood71]

These videos always make it seem so straightforward and simple, and then I go and spend two hours wrestling with the damn thing and still can't get the shifting quite right.

[@telescope64]

Thank you for uploading this video! Some great tips.Best wishes from Paul.C.

[@barnusmentzel9113]

Best video during mathclass

[@daleyotter4607]

Wow, thank you so much. This was perfect you explained everything

[@danielpowersdo6289]

Once again another expert explanation well delivered. Thank you 👍👍

[@gmbntech]

Very welcome Daniel, glad the video helped you!

[@joshuaosborne1968]

Great video. Really helped me dial my shifting!

[@adamwokster]

Great vid. Worked perfectly. Really simple.

[@Qyoon]

always good to update those mech knowledge

[@tidydaggle6664]

Easily the best video on this. Thank you 🤘🏼

[@chrissquires8197]

Such a good detailed vid thank you hope it works

[@davidqueree]

Thanks Doddy. Great video 👍🏻

[@ranmangolf]

At approximately 6:40, you mentioned turning the adjustable screw to get the chain aligned with the small sprocket and the rear derailer. I have two sprockets on my front derailer. Which sprocket should I use on the front when doing this?

[@davidrichards2234]

Great video doddy Very well explained 👏

[@ianhinke2208]

Nicely done video. My son’s bike right gear switcher is at 4 out of 7 (Sram X-3) and won’t go any higher when I click it. How do I fix the gear switcher? I think I turned the barrel adjuster too much before I saw this video. Thanks!

[@danielkolarov317]

Thanks a lot! It worked perfectly

[@gmbntech]

You're welcome, Daniel! 👍

[@scootaa44]

I get my gx eagle dialed in perfectly on the stand but as soon as I go out and start climbing I'm constantly having to adjust the barrel adjuster at both ends of the cassette.

[@victorrafa6540]

Perfect clear and easy to follow thank you.

[@curtisf.r6233]

Cheers Doddy! Cool video 👊😎 very useful as always💯