choddo

Yeah that sounds like you're hitting trim first (which is designed to half-move the FD to allow large / large without scraping the cage) but if you push on through that first ratchet release, it should allow a full change without having to release & move the shifter again (I've never used Apex, but assume it's like Shimano in this regard)

alcjphil

OP has a SRAM drivetrain. Doesn't work the same as Shimano

XxHaimBondxX

I've read somewhere that SRAM Apex requires a very tight cabling for FD, which would explain why it hesitates or takes two taps to downshift.

smd4

Cross-chaining simply doesn't make sense on its face.

choddo

Ah of course. The old double tap on mechanical. And no trim?

oldbobcat

Trim won't prevent the chain from rubbing on the inside of the big ring. Unless you want to trim it to rub on the outer plate of the derailleur instead. This something you will regret after the chain wears a hole in it.

Little-little is the sacrificial gear. Short chainstays and wide gear spreads between the (50-34?) chainrings make this inevitable. Don't use it. You can find a similar ratio using your big ring.

choddo

For sure. I was just referring to him saying he had to shift twice to get into the small cog and whether that was just the double tap design or also because sram have a trim feature too so another step involved?

XxHaimBondxX

Hey, wondering if this normal operation for left shifter. To shift to small chainring, I tap the lever once lightly, it clicks, but nothing happens to FD, I tap it a little harder and it clicks again and finally downshifts, literally double tap. If I shift with one single lever moment, it still click twice to downshift. RD shifts with single light tap.

choddo

So I think this is SRAM’s trim feature. The FD should move just a little bit to reduce cage rub when in the biggest couple of cogs.

Bizarrely, I read that in earlier SRAM groups, they had trim work the other way, for small / small which is what you orignally asked about. But they changed it because almost no one uses that combo for all the reasons mentioned above and the pros wanted trim in the big ring.

XxHaimBondxX

I thought so too, but like I said fd did not move, I even tried to move it manually by hand in case it was sticking.

choddo

apparently cable tension can inhibit it. I know bugger all about SRAM so I’m going to shut up now.

AndreyT

As it has already been explained previously, this is how it should be. The first (fainter) click is not a shifting click. It is "trim" - a feature intended to eliminate chain rub in big-big combination. The second click is actually a shifting click. So, yes, in order to shift to the small ring you have to push the lever through two clicks.

It should move a little. If it doesn't, your shifter cable might be too short.

XxHaimBondxX

no you were right, I got it figured out. Thanks.