My LBS is installed Sram Force E1 to my emonda alr. They ran into a problem with the front derailer. It sits too low to clear the 50T chain ring. I talked to my guy at trek and nothing on their side says it would be a problem.





Anyone here experienced this before? Thoughts?

What did the bike come OEM specwise? Is this 50T ring new/replacement to the bike? Do you have access to another same model bike that you could measure how high off the BB shell the ft der mounting boss is?

This is exactly why I don't like tab mounted ft ders. Much more placement range and no chance for the clamp to cock the cage so one end touches the ring before the other end does. I do wonder if this tab/boss is not parallel to the frame.

I have had to file down the tab/boss's slot at one end to increase the vertical placement range before on service bikes (repair jobs at the shop). The mounting bolt's "washer" might also be able to be reshaped for more range too. Andy

It had shimano 105 R7000 with Ultegra cranks, 52 chain ring before.

My buddy had an emonda SLR and he put the same Sram groupset on his bike and it worked fine.

We are all scratching our heads at this point. The new sram red front derailer has 2 bolt on spots so you can raise and lower as necessary for whatever reason the sram force e1 only has one bolt on.

Call or email SRAM... tell them your expensive new FD doesn't fit a common bike and setup.
ask for a compatible replacement FD that WILL Fit a very common road bike and gearing combo.

let us know how they respond.

Does this crank have the correct BB?
IF the big ring is sitting too far in, the cage is already into its downward travel.
IF it cleared a 52T ring before, there has to be something screwed up to NOT fit a smaller 50T ring.
Forgot the FDER change.
Is there enough "meat" on the tab to lengthen the slot with a round file?
ELSE, put the old FDER back on.

So from the multiple mechanics that I am talking too and long time cyclist. The New Sram E1 specifically the force was released with a big FU.

Yes it can handle 50t but it is very bike dependent and most will not work with the sram force FD. This is to make you to buy a red FD. Pretty crappy thing to do to make an extra 100 dollars off its customers.

If all my bikes were not already sram I would write them off.

two choices, and maybe both...
1- file the slot in the mount ear upward another mm or so.. chain saw files work fairly well for this type of thing...
2- file or grind away some of the offendingly low cage at the contact point.

And do Send the results/images to SRAM, then remind them that you've posted your struggles to as many forums as you can think of..
one bad journey posted can lead to hundreds or even thousands of lost sales, and they know this fact too well.

it looks like the cage swings upward when extending, so once it clears the chainring, you should be in business!
i am not a fan of SRAM..

the Only other option would be to tap another mount thread into the shifter frame... without it here in front of me, i can't say if that is a real option or not. Putting fresh threads into a hole in aluminum can be tricky, and you'll need enough clearance out the backside to run the tap past the starter threads on the tap, or to use a finishing tap too...
SRAM Should have done it.. they darn well know of the issue, and likely have for some time. A 52 or 53T would be an even bigger mismatch. I still push a 52 on my drop bar road bikes.

Would an angled mounting shim be an option?

A shim that rotates the FD a little counter-clockwise, raising the front of the cage and lowering the rear a little closer to the chainring. Can't tell if the location of the mount in relation to the cage would allow for enough change to the front.

The Red does have a shim for use when going to larger chainring. Maybe using this upside down?

Yes the red comes with a shim, however you can’t buy just the shim to use with force.

Switching to red it will work, and should work without the shim.

FSA has a fd adapter which is used to lower the fd, in theory I could flip it and use it to raise the fd. I’m just gunna wait for the mad scientist to come in and let him take a look at it.

Hard to tell from the photo but possibly the oval washer for the mounting bolt may be limiting the upward adjustment due to the braze-on mounts' shape. Try doing a loose mount without the washer and see if the derailleur can move up any further. If so, try grinding a little of the backside of the washer off so it can move up until the bolt can hit the top of the braze-on slot. If no luck, try the already mentioned, filing the slot a little and there is also the option of drilling out the rivets for the braze-on mount and install a band-on adapter for your braze-on derailleur. A few examples here: front derailleur clamp adapter - Search

I’m a little hesitant to drill out the rivets. This is an option just not sure how I feel about it.

Currently, the shop is considering swapping it for the red, the situation is not their fault, but they want to make it right. If that’s something they decide they cannot do, I will see what the lead mechanic thinks about the FSA adapter.

If that doesn’t look doable I’ll consider removing the rivets of the braz on and do a removable mount.

Lastly, none of those seem doable I’ll just set the bike on fire, I mean I’ll just make it a 1x. I’m a fan
of wolf tooth but their chainring only goes up to 50T. Would like to go 52/53 if I am going 1x. Have not found a good option yet.