Can't figure out where I'm going wrong here . . . Bike worked great with Force derail. / brifters and 11-28 SRAM Cassette.

I wanted to go lower, so bought an 11-32 cassette (SRAM XX) and an XO rear derailluer (32t capacity), also SRAM; and installed them on my bike with the existing SRAM Force brifters.

I used a new SRAM chain, new rear derailluer cable, new cable casing (Jagwire compressionless).

Problem is, it won't stay in the low gear (32t). It will go in, but it won't stay unless I hold it in with the shift lever. I tried putting a thin spacer/shim/washer under the cassette, and that helped a bit . . . but not enough.

I tried over-tensioning the shift cable . . . that worked too, but of course I could no longer engage high gear (11t).

I took it to my friendly local bike shop . . . they couldn't figure it out either. So I turn to you at bikeforums.net hoping someone out there has the answer!

Thanks in advance,
Rick / OCRR

If the thin spacer helped a bit, try a thiker one. If that don't work go with Shimano XT dude !

The "9-speed" SRAM X-0 rear derailleur will not work with your Force shifter! They use slightly different amounts of cable pull, so you're never going to be able to get this combination to work well.

The SRAM XX rear derailleur is different from other current SRAM MTB rear derailleurs and will work with SRAM road shifters, I'm not sure whether this will also be the same for then new 10-speed X-7, X-9, and X-0 derailleurs that will be available soon, but I hope so. Another option is the new SRAM Apex rear derailleur, which is designed for cassettes of this size and otherwise road components, it should also be available this summer. Since the SRAM XX derailluer is extremely expensive then it may be better to wait for one of these other options.

Of course, if it had been a Shimano shifter then you could have used any of Shimano's road or MTB rear derailleurs, they all use the exact same amount of cable pull. I do not know why SRAM dedided to vary this slightly between their two product lines, but it appears that this will be fixed in their next generations of components.

Thanks Chris,

Not the answer I wanted, but it sounds like you've got it right. I will try to get either an XX or Apex rear derailluer and send the (very slightly used!) X-O to ebay.

I'm riding the Davis Double Century next weekend and wanted the 34 x 32 for Cobb Mountain and Resurrection.

Thanks for your help. Now I know not to persue the X-O w/Force shifter connection any longer.

Rick / OCRR

The large cog on my XO (ten spd) cassette broke so I borrowed a 1070 from the shop while I waited for a warranty replacement. Sram was great and sent an xx cassette. After numerous attempts I have not been able to to get the XX to shift well. On the large cog the chain does not seem to fit and will not stay engaged. This is also happening to a few other XX cassettes in the shop, while the 1070 cassette works great. Just wondering if anyone else is having a problem and if maybe the tolerances are off in this run of the XX cassettes.