Tips for adjusting the gears: Adjusting the Sram Transmission gears - here's how

Adjust once, no more problems! That is the promise of Sram's new transmission technology. The name "Full-Mount" refers to the completely new mounting logic of these rear derailleurs. Instead of an unstable derailleur hanger, the derailleur is attached directly to the frame via two robust arms. And on a specially standardised interface. Only modern bikes that are prepared for a UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) will work with the new derailleurs.

This standardised mounting is the basis of the new adjustment logic. The big advantage and the basic idea behind this system: the distance from the rear derailleur to the individual sprockets of the cassette is always exactly the same - down to the millimetre. Provided it is mounted correctly.

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The limit stops, i.e. how far the rear derailleur can move to the left and right, are automatically preset in Sram's transmission shifting system by the steps described in this article. And the wrap, i.e. how far the rear derailleur and the derailleur pulleys move away from the rear derailleur, no longer needs to be set manually.

1 Determine parameters

Three basic parameters form the basis for every setting of a Sram transmission shifting system: Setup key (position A or B), chain length and setup sprocket. These depend on the respective bike model and must be determined and adjusted before the setting is made. Sram has a database (app or website) for this purpose, in which almost all available bikes on the market are stored. The database is called "Full Mount Chain Length Guide", e.g. in the Sram AXS app. Here you have to enter your exact model in the correct frame size to get the right values.

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Caution: The frame size and details such as the geometry setting or chainring size have an influence on the parameters. A rotated flip chip or a different chainring may therefore require a new setting for the transmission shifting.

The position of the setup key can be easily changed if necessary. When fitting a new rear derailleur in particular, you must ensure that the plug is in the correct position. To do this, lever out the button with a small flat-blade screwdriver and reinsert it in the correct position. The position of the button determines the setup position in which the rear derailleur engages during adjustment or mounting.

2 Insert pinion setup

Only when all parameters are clear and correctly prepared can the rear derailleur be attached or correctly aligned. To do this, first shift to the setup sprocket. The 21 sprocket (7th sprocket from the top) is marked in red and is used as the setup gear in the vast majority of cases. But beware: In exceptional cases you will need the one larger 24 sprocket! You can find out whether this is the case with your bike in the Sram database or app as described above.

3 Release the rear derailleur

Once the setup gear is engaged, first loosen the rear wheel axle by exactly one turn. This takes the pressure off the rear derailleur mounting. Then loosen the main fixing screw of the rear derailleur by one turn. The rear derailleur should then hang loosely and move freely around the large screw.

4 Engage cage in setup position

In the next step, the cage must be pushed forwards and locked into the setup position by pressing the red button.

5 Fixing the rear derailleur

In this setup position, the rear derailleur is pulled backwards on the cage until the chain is tensioned. Then tighten the main fixing bolt of the rear derailleur.

6 Torque spanner

It is essential that the screw is tightened to 35 Newton metres to ensure that the gearstick functions correctly in the long term. Attention: 35 Nm is a lot, a mini-tool is definitely not enough. If the rear derailleur is tightened too gently, it can slip and the performance is lost.

Finally, correctly tighten the rear wheel axle on the left-hand side. With these steps, both the limit of the end stops and the wrap are automatically adjusted correctly.

7 Control

If you want to check whether the setting is correct for you, there is another trick in addition to the visual check to see whether the markings are aligned: Switch to the appropriate setting gear and bring the cage into the setup position. This should work in the setting gear without moving the cage too much.

8 Fine adjustment

The fine adjustment of the gears works in the same way with a transmission shifting system as with other systems: The rear derailleur can be moved continuously or in micro steps to the right and left via the tension (mechanical transmission) or Micro Adjust (with electronic AXS groupsets).

In mechanical systems, the adjustment screw on the shift lever regulates the tension of the shift cable. It is responsible for ensuring that the chain climbs smoothly from one sprocket to the next when shifting gears. To increase the tension, turn the adjusting wheel outwards, i.e. in the direction of travel. The chain then jumps more easily onto a larger sprocket. When looking from behind, the rear derailleur moves slightly to the left.

If the chain skips a sprocket when you shift into an easier gear, the tension is too high. In this case, turn the screw inwards, i.e. against the direction of travel. This moves the cage to the right. Adjust until all gears are engaged cleanly and the chain runs without rattling and scraping.

Micro Adjust of the AXS circuit

It's the same with the AXS version with radio transmission. The adjustment here is called micro-adjust. Instead of being moved by the tension, the rear derailleur is moved to the right and left in micro-steps via the servomotor. There are two options for this control. Either via the AXS app or a button combination on the AXS Pod, the electronic shifter.

If you want to adjust without the app, press and hold the AXS button (on the inside of the controller) to adjust the rear derailleur in the corresponding direction using the two buttons. Tip: If Micro Adjust is in an extreme position (1 or 14, visible in the AXS app), this is an indication of an incorrect setting. As a rule, Micro Adjust should be close to the neutral centre position (7). Important to know: Micro Adjust always refers to all gears simultaneously. The gears are not fine-tuned individually.