With the right gestures, it only takes a few minutes to precisely adjust a Sram indexing.
The tools
To adjust your Sram indexing, you will only need a 4 mm allen wrenc and your hands of course to modulate the cable tension. A workshop foot will be a plus, however you can get out of it by putting the bike upside down, placed on its saddle and casseroles.
Pictures © Frédéric Iehl
Time and difficulty
It will take you 5 to 15 minutes to properly adjust your indexation. It will just depend on the installation of your bike and whether or not to tighten the cables. On the difficulty side, it’s very easy with logic.
Stage 1
The rear derailleur is first placed on the smallest sprocket by lightly pressing the gear lever.
Stage 2
If indexing works really badly, you have to start like this. You have to tighten the cable tension adjustment barrel by a few turns, but you don’t put it in a stop!
Stage 3
We will make sure that the cable passes properly in the derailleur. The « Sram » path is less direct than that of the competition.
Stage 4
We loosen the cable slightly and then tighten it, tighten it slightly.
Stage 5
We make sure that there is a very slight soft in the cable. No more.
Stage 6
We then tighten the cable firmly.
Stage 7
So we are on the smallest sprocket. We press the lever more broadly to reach the second.
Stage 8
If the chain does not climb frankly on the second sprocket…
… We turn the tension barrel in this direction, a quarter turn per quarter turn, continuing to pedal and until the sprocket passes.
Stage 9
If, on the contrary, the chain tends to go too far and rubs on the third sprocket…
… You will have to turn the barrel in this direction. Quarter turn per quarter turn. Never hurry….
Stage 10
By adjusting a quarter turn per quarter turn, you should have a chain centered like this. But more than the visual, the absence of noise will tell you that it is perfectly adjusted.
Once « silence » is reached, we will press the lever to go down on the smallest sprocket. And we will then raise all the speeds, one by one by staying on each for a few seconds to ensure that everything is quiet, without friction noise. We decided to adjust the indexation from the smallest sprocket because this eliminates the problem of a cable that is too or not tight enough that would give a phantom sprocket.
Stage 11
We lightly press the left lever to go down to the small tray
Stage 12
We look at how is the slack on the front derailleur cable. If it is an internal passage, we test it here.
Stage 13
By pedaling, we strongly press the lever up to the click.
Stage 14
If the chain does not go up or rubs a lot…
Stage 15
… You have to return to the small chainring and therefore press lightly on the lever. Then loosen the cable…
We hold it by hand.
And we tighten the cable before testing the slack.
Il faut que le câble réagisse à la pression sans temps de latence.
Stage 16
We « repedal » and press the left lever until the click.
And normally the chain must take place firmly and silently on the large chainring.
The indexation of chainrings rarely moves when it has been well adjusted. So you won’t have to do this manipulation often. This is less true for the rear derailleur. Transport, wheel changes but also the compaction of the housings will require you to review the Sram indexing setting several times in the season. But there is no need to touch up at the tension of the cable, a quarter turn up or down should be enough.
