Upgrade drive train

[David Compton]

Hello all,
I am in rural Alaska and don't have a bike shop. I would have the fly the bike to Anchorage to get to a bike shop. My SRAM NX is not shifting well. I think the derailleur itself is bad after trouble shooting with SRAM. I am thinking of upgrading to a GX or the X01. I think I would have to replace the cluster, chain shifter and derailleur. Would I have to replace the chainring/cranks too? This would be the biggest "repair" I have ever done on a bike. What does everyone think?

 

[cpml123]

I guess this is the Q45? I believe you can just get a GX derailleur and done because all their shifters and derailleurs are compatible with each other, within the same speed group.

 

[Mathew Fy]

Likely reasons for a previously well functioning derailleur to now give you trouble are sticky shifter cables/housing or bent derailleur hangers. I’d check on those. If you purchased new, you probably received a spare hanger.

 

[David Compton]

I guess this is the Q45? I believe you can just get a GX derailleur and done because all their shifters and derailleurs are compatible with each other, within the same speed group.

Yes it is a 2021 Q45. The GX is not compatible as it is now a 12 gear cassette

 

[David Compton]

Likely reasons for a previously well functioning derailleur to now give you trouble are sticky shifter cables/housing or bent derailleur hangers. I’d check on those. If you purchased new, you probably received a spare hanger.

Thanks Matt. SRAM gave the same advice. The cable is good I think. The hanger could be bent but it is subtle if it is. I just ordered a tool to measure along with a spare hanger.

 

[Nejc]

Hey David,
I just upgraded my q to sram nx eagle. I changed the shifter, derailleur, cassette and you'll need a new chain for the 12 gear cassette. I left the chainring and cranks as they were. After some youtube videos I managed to put everything together in one afternoon and then a couple of days for fine tuning everything. I am no mechanic, so I think it's doable.

 

[David Compton]

So helpful thanks

 

[2whluge]

Was the charge worth it? I’d like a bit more low end without giving up the top. I like not having a front derailleur.

 

[Nejc]

Was the charge worth it? I’d like a bit more low end without giving up the top. I like not having a front derailleur.

I know, kind of expensive upgrade for just one more extra gear. But for me personally it was worth it. Now I can climb hills I coudn't climb before so I'm satisfied with the upgrade.

 

[bladderhead]

Worth it! No double chainwheel! Awful things. My Silvio was the first Cruzbike to have XX1. Now on the S40 I have Shimano 12sp. I wanted short cranks but they do not fit the Shimano chainwheel, so I am using an old-style XX1 11sp chainwheel. This works, despite what the internet says. And a bar-end friction-shifter will make you happy.

 

[2whluge]

I took the easy way out…I changed from a 42 to a 38 chainring. The low end now matches my trusty Volae. We’ll see how much I miss the high end.

 

[David Compton]

Likely reasons for a previously well functioning derailleur to now give you trouble are sticky shifter cables/housing or bent derailleur hangers. I’d check on those. If you purchased new, you probably received a spare hanger.

I finally got my tool and the hanger is dead on. The cables seem fine. Time to get a new derailleur. I am going to do the NX-GX upgrade.

 

[David Compton]

I completed the drivetrain rebuild. I had no problem getting it done following a video from SRAM. The hub for the NX cassette was not compatible with the GX hub (XD), so I used the NX 12 speed cassette with the GX derailleur, shifter and SRAM chain. Thanks to the Bicycle shop in Anchorage, AK for the suggestion of the NX cassette. It saved me the cost of building a new wheel with the XD and hub. Test ride was great. Perfect shifting and so quiet. It sucks to have the nearest shop 350 miles away and only accessible by airplane. Folks with a local bike shop are so lucky.

 

[Black Hawk Down]

I completed the drivetrain rebuild. I had no problem getting it done following a video from SRAM. The hub for the NX cassette was not compatible with the GX hub (XD), so I used the NX 12 speed cassette with the GX derailleur, shifter and SRAM chain. Thanks to the Bicycle shop in Anchorage, AK for the suggestion of the NX cassette. It saved me the cost of building a new wheel with the XD and hub. Test ride was great. Perfect shifting and so quiet. It sucks to have the nearest shop 350 miles away and only accessible by airplane. Folks with a local bike shop are so lucky.

Not so lucky. The closest bike shop to me is a Trek chain. They have a company policy not to work on recumbent bicycles. They feel their mechanics are not properly trained for it and would be a liability. I rode all the way around the US last year and stopped at half a dozen bike shops and none of them blinked an eye at working on my S40. But, I don't have to go 350 miles to the next one.