SRAM Apex Mech & Rear Wheel Changing

Dunedin397

Hello Everyone,

I've a Trek Speed Concept 2.5 from 2011 that has SRAM Apex fitted. I'm having a lot of bother changing the rear wheel between the original stock wheel, my race wheel and the turbo wheel. Sometimes the wheel will come off as I'd expect, similar to the other bikes that have a Shimano groupset. However a lot of the time, the wheel just doesn't want to come loose. It seems the rear mech closes up too much and traps the cassette.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I'd like to change the groupset to Shimano Di2 Ultega in the future, but as the SRAM Apex groupset has only seen 800 miles I'd like to get a little more use out of it.

This is the only bike I have a SRAM groupset on, everything else is Shimano. So far I'm not so keen!

Cheers,

Dunedin397

nicklouse

there is no real difference in removing the wheel whatever mech.

thebadgerboy1982

Sounds stupid but I had exactly the same problem on my cannondale supersix with apex. I think it has something to do with the apex long cage?
I've just replaced apex with force in a short cage once the apex had rusted and I haven't ad any bother since!

wishitwasallflat

never had any problem with my APEX med cage RD

Dunedin397

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday my LBS had a quick job to do on the bike and they demonstrated how to remove the rear wheel correctly and there is a slight difference between SRAM (Apex at least) and Shimano rear mechs.

Instead of lifting the bike off the floor by the saddle and pulling the rear wheel down and away from the chain as I've been used to with my Shimano equipped bikes, I have to hold the rear mech as I lift the bike up which will allow the chain to come away from the cassette.

In other words, with Shimano you have to pull the wheel out of the bike, but with SRAM you're lifting the bike away from the wheel. The difference is that the Shimano rear mechs don't close up so much around the cassette as SRAM seems to. This was causing me the problem before as SRAM mech was keeping the chain wrapped around the cassette.

It could just be I'm just more familiar with Shimano than SRAM. With bit of practice it'll soon be 2nd nature, but the procedure isn't as smooth as I'd like. When taking the turbo wheel off and getting the race wheel on after I warm up I don't need any grief.

The 2 bolts holding the mech's hanger to the frame were poor, very short aluminium with only a few threads getting to the hanger. They've been replaced by better quality stainless steel bolts which hold the mech better, but will still let it come away should the worst happens

The groupset works well enough, if a tad clunky, and I'll stick with it through 2014 until early 2015 when I'd like to put a Shimano Di2 groupset on it.

Cheers,

Dunedin397

StillGoing

Presumably you're doing the obvious of putting the chain in the small ring and small sprocket of the cassette? Replacing the wheel with SRAM is no more difficult than Shimano. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty by pulling the mech to the rear to get the chain over the cassette when putting the wheel back. It takes less than a minute to do.

Dunedin397

Yes I do put the chain on the big ring and the smallest sprocket. As you say, it's not difficult to do, but it is slightly different than Shimano when you're not used to it. Because I'm more familiar with changing a rear wheel with a Shimano mech, it's what I prefer, but the more I do it the more familiar it will become.

Cheers,

Dunedin397

StillGoing

Dunedin397 wrote:

Yes I do put the chain on the big ring and the smallest sprocket. As you say, it's not difficult to do, but it is slightly different than Shimano when you're not used to it. Because I'm more familiar with changing a rear wheel with a Shimano mech, it's what I prefer, but the more I do it the more familiar it will become.

Cheers,

Dunedin397

Hopefully that is a typo; small chain ring and small sprocket.

Dunedin397

Hello,

Actually no, it wasn't a typo. I found your comment really interesting as I've always move the chain to the big ring when removing the rear wheel. I've been trying to think where I was advised to do that, possibly from the lbs, but I can't be sure as I've been doing it that way for 8 years!

So I looked at a few YouTube videos, and they do say to move the chain to the inner ring, web sites (including Sheldon Brown's) say it doesn't matter (bar a few mtb sites where they say if you've got a triple, put it in the middle) and a few books I have don't even mention the chain ring in their instructions.

What's the advantage of keeping the chain in the inner ring? Is it to stop the chain falling off onto the crankset? I'll try it next time I get a chance.

Cheers,

Dunedin397

StillGoing

It gives you the maximum slack in the rear derailleur meaning less fighting with it. It is of course preference, but I find it the quickest and least resistant method of getting the wheel in and out with SRAM.