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PJO

PJO

in me vL comy
Missus is complaining her shifter is too hard to downshift. Shifter is an 11speed XT and derailleur is SLX.
What options to lighten up the shifting?
Was going to replace all cables.
Should I be considering XTR shifter?
 
PJO said:
Missus is complaining her shifter is too hard to downshift. Shifter is an 11speed XT and derailleur is SLX.
What options to lighten up the shifting?
Was going to replace all cables.
Should I be considering XTR shifter?
Click to expand...
Definitely replace cables first. Depending on how it routes, some bikes are just naturally heavy shifting due to all the kinks and bends. You don’t have cables clamped down too tight anywhere?
I had to re-route Felix’s Process. Even an XTR shifter was super heavy.
Also, can you back off the clutch? Is she riding really rough terrain?
 
The bike is a Spitty so not really any sharp bends,
but didn't think about the clamping of the cable, will have a look.
Can try backing the clutch off...
 
PJO said:
The bike is a Spitty so not really any sharp bends,
but didn't think about the clamping of the cable, will have a look.
Can try backing the clutch off...
Click to expand...
Indeed. Spitty are beautiful routed for light shifting. Check the clamping, then I’d definitely change inner and outer as first option.
Plan C, use a SRAM shifter. Bigger levers, lighter feel, fully compatible in 11sp. Quinn runs one on her spitty.
 
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I find the SLX 11s shifters much lighter shifting than XT.
I probably even have a spare here if you want to try it. Ispec 11
 
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PJO said:
Not really up with SRAM gear. Is a GX shifter reasonable?
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GX isn’t bad. I’ve only paired one to a GX derailleur. Quinn’s is X1 to XT, so I can’t compare directly.
GX is roughly equivalent to SLX, maybe between deore and SLX.
 
As said, new cable and outer, no kinks.

Check your shifter has a nice a free action without any cable fitted.

Check the derailleur moves freely too.
 
Are you running a cassette bigger than 42? I found the extra B screw needed to pull the derailleur back to clear a 46 also added resistance in the big cogs.
 
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Valley 50 said:
SLX shifter noticeably lighter. When changing up previously the increase in effort was disappointing.
Click to expand...

Yeah I had been using SLX for a couple of years and upgraded to XT, love the double downshift but was a shock how stiff the upshift was.
I now have the SLX on my 2nd bike and is noticeably lighter upshift, but then miss the double downshift lol.
 
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Changed cables, loosened the zip ties, opened the shifter and greased it. Turned the clutch off.
No appreciable difference.
It is definitely the shifter, there is a stiffness at the beginning of the stroke and after looking inside I think it has to do with the complexity of the mechanism for allowing the double up-shift (shifting to harder gears).

Have PMed @Chriso_29er to see if I can lend his SLX shifter.
Will also hopefully try out the XTR one that @Scotty675 offered.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
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