New croix de fer with 105 11 speed drivetrain and formula hub – standard spec. So far only done around 75 miles, all on road. I am finding when in top gear if I back pedal a little the chain smacks on the chainstay. Also does it slightly in next 2 gears. Appears that the resistance in freehub is greater than mecn spring tension so the action of back pedal half turn pulls mech forward a bit so chain goes slack on top, between crankset and cassette.

Hoping its just initial stiction in free hub which will ease with use, any thoughts ?

Only back pedalling to set for corners etc 🙂

Hi iain…. I too have the new croix 30. I have done about 500 miles on mine in the 4 weeks u have had it and notice exactly the same thing. I am not entirely convinced it’s due to free hub stiction.. I think it’s the chain line. If I am in the big ring and back pedal it’s OK.

The freehub does have some slight resistance…. When spun back by hand with cassette removed. Maybe it’s packed with thick grease? I am not sure.

Great bike though! How do you find the hydro sti’s out of interest. The biting point on mine is quite close to the bars and levers have a fair bit of travel (I have adjusted reach and bite point). Just wondering if that’s normal – they feel firm and easily lock both wheels up. When both fully on hard there is about a 10mm gap from lever tip to bars.

Didn’t like the cyclocross speed tyres though! These were the first to go. Punctured twice on my first ride. Now running some 40c marathon supremes which are awesome.

Wheels needed a true as I don’t think they were de-stressed after building and developed a little wobble after the first few hundred miles. Nothing major though, 10 mins with a spoke key and all sorted.

Don – good to hear of someone else with same bike 🙂 and same issue…. I hope it is a case of too much grease or something, it certainly seems to be the freehub overruling the spring tension in the mech. I know the new 11 speed 105 mech has a different and lighter spring balance to previous and I certainly can see it has less tension/resistance than the Ultegra on my ‘road bike’. It is kinda annoying, but I only notice it in the top 2 or gears.

The brakes I love. Like you I felt that they had too much freestroke and fettled them to the minimum. They have similar movement to the way you describe yours, which initially felt weird as I usually have STI’s set up for immediate bite, however they do feel more like the xt’s on my Soul ! They are so darned powerful though that I am now used to them, although I have given a few of my mates a fright when braking hard into a corner and they are behind me on rim brakes 🙂

I actually like the tyres – I have the same ones on my 2014 Croix and did a few thousand miles, on and off road, with just one puncture. I do have some 32c Conti Reflex’s that will go on for touring, and some Cont cxkings for proper off road, but will stick with the cxspeeds’s for general stuff. Only things I have changed are saddle, seatpost and stem, the first due personal preference and the post and stem to replicate my normal reach (a touch more layback and a 110 stem ).

Will be interested to hear if the hub loosens off, or if it is chainline or just a feature of the new lighter mech.

anyone else on the new 105 drivetrain and finding this ?

…or maybe it’s specific to the bub/freehub/chainline combination on the Genesis..

yeah the 105 cage spring does seem very weak in comparison to my older tiagra cx mech. Just had a look and yeah, back peddaling in the highest two gears at the back does overcome spring tension. The chain jumps of the jockey wheels too. On the third smallest at back, the chain runs smoothly backwards.

What size did you go for? at 5ft 10 i went with a 56 and dropped stem to a 90mm zero rise. Bike fits like a glove and is so comfy. Did try a 54 but felt very cramped.

I dont think there are than many croix de fer 30s out there at the moment. I think there was only a small batch released in the new year with the rest following in March. I had preordered a good few months before release.

Just thinking aloud. Doesn’t the Croix De Fer have 135mm mtb hubs. Could this be creating a unique chain line

don – your chain setup seems identical to mine, which I guess is reassuring 🙂

I am on a 54, which is exactly the same ETT as my Defy Composite at 545mm (and my 2014 Croix) but I do run a layback post, largely to accommodate an ISM saddle, and a 110 stem to get the reach the same across the 2 bikes.

Gratuitous piccy time 🙂

ampthill – yes, pretty sure it does. My 2014 one had same hub spacing I think and Tiagra 10 speed, with a much stiffer mech spring than the current 105, so suspect that’s the route cause.

Will just have to not back pedal when in top few gears and hurtling down bendy roads…..

As per other thread, no way will a new mech will sort the issue, a regrease or new hub might.

But just don’t back pedal hmmm’k?

Thanks Al, and for your note on the other thread. Seems weird to me that it’s not unique to my bike, with doncorleoni having same issue. That would suggest it’s compatibility rather than a fault in the hub/assembly. My logic is suggesting that it’s the combination of slight drag from chainline/hub design and the fact that the new 105 rear mech has a very light spring action. Given that same geometry was ok on the 2014 versions with stiffer Tiagra mechs this makes sense to me.

If I could find out whether the 11 speed Ultegra mechs have stiffer spring action that the 105’s I might try one.

Am taking it into my friendly local bike shop who supplied it tomorrow for a collective scratching of heads !

Be interested to hear what they say iain!

I don’t really notice it to be honest as I don’t tend to back pedal.

Oh and here’s a pic of mine 🙂

looks good 🙂

I flipped my stem to get it a bit more roadesq. Yeah, the mech isn’t really an issue, I just noticed it when getting lined up on a road descent.

I’ll report back once shop have had a look, but I agree with you that it’s likely chainline/mech spring compatibility and will probably just live with it and shift up a few gears before swoopy tarmac downs !

Had a wee compare in shop of spring tensions in Ultegra vs fitted 105 and nowt much in it. So its getting a hub strip and rebuild as consensus is that free hub is definitely a bit draggy..

Pretty common on a new bike I find. Just a lot of grease in the hub. Give it a month or so to settle in I reckon

Klunky- yes, hoping its just that, cheers.

Hi… Got bored at work today so stripped the Hub, washed out all the grease and shoved some lightweight castrol stuff in. Chain still overcame spring tension. Then I soaked the chain in dry lube… And I mean probably used a quarter of a bottle! Ha…. And look!…. It’s all good . could be a combination of both to be fair.

Did the strip and rebuild make much difference to yours?

105 chain:

That looks well sorted. Mine isn’t yet stripped but am hopeful of great things now !

doncorleoni – update, yes, same situation as yours, where there had been a bit of overkeen greasing in the freehub at initial assembly, so all sorted now. Big thanks to Dave and the guys at SprocketsCycles in Kilmarnock for taking the time to both read this thread, and then have a good look at the issue, strip and reassemble. That’s what I love about a good LBS, cheers guys