Anyone had problems with their X9 rear mech. I've just fitted a brand new 2010 one from CRC which stopped shifting into the smallest 2 or 3 sprockets intermittently on its first ride yesterday. 😕

I thought at first it was the cable but I've taken it off and it's just too stiff for the return spring to actuate fully – it won't drop into the highest three gears at all with the bike on the stand. It didn't get clipped on anything and is perfectly straight and unmarked.

Had XTR for years on the bike but one of the shifters was on the blink and I couldn't get them set up for one finger braking – but, never ever had a problem with the mech. Not happy.

I've got a new short cage X9 that does the exact same thing, only just with the smallest (highest) gear. It'll push in, or if I shove it right over to the lower gears then release it the momentum'll carry it over, but it won't do it from the adjacent gear (ie, when in use). I thought at first it might be road grit- I used the bike for only 2 or 3 rides before it failed and 2 were road commutes- but thorough cleaning hasn't helped.

Luckily mine is new so it's going back, I have 2 other X9s and they're both flawless, even the old one which is so worn at the pivots you'd think it'd be useless, but it still shifts better than XT, imo at least 😉

Cheers for that. I'll see what CRC say…..

+1 for no problems. On my 3rd with no issues, except destroying them on rocks, hence the replacements