Try these https://craftbikes.uk/

To give you some idea… I went on holiday and in my bike bag I took (see what I’ve done here – those with children will know):

1 FS bike including  removed pedals and any other parts

1 spare set of pedals

1 spare bike chain

1 Evoc back pack with all its usual trail repair and first aid kit

1 empty Camelbak reservoir and hydration tablets

2 spare tyres

1 pair of K-pact knee pads

Some, but not all my bike assembly tools (always take a full size pedal wrench)

Always comes in a 32kg. You can swap 1 tyre with bike shoes but then all your clothes will smell of rubber if you put the tyre in your main luggage. Zip lock bags for tools, chain lube, Stans and any other spares go in with the main luggage.

Couple of other tips if you want them. Take a roll of bin bags to put your dirty bike clothes in if you’re not washing them and take a supermarket bag for life that you can throw all your spares and lubes in so you don’t have to keep rummaging through luggage bags.

When you charge them, are they charged in a cold garage or in a warm house etc?

Always charge them in the house. Just seems odd that all the batteries are failing at the same time !

Update… Sram have replaced both mechs under warranty after examining them. Both shops said they’d had similar issues on other AXS mech returns.

Prior to the claims I had put two new AXS mechs on each bike, both still had the same new hangers on. I also tried them with the hangers I’d replaced to ruke the hangers out. From the off the micro adjust on the new mechs is running at 14, which is the mid point. The old mechs on the same hangers had run out of micro adjust and wouldn’t shift.

Only conclusion, there’s something wrong in both mechs that has developed over 9 months of use that isn’t related to the alignment. I suspect it will be designed out by Sram with a new version if it hasn’t been already.

It’s a bicycle interest forum not a debating society :o)

It’s never just that on here, that’s why I rarely bother… I’m off to ride my bike (but I’ll let everyone know how the warranty claims go) !

@Davesport

Please have another read of my opening of the thread, then the replies, and then my update, but for your benefit (and because I can see you like quotes)…

Anyone experienced the same or got any suggestions please. All I can find on line is ‘replace the hanger’. Also, does anyone have have a number for Sram or ZyroFisher technical support, if such a thing exists.

Thanks in advance.

Don’t assume either that I don’t know how to maintain and fix bikes. The reason the title of the thread and my opening say it’s NOT (some caps for you too) the hanger, is because I know what a hanger and alignment problem is and I’d checked the hanger, tried replacing it and checked the alignment before and after replacing it. Despite this quite a few people still came on and said its the hanger or the alignment of the hanger and suggested I wasn’t listening when clearly they hadn’t read the whole thread.

It’s clear to me and to others that have posted that there is something else going on with the AXS mechs and that was either going to be an easy fix that someone was aware of or a warranty issue. Having spoken to the stores I originally bought them from they’ve both said that they’ve had quite a few back that have had warranty replacements.

Your superfluous attitude in your reply typifies the minority on here that has created the reputation that goes before it.

BTW if your spending a grand on two mechs you’re being fleeced mate !

@jhinwxm

Have you checked the Mech hanger and its alignment?

Funny t**t !

Update, starting in response to all those with the banal comments about the hanger and alignment having not read the rest of the thread (@mert; @simondbarnes; @davesport)…

Have you actually read anything people have written?

Don’t know if that was tongue in cheek, but a new hanger & correct hanger alignment are in no way related. The alignment needs checking.

I read your post Simon but the message doesn’t seem to be getting through.

Despite the fact that this issue is on two separate bikes with two completely different hangers and suspension systems who had their AXS systems fitted at the same time 10 months ago and they were both fitted with two separate brand new hangers this weekend, the problem still exists… I have checked the alignment with a proper alignment tool and guess what… ITS NOT THE HANGER or ALIGNMENT !

I also changed the bearings in one of the mechs jockey wheels and this offered a bit of improvement but not a great deal and it still needed to be run at the end of the micro adjust.

So I’ve now fitted a new AXS mech to one of the bikes and its working perfectly again from the off with the micro adjust set at 14, so the problem is clearly in the mech NOT IN THE HANGER. Having compared the old and the new mechs there is definitely more play in the pivots (but not a great deal) in the old one but also some subtle changes in the design. I’ll be changing the mech on the other bike at the weekend and sending them both back for warranty as there is clearly an issue, especially given the more recent replies in this thread which will no doubt prove to be a bit more helpful than some of the earlier ones about the hanger and the alignment.

Be amazed if that changes anything as the derailleur is just asked to shift up/down one – so a different shifter is just asking the same thing of it…

I know, but I’m running out of ideas !

Ordered some jockey wheel bearings and some more hangers but I have already replaced the hangers and it made no difference. Everything says it should be the hangers but it can’t be now I’ve replace them with new unused ones. This is on two separate bikes too and its gradually got worse over a few weeks. I’m going to try swapping the mechs over and pairing them with the alternative shifters to see what that does. The b-screw setting has been done using the white tool in the sag position too. No play in the wheel bearings or hub or free hub, all of that gets done regularly. Driving me up the **** wall, especially as it was all running so well for so long, bloody garage gremlins attacking the bikes in the middle of the night I reckon !

I have had AXS for about 2 years now and recently it wasnt as crisp. new chain and fresh bearings in the jockey wheels and its back to flawless shifting.

Which bearing types are in the jockey wheels ?

I knew you’d all say hanger, hence the subject title. I’ve put new hangers on both bikes and it’s not made any difference. Also did a full bolt check and nothing is lose.

Any other suggestions or experiences please ?

So, took it apart at the weekend and yes, they’re fecked ! The threaded insert inside the drive side crank arm is moving around which is causing the crank arm to rock even when its tightened up with the chainring.

This is on a Superboost+ groupset so it has a custom interchangeable spindle. Is there an alternative to the Race Face cranks or does he have to buy the same again ?

The play is on the drive side crank arm and definitely isn’t in the BB bearings. Looking at the video it can’t be the lock ring either because that’s straight and the movement is only in the arm. As its an interchangeable spindle it could be the that the arm has come loose from the spindle. I’ll take it all apart and check everything over for him and make sure its all as tightened up on the spindle before reinstalling with the pre-load done correctly etc.

Nice looking pedals and as always the colours are great but the price is too pricey for me.

Also, I went away from Shimano’s because the SPD system is no good. They clog up in mud, snow and pine needles and there’s little or no float, so any movement in your foot on either a techy decent or a jump and you find yourself unclipped. The Hope cleat system looks almost the same as the SPD design so can’t imagine it would fair any better.

Time Atac MX4’s at around £50 (£40 for MX3’s) and you don’t have any of those issues or, if you want more bling then the Time Speciale 8 at just over £100.

FFS… as soon as I’ve posted this and tried it all again its started working again.

I do have to press the CONNECT button when I open the app but then it had only been showing a battery symbol and level for the rear mech, the remote was greyed out with no battery symbol and that didn’t change when I pressed the AXS button to ‘wake it’… until now when its just done what it should, hopefully it was just a brain fart and its sorted itself out.

Cheers Reggiegasket, I’m on it now. Taking him down from 2×10 to 1×11.

I went from Shimano to Time Atac. IMO one of the best upgrades you can do.

Shimano’s clog up with snow or mud and you can’t clip in. You know when someone is riding Shimmano’s when you hear the clattering of shoes banging against the side of the pedals. You have none of that with the Atac pedals no matter how grim it gets.

Secondly Shimmano’s don’t have enough float so any twisting and shape pulling and you’re unclipped without warning. Either slow descending where you need to bounce the bike around or shape pulling off jumps and drops the Atac’s are more suited.

On the downside if you take a bad rock strike on the spring of the Atac’s then the clip gets a little bit of play in and you have to replace them because you can’t fix or service the spring, but they’re cheap enough to replace without moaning about it (but then the Shimmano’s aren’t without their mechanical issues, especially the higher end XTR’s (which they may have resolved now).

I’d never go back to Shimmano’s now.

Drop the Cushcore and fit Rimpact instead.

I had the Cushcore and found it ridiculously hard to mount and dismount tyres over.

The Rimpact does the same job, it’s a lot cheaper, comes with or without valves and gives you some life back when it comes to changing a tyre !

Personally I think the Hope brakes are one the best upgrades I’ve ever done.

As has already been said the Shimano brakes are either on or off with very little modulation, so if you are riding down something long steep and techy and want to kill your speed without the wheel being locked then you’re not going to get that with the Shimano’s. This is obviously more important if you use the front brake a fair bit and don’t that locked out either.

I experienced some of the common problems found in the Shimano’s tooo. The spring goes in the lever so it rattles whilst you’re riding. The brake doesn’t work when you’ve transported your bike vertically on a trailer.

The Hope brakes have a lot of adjustment so you can have them more bitey if that’s what you want and they are a lot more serviceable. You can replace a lever, a spring, a hose or any other part easily where as the Shimano’s are disposable, any fault equals new brake. The advantage that gives the Shimano’s is that they are a bit more fit and forget whereas you will find yourself tweaking the Hope brakes a lot more.

Fit the Hopes and adapt yourself to them I’d say !

So does this mean I can drive to a trail center such as CYB from England this weekend for my exercise or not ?

I’d check a few more things before you change the free hub or free hub bearings. It would normally take a lot of play in the cassette to make the chain shift and skip…

Have you changed the mech cable ? If you haven’t used the bike for a year it could be sticking somewhere. Have you checked the chain length and for any stiff links ? Again, not using it for year a link could kinked or stiff. Have you tried a new mech hanger ? I know you say you’ve checked it with a tool but I’ve sworn blind its not a hanger before now and tried one just to rule it out and found it to be just that.

If you are looking at the bearings, lift up the back wheel, turn the cranks and let it free wheel and put your hand on the chain stay. If the bearings are on the way out you’ll feel a rumble through your hand. After that take the cassette and free hub off and spin the bearings with your fingers to see if they are rough.

Update…

This tool doesn’t work. It’s diameter is too big to go through the BB with the bearing in so that’s been returned. I just used a drift and hammer. On one side the bearing popped out and on the other the cup and tube popped out so you could just remove the remaining cup with the drift too. Took all of 2 minutes.

For anyone installing a Hope press fit BB and following the video instructions, when he says don’t over tighten the bearing press and stop when it stiffens up, don’t over tighten the bearing press ! especially on the non drive side with the GXP conversion kit. Thanks to Twelve 50 bikes for sorting me out with a replacement for my crushed bearing !

You need to drift against the cups, not the bearings (which will explode if you do)

You can drift against the cups then ? I can’t get my head round how they’ll be exposed with the tube sitting between the cups.

So if I drift against the back of the bearings will that force the cups out ?

Removed the seals with the last set and filled them full of water proof grease and they’ve still not lasted the course ! I can’t even see how the water is getting in because they have an end cap system that you have to hammer in place that keeps crap away from the bearings.

…thought I’d add that Target quoted a 3 week turnaround and stuck to it but he does do a lot of repairs for the dark side roadies and given how many are on the road right now I suspect there maybe a longer waiting list.

+1 for Target. I recently had a smashed carbon chainstay repaired. They weren’t the cheapest when compared to one man in his garage at the back of the house but he has all the gear, a purpose built shop and Phil is honest and straight talking.

What you’ll find is a lot of the repair companies have hidden extras, they don’t include VAT and don’t include a matching paint finish and are just giving you a base price. Phil will offer you every level of repair and offer to match the decals if need them too.

He also managed to get my rear triangle back to me in the first week of lock down so I had something to do for a couple of weeks.

FFS !

I’d be on my own in the middle of nowhere and yet I can go to a forking supermarket full of idiots who want to get up close to me.

Ah well. Riding elsewhere again then and someone else can have my pie money !

That’s the one, thank fork for that & thanks everyone it was driving me nutz. Nice bike too !

I use the Time Atac MX as opposed to the XC but they use the same system. The pedals are great for use, more float, they don’t clog up, easier to clip in an out etc. and I’ve never had an issue with the platform, axles or bearings which isn’t something that could be said about some of the top end pedals out there. However they have a weakness and if if you clip the spring hard enough on a rock you can stretch the spring and they become baggy and there isn’t a repair… but then they’re so cheap you just buy new ones which balanced against the the way perform suits me and if you’re more XC then they should be fine anyway.

I was going to write a big long review about the 5.5 but I can’t be arsed, just get one, you won’t regret it !

It’s the second best bike I’ve ever owned but only behind my Pivot Firebird and its actually better than the Firebird at techy climbs because its very maneuverable.

There’s no where I’d be afraid to take it, long CX, local woods and big techy mountains it’s coped well with the lot.

My last shorter travel bike was a Santa Cruz 5010 and its blows that out the water !

Just watch that Boa against.. well anything ! I ripped a couple off, one against the timber bridge in the little woods just before Taxal. You can buy spares but it’s not a trail side fix.

Hi Mate,

After my North Waves gave up I tried the new versions with the Boa.They were really gappy around the top and the Boa system was crap. So then I spent ages trying to find a new boot that was just as warm and comfortable. I tried the Mavic Pro Thermo but they’re not very warm, too narrow and… the Boa was crap again. I then tried the Shim(t)mano’s and they just soaked up water like a sponge and fell apart and guess what… another crap Boa system.

I’ve now settled on the Scott Heater boots. Nearly as warm as the Arctic’s, very water proof, a sole you can walk on and… no bloody Boa system. They remind me of the early Northwave boots when they were good. Only down side is they smell of cat wee when they’re drying out !

Cheers Hatter.

They’ll be 2018 M1700 Spline 35 with a 350 hub the same as these. They are boost 148 on a 15mm axle. They are centre lock brake disc mount which I run with a converter.

I don’t think I can use contacts because of the shape of my eyeballs (although I might have dreamt that fact). I can appreciate the benefits of contacts that everyone has pointed out but when I think of all the crap and living things I’ve had in my eyes over the years, plus the tears I shed when it starts to get cold I really can’t see me getting on with them, and whilst there might be some wipage and fogging involved I was thinking good glasses designed for mountain biking might be better for me.

After some more looking I just found this manual. Looks like you have to drive the axle out to remove the bearings which needs a couple of special tools and unsurprisingly they are like rocking horse poo to get hold of. Looking like a shop job as the cost of the tools and the bearings will be more expensive than a trip to my LBS !

Took the bike out for a test ride and the shifting was way better than I expected, while turning the cranks indoors on the stand it felt stiff and clunky but once on the rode it was smooth as!

FFS…. could you not have struggled for just a little while longer to vindicate my typing out of my own 12 speed installation manual !!!

@fakiee

There is a dark art to setting up 12 speed but once you’ve mastered it, its fairly easy.

The first thing I would say is try and follow this video as close as you can. Follow the procedure in the same steps they do. (I appreciate you’re on a hard tale so some of it doesn’t apply and you might not be installing all the kit but the steps for the mech’ etc. are all in there. It should be easier on a hard tale because there’s no sag point at which you need to set the b-screw, the difference is that big on a full sus’ that you can get it perfect in the stand but when you take it on the trail you find its like a bag of spanners).

Some important points, and apologies in advance if this sounds like grandma sucking eggs…
1. Plenty of lube on your mech cable so it doesn’t stick anywhere in the cable outer.
2. Watch your cable clamp or internal routing to make sure there is nothing restricting the cable movement.
3. Two full turns of your barrel adjuster clockwise form the slackest setting (fully anti clockwise) before you clamp your mech cable in the mech.
4. Adjust your lower limit screw BEFORE you clamp your cable so that the top jockey wheel lines through with the outer face of the smallest cog of your cassette.
5. Pull the cable quite taught and clamp but don’t pull it too tight. If you test it by shifting up at this point and the mech moves but it doesn’t shift up the cable isn’t tight enough. if it starts skipping up without shifting it’s too tight.
6. Make sure the chain is short enough, it doesn’t like slack chains.
7. Make sure you pre-stretch your cable by dry shifting all the way up without turning the cranks (if you’ve put your chain on at this point) and pushing hard. Do this 5 or 6 times, unclamp the cable move the cable back and forth a bit and then repeat 5.
8. Set the upper limit screw so that by coming back just half a turn on the upper limit screw from the point where the chain goes over the cassette.
9. As you’re on a hard tail you may want to set your b-screw before you set your upper limit screw because you don’t have to faff with the suspension sag and the b-screw does affect the alignment of the mech. I always put a little more b-screw on so that the line on gauge is a little further into the tooth well. I can see from your photos that there isn’t enough b-screw, that’s why the chain is riding off the cassette cog, think of it as an adjustment of how much the chain hugs the cassette.
10. Test ride and any fine adjustments or ticking in any of the gears should be resolved with half a turn either way with the barrel adjuster.

If you do need to adjust the lower limit screw again because it’s not dropping into the bottom cog after doing all the above, make sure you up-clamp the cable first. The mech won’t move over by even a small amount if it’s being held by the cable. You have to re-clamp the cable after it’s happy that it’s sat on the bottom cog.

Hope that makes sense… again apologies if any of it’s a bit obvious and good luck.

Cheers

BTW… guess where I’m going on the 21st of September ?