Wolftooth Roadlink experiences?
Does anyone here have a Wolftooth Roadlink on their gravel bike? How is the shifting and does it create any extra chain noise?
RoadLink ? wolftoothcomponents.com Thanks, interested in putting this on a gravel bike so I can run a 46/34 crank and Shimano 11-40. |
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Got it earlier this week and finally found time to put it on, along with a 11-40 rear derailleur. Had to readjust my rear derailleur a little bit but it shifted smoothly afterwards. I'm dying to get out on the trails now. I have 50-34 in the front, so 46-34 should work just fine.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=510198
Originally Posted by KonaRider125
(Post 18586696)
Does anyone here have a Wolftooth Roadlink on their gravel bike? How is the shifting and does it create any extra chain noise?
RoadLink ? wolftoothcomponents.com Thanks, interested in putting this on a gravel bike so I can run a 46/34 crank and Shimano 11-40. |
Awesome, thanks for sharing your experience. Please let us know how it works out on the first ride.
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Originally Posted by natemeister
(Post 18617044)
Got it earlier this week and finally found time to put it on, along with a 11-40 rear derailleur. Had to readjust my rear derailleur a little bit but it shifted smoothly afterwards. I'm dying to get out on the trails now. I have 50-34 in the front, so 46-34 should work just fine.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=510198 |
Me too. So far, I took it out to a parking lot to clear up the shifting and was able to smoothly access 34 (front) and the entire range in the rear (40-11). With large in the front (50), I could only access 11-35, it wouldn't go up to 40 unless I was in the small ring. So unless I am severely cross-chaining (50-40), it shifted just fine. I biked 10 miles in today to work with this new set up and no hiccups :)
Originally Posted by dr_lha
(Post 18617787)
I'm curious to see how this works for you, because you're way over capacity with that set up aren't you? I'm assuming from your picture you've got a RD-6800-GS, which has a 37T capacity, and (50-34) + (40-11) = 45T. Shimano capacities are conservative, but still.
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Originally Posted by natemeister
(Post 18618130)
Me too. So far, I took it out to a parking lot to clear up the shifting and was able to smoothly access 34 (front) and the entire range in the rear (40-11). With large in the front (50), I could only access 11-35, it wouldn't go up to 40 unless I was in the small ring. So unless I am severely cross-chaining (50-40), it shifted just fine. I biked 10 miles in today to work with this new set up and no hiccups :)
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Interesting device.
I might try it some time. BTW on the chain wrap issue: The chain does *not* need to be tight on the small/small combo. In fact, I've seen issues where a chain would try to crawl off the side of the lower pulley in the big/big combo because the pulley was pulled so far forward that it was no longer in the plane of the chain. Think about it; when the lower arm of the RD swings forward in a cross-chaining situation, it is staying in the plane of the currently-engaged cog, which moves it away from the plane of the chain as it swings forward. The solution is to just make the chain long enough that there is slack in the small/small combo. There is absolutely no problem with this; All the gears will work just fine. I have 2 bikes set up they way. |
I physically aligned it using the larger rings of both. I purchased a 118L chain and took one off. There is only slight rubbing at 34 (front) - 40 (rear). I have an extra chain now, so maybe try 116L and see if it fits.
Originally Posted by dr_lha
(Post 18618188)
Yep, that's about what I'd expect. How did you determine the size of your chain? Usually it'd be based on the two largest gears, but that would give you a lot of slop when in a small/small configuration.
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I just ordered a roadlink also. I have a 105 11speed setup with a 50/34 compact crank. I ordered a sram pg1170 11-36 cassette to give me a better grany gear. I expect it to work great! I will report back later this week once i get it installed and have a ride on it.
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Should work fine. Been riding 50/34 with 11/32 and 11/40 in the rear, no problems at all. Love the flexibility and for trail riding and commuting.
Originally Posted by GodinSession
(Post 18680588)
I just ordered a roadlink also. I have a 105 11speed setup with a 50/34 compact crank. I ordered a sram pg1170 11-36 cassette to give me a better grany gear. I expect it to work great! I will report back later this week once i get it installed and have a ride on it.
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Question to those with more technical experience with this product, do you think it will work with the new Sram eTap derailleur. That derailleur is advertised to be used with a 28t max cassette. Should I buy the groupset, I would like to use a larger cassette (e.g., 36t) for gravel-riding and light touring.
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Originally Posted by natemeister
(Post 18617044)
Got it earlier this week and finally found time to put it on, along with a 11-40 rear derailleur. Had to readjust my rear derailleur a little bit but it shifted smoothly afterwards. I'm dying to get out on the trails now. I have 50-34 in the front, so 46-34 should work just fine.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=510198 |
Originally Posted by KonaRider125
(Post 18586696)
Does anyone here have a Wolftooth Roadlink on their gravel bike? How is the shifting and does it create any extra chain noise?
RoadLink ? wolftoothcomponents.com Thanks, interested in putting this on a gravel bike so I can run a 46/34 crank and Shimano 11-40. I replaced her DR and that thing with a SRAM Apex1 DR and all good since. |
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19635082)
A friend of mine had one installed (unknown to her) by a LBS to accommodate a larger cassette on her 1x setup. It started dropping chains immediately.
I replaced her DR and that thing with a SRAM Apex1 DR and all good since. |
Originally Posted by Chris Pringle
(Post 18693820)
Question to those with more technical experience with this product, do you think it will work with the new Sram eTap derailleur. That derailleur is advertised to be used with a 28t max cassette. Should I buy the groupset, I would like to use a larger cassette (e.g., 36t) for gravel-riding and light touring.
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Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19635082)
A friend of mine had one installed (unknown to her) by a LBS to accommodate a larger cassette on her 1x setup. It started dropping chains immediately.
I replaced her DR and that thing with a SRAM Apex1 DR and all good since. My guess is that the Wolf Tooth wasn't the problem. Many, many people ride them every day without issues including some very hardcore gravel racers. -Tim- |
Originally Posted by TimothyH
(Post 19636239)
My guess is that the Wolf Tooth wasn't the problem.
Many, many people ride them every day without issues including some very hardcore gravel racers. -Tim- |
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19636410)
It was part of the problem for sure. The real issue was the guy choosing the combination of components.
Not trying to challenge but sincerely asking because I almost went with one but didn't need it in the end. A Wolf Tooth is not out of the question for me in the future. Can you elaborate? -Tim- |
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19636410)
It was part of the problem for sure. The real issue was the guy choosing the combination of components.
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
(Post 19636538)
Can you elaborate?
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
(Post 19636560)
It just lowers the derailleur by a couple cm...was the hanger bent on the frame or something? It basically makes thw setup a long cage for a larget tooth difference...not sure how that makes a chain jump?
If you've had any experience with 1x stuff, you probably know that a reliable 1x setup is typically built around purpose specific components. I only got involved because he stopped helping her. Once I dumped that stuff and got her a true 1x DR, her problems ended and she's happily riding again. After wasting hundreds of dollars with his shop bin BS, the fix was a $65 1x specific DR. Maybe this extender works great in 2x setups, but trying to make a short cage road DR work reliably in a 1x config with it did not for her. She has all the parts that didn't work on her bike in a box somewhere, I'm sure she would sell you hers if you want it :) |
Thanks for the explanation.
Based on what you wrote however, I still don't see how the Wolf Tooth was the root or exclusive cause of the dropped chain. -Tim- |
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19637041)
The guy at her (previous) LBS threw together a bunch of shop bin parts and tried to pass it off as a true 1x setup. First he had her on a Shimano 9 speed MTB DR, then tried to put her on an old SRAM Apex DR with this extender. None of them were meant to work together in a 1x configuration and they didn't. Both configs dropped chains for her repeatedly, to the point that she was ready to stop riding altogether. The sad part is he talked her into moving from a fully functional 2x groupset to this mess.
If you've had any experience with 1x stuff, you probably know that a reliable 1x setup is typically built around purpose specific components. I only got involved because he stopped helping her. Once I dumped that stuff and got her a true 1x DR, her problems ended and she's happily riding again. After wasting hundreds of dollars with his shop bin BS, the fix was a $65 1x specific DR. Maybe this extender works great in 2x setups, but trying to make a short cage road DR work reliably in a 1x config with it did not for her. She has all the parts that didn't work on her bike in a box somewhere, I'm sure she would sell you hers if you want it :) |
Originally Posted by redlude97
(Post 19637198)
all that could have been fixed with a $20 chain guide or $5 FD
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Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19637041)
The guy at her (previous) LBS threw together a bunch of shop bin parts and tried to pass it off as a true 1x setup. First he had her on a Shimano 9 speed MTB DR, then tried to put her on an old SRAM Apex DR with this extender. None of them were meant to work together in a 1x configuration and they didn't. Both configs dropped chains for her repeatedly, to the point that she was ready to stop riding altogether. The sad part is he talked her into moving from a fully functional 2x groupset to this mess.
If you've had any experience with 1x stuff, you probably know that a reliable 1x setup is typically built around purpose specific components. I only got involved because he stopped helping her. Once I dumped that stuff and got her a true 1x DR, her problems ended and she's happily riding again. After wasting hundreds of dollars with his shop bin BS, the fix was a $65 1x specific DR. Maybe this extender works great in 2x setups, but trying to make a short cage road DR work reliably in a 1x config with it did not for her. She has all the parts that didn't work on her bike in a box somewhere, I'm sure she would sell you hers if you want it :) - So the woman's bike had a 9sp Shimano RD which means Shimano shifting too. That didnt work. - SRAM Apex 10sp was then installed, so presumably a SRAM shifter too since they need to be mated together. That didnt work. - So then a SRAM Apex1 11sp was installed. This required yet another new shifter. And now it works. Am I understanding all this? 1- Why arent shifters swaps included in all this hassle and cost talk?...or have the shifters not changed somehow as brand and speeds changed? 2- Was the crankset a 1x specific with a 1x ring? 3- Was a $25 chainguide ever used? Wouldnt that have solved everything? 4- After all this, I havent seen anything specific to the Wolftooth. Again- they make this product in part so people can run 1x with road derailleurs. Your friend's issues had to have been frustrating. Why someone went to 1x when their 2x worked perfectly is...odd, but hey- variety is the spice of life, i guess. Why a derailleur extender on a cobbled together 1x setup without a simple chainguide or 1x crankset is being blamed for chain dropping is...odd. Yeah, all that got argumentative. It really isnt, its just sarcastic and unbelieving. I know, i know, you were there and I(we) werent. And now that the Roadlink is gone, it all works properly. That doesnt mean the Roadlink was the issue. I wouldnt do a gravel 1x setup as its too limiting for how and where I ride, but if I were to build one, it would be with proper components to ensure the chain doesnt drop. A 1x chainring and a chainguide. I wouldnt have to then change my derailleur and shifter twice. |
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
(Post 19637212)
She wanted it done right.
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