# Alfine 11 mud in cassette joint



## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

I never had this problem with my Alfine 8, but I am wondering if anyone else has seen this with the Alfine 11. I think the cause is because of the "normal" cable pull vs the "rapid rise" of the old shifter. I spend a lot more time in the low gears allowing more time for the groove to fill with mud.

My hub started skipping on my last ride and I noticed it was out of adjustment. A quick turn of the barrel adjuster solved it. After I got home I inspected the cassette joint and I see that the groove the cable rides in was packed with mud. The mud had caused the cable to ride up affecting the adjustment.

Anyone else notice this? Any possible remedy?


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## sealcove (Apr 26, 2004)

presslab said:


> I never had this problem with my Alfine 8, but I am wondering if anyone else has seen this with the Alfine 11. I think the cause is because of the "normal" cable pull vs the "rapid rise" of the old shifter. I spend a lot more time in the low gears allowing more time for the groove to fill with mud.
> 
> Anyone else notice this? Any possible remedy?


How different is the cassette joint between the 8 and the 11? Is the 11 more exposed than the 8 along the cable guide? Either way, your hunch about the normal rise my be the culprit. I'd like to see how this issue develops as more early adopters come aboard.

Where did you route the cable: on the seat-stay or chain stay? I route my Alfine 8 on seat stay and that puts the cable guide facing rearward rather than facing where it is more prone to mucking up.

Can you provide some more pictures? From the pictures, it looks like the 11 cable holder is higher up, allowing better clearance for seat-stay cable routing.


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## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

On the 11 cassette joint it has more of a channel for the cable to ride in.

Here are a couple more pics:


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## bikeisbetter (Aug 15, 2009)

presslab said:


> Any possible remedy?


Lay the shifting cable along the chainstay or install a full chain case.


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## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

bikeisbetter said:


> Lay the shifting cable along the chainstay


Specifically, why do you think this would help?



bikeisbetter said:


> or install a full chain case.


I could I suppose. 

Anyway I just modded it, maybe it will help! I cut away most of the rear wall in the hopes it would shed mud better.


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## satanas (Feb 12, 2005)

Seems to me that it should be possible to fabricate a small "fender" and attach it to the steel plate arm thingy, or maybe under the axle nut. This would then shield the cassette joint groove from splatter. Not sure what the right material might be. It'd be easy to make prototypes from coke cans and either zip tie/wire/duct tape or glue them on, then make something more durable later if needed.

I can see why bikeisbetter suggested running the cable along the chainstay: it looks as if this would mean the cable would wrap further forward around the groove, and also shield it a tiny bit. Making a "fender" would be easier too as the chain wouldn't interfere.

I've never had much success with running derailleur cables down the seatstay (apart from Gore cables) due to mud getting into the cables - seems like this is a similar issue, as gravity wants to deposit the glop just where you don't want it.


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## fokof (Apr 24, 2006)

satanas said:


> Seems to me that it should be possible to fabricate a small "fender" and attach it to the steel plate arm thingy, or maybe under the axle nut. This would then shield the cassette joint groove from splatter.


I had that exact same problem this winter but with snow , I tried to do a "Custom" cover over the shifting mechanism to prevent elements , it works for the first day or two then it gets worst when the water gets in it and then freezes. It has to be completly sealed to be effective. For mud , maybe a well done cover could do the job.

Don't see any other way than covering it to protect against elements.
Hope Shimano will provide a solution in a near future.


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## sealcove (Apr 26, 2004)

presslab said:


> Anyway I just modded it, maybe it will help! I cut away most of the rear wall in the hopes it would shed mud better.


Presslab, I realize you blew out the 11 from the other thread, but before you did, how did this mod work for you?

I spent some time comparing your photos of the 11 cassette and comparing it with the 8. While I realize that its a standard (non- rapid rise) configuration (slack cable puts the hub in high gear) - which invites mud collection because you are mostly in low gear with the cable pulled and the grove empty - it appears that some else is different.

It looks like with the 11, the cable pulls from the top side rotating the cassette clock-wise instead of the 8, which pulls from the bottom side rotating the cassette counter-clockwise. Can you confirm this?

On my 8, I route the cable on the seat stays and looking at your photos, it appears that you did the same. On the 8, it works out well for mud shedding, because the grove is facing mostly downward (see photo). But if the cable pulls from the top with the 11, then it probably won't matter how the cables are routed (seat-stay or chain-stay) for mud shedding performance, because the grove would be facing upward for mud to collect.

Attached photo is of my 8 cassette, shot from below the bike under the dropout.


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## huntting (Mar 27, 2011)

sealcove said:


> It looks like with the 11, the cable pulls from the top side rotating the cassette clock-wise instead of the 8, which pulls from the bottom side rotating the cassette counter-clockwise. Can you confirm this?


I can confirm this -- your assumption is correct.


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## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

sealcove said:


> Presslab, I realize you blew out the 11 from the other thread, but before you did, how did this mod work for you?


Well, I only did the one ride after the mud in the joint and subsequent modification, but it was a decently wet ride. There was no mud built up in the cassette joint and no problems with the cable hanging up or falling off.


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## Carlos Fandango (Mar 14, 2013)

I need to resurrect this thread - same problem here. Does anybody have a better solution than cutting the cassette joint away? I can't imagine how I'm going to fashion an effective mud guard. This problem spoils what is a very nice solution to the equally painful dérailleur set up.


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