MicroShift Advent X Review + Chain Hack
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- čas přidán 20. 11. 2020
- The MicroShift Advent X is a wide range 10 speed mountain bike drivetrain that comes in at a very affordable price. I was fed up with the wonky shifting of my Sram SX Eagle 12 speed drive train that came on my Marin Rift Zone 2. However some things weren't really as they seemed but one things was for sure, I didn't like was the close gear spacing of the Sram SX Eagle. So I decided to replace it with this MicroShift Advent X. You can get the cassette, shifter and derailleur for around $165. Check out my trials and tribulations while I get this thing working just right.
Looking to buy this drivetrain? Click my Worldwide Cyclery affiliate links below. I’ll get a little kickback and you’ll get fast and free shipping from a company that I have ordered from many times and 100% support:
Shifter:
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Derailleur:
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Cassette:
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Also available on Jenson USA:
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And on Performance Bicycle:
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Think my derailleur hanger could be bent? Check out the follow up video: czcams.com/video/x3BM7wyHDAI/video.html
Yep I say so
That's always my rule. If you can one get it adjusted well at the top or bottom, but not both, almost always a bent derailleur hanger. I just always start with a fresh hanger when installing a drivetrain. Great video, btw...
I've been saying this for years. Personally I'd take a premium quality, wide range 10-speed over an average 12-speed system on my trail bike.
I agree. I thought that with my 11 speed NX, even though it shifted pretty good, and also with that SX Eagle.
Not having to mess with their new proprietary hub bodies is also a bonus imo, gives generally greater range of third party parts like this and others. And the thicker chain might last a little longer too.
@@Dark__Thoughts very good point. I’m all about progression of parts and manufacturing but it does kind of suck when it ties you down to one manufacturer/ecosystem
wide range and less gears, the better 😂
My understanding: shifter pro = rubber on the lever. Also, cassette comes with or without aluminum low gears. Else, all steel.
Really good video. Informative and to the point. Good descriptive problem solving. Admitting your own mistakes and how to deal with them is also a plus these days. Also, perfect length for a video and a good mix of workshop/POV-trail footage. Clearly you got a new subscriber.
Thanks Jakob! Yeah I’m happy to point out when I screw something up. I know a fair bit about bikes and components at this point but I am still no expert. One of my favorite quotes from a CZcams video ever, an engineering type channel, “I finally ran out of ways to do it wrong and did it right this time”. Between bikes and cars I’ve broken bolts, over tightened and stripped out threads, forgot parts, and just about anything else. All part of the learning process I guess and once you do something wrong, you’ll never make that particular mistake again. Anyway thanks for subscribing!
Just more Advent love. I've had the 9 speed Advent X on my gravel bike with their road shifters all summer and put on about 800 miles. It has been flawless.
Excellent to hear! I have seen a lot of the Microshift 9 and 10 speeds on gravel bikes
Is the Derailleur compatible with the trigger shifters and the road shifters?
@@downtoridemtb I have to 10x on my gravel and have exactly the same clicking in the same gears
@Blah Blah try the 11 speed chain. I’m a firm believer in it being better in every aspect.
@@chrisE815 its only compatible with its own shifters, for road shifters it would need a specific model.
Thanks for a great video. I built three mtb within the past few years and the first one a Hyper Carbon X 26" that I actually purchased from Walmart for $99.00 on clearance and converted it to a 27 5. I just installed a Microshift Advent X 10 speed drivetrain with a kmc 10x chain and couldn't figure out the noise until I watched your video again. Longtime subscriber and thanks for your help. My 11 speed chain is on order.
Awesome deal on that carbon x! Thanks for watching and being a long time subscriber. Hope the 11 speed chain works out for you! Respond back once you get it on there so others will know too.
I followed your advise and got an 11 speed chain and it made a big difference. A 10 speed chain does feel a little thick for the advent x and I saw it rubbing against the higher geared cogs. The rubbing was also exaggerated because my hanger was slightly bent. Once I fixed that and got the 11 speed, its all smooth now. Overall the Advent X is really awesome, once you get it tuned perfectly. The sound of the engaged clutch is pretty cool too.
That’s awesome! Glad my tip worked out for you. I’m kinda glad you mentioned it actually because I probably need to check chain stretch on mine.
Most informative Advent X CZcams video out there, and there are a ton of them.
Thanks!
Great video! I'm thinking about building up a bike, and you gave me all the info I need to know AdventX will most likely be on the build.
I think it’s worth every penny!
Really good video! Sounds like Microshift will be great, much needed competition to SRAM and Shimano. Keep the review on this coming with some Long term reviews of it. Thanks!
Will do. My most recent video is actually all about it too.
Great video a nice tips! I'm looking into Advent X drivetrain and your comments went very helpful. Thanks! 👍
It’s totally worth it!
@@downtoridemtb One question: do you think this setup would work with a Shimano XT M780 44-32-24 Crankset (10 speed)? I'm having some trouble finding available a similar level single chainring that fit my current bottom bracket (shimano press fit SM-BB94-41a). Thanks!
I think any derailleur with a clutch can’t work with a double or triple crank. You could just leave it in the 32 and be ok though.
Just purchased my groupset following your recommendations and model selections (shifter and cassette). Got a laugh about the "missing" spacer and where you found it! 😅 I took note on that. 😉👍
LOL, yeah I panicked for a minute. Hope you enjoy the new drivetrain!
Great honest review from an everyday rider like us. Thanks. Insubned
I’m a man of the people!
Been using the advent X for a few years now on 4 bikes and it is fantastic - really don't need more than 10 speed. On my 2 mtb's I have a 34 and a 36 chainring. On my 2 all terrain bikes (bikepacking) I have a 30 and a 38 chainring.
Once again great video. I like your content and style. For the rider who isn't an aspiring pro, seems like 9 or 10 speeds is on point. I just ordered a Polygon Xtrada 7 that has a Deore 6100 12-speed. I really kind of wish it had a 9 or 10 speed for simplicity. Now I haven't received the bike yet and have no experience with it, so I hope I'm wrong, and I hope it works out really well.
Thanks! I think you’ll be pretty happy with the shimano 12 speed. I had spec’d that one out too and it’s about a 1/3 pound lighter than the Sram SX Eagle.
I had the same clicking noice, in the same gears, on my bike. I changed the derailleur hanger and it got rid of the problem. I was bent just the slightest.
I’ll probably try that. I should keep an extra one hand anyway.
I have the Advent 9spd with a 42 tooth, and it has been awesome for over 13mos with zero issues!
Love hearing that! Thinking about putting that exact setup on my old 26er hard tail.
I use the same setup with an Archer wireless shifter. Works great on my Fezzari
Dude, awesome idea! I contacted Archer for a review unit because that with the Advent X would be the ultimate budget wireless drivetrain. Looks like they want to do it. So excited!
Let's talk killer app here; with the Microshift SB-M100A brifters you can run the 11-48T/AdventX on a drop bar bike! Something that requires much hackery & cost to accomplish with the big-S manufacturers.
Same here I just bought a Kona fire mountain with advent 9 speed. My friends road it and the first thing they asked was what is the drive train. They have treks with 1x10 systems I believe. Great video.
Thanks! Microshift is doing some impressive things! I’d love to see them do a 9 speed with the range of the 10 speed and partially aluminum cassette.
I put the drop bar version on my gravel bike with 11 speed chain. GRX 600 crank, it works perfect.
That’s awesome! I’ve seen quite a few videos with it on gravel bikes with drop bar shifters.
My Shimano SLX 11 speed cassette is screwed. Not many replacement options without using derailleur extender and could use the 48T granny gear over the 46T that i have. Thinking of getting this whole drivetrain setup.
Thanks for the review and advice on the 11s chain , ive been running the advent x with a 10s chain on my ebike for about 6months now . Quite happy with the range but smoother shifting would be nice. Might give the 11s kmc a go .
I think it’s worth a shot, especially if you’re getting to a point that you need to replace the chain anyway. Seems like the b adjustment screw is pretty important too
Some humble pie there in the middle, nice job owning it.
Thanks!
Nice video, keep us updated 😄
Thanks! I definitely will do a follow up.
The MicroShift Advent X is good. I tried it out on a Decathlon bike and had no complaints with it. That said, the new Shimano Deore 12 speed is relatively affordable and holds up perfectly fine compared to the SRAM SX Eagle groupset. Really impressed with it so far.
I’m about to review a bike with a Deore 11 speed so I’m really curious how it compares.
You nail it thanks!! Now I now what to do ,Im dealing with the same thing..
Hopefully this solves your problem, so many different little things can cause shifting issues. My latest - the derailleur hanger itself worked it’s way loose.
I upgraded to full GX drive train including the carbon gx crank. Love it!
Nice! I bet that saved a lot of weight too. That was my thought initially, just to slowly replace parts of that SX Eagle with GX Eagle. Then this MicroShift came around and I figured, why not give it a try.
@@downtoridemtb ya same situation but Marin/Sram gave me $100 credit for my SX derailleur because it broke. I than used that for the GX derailleur, $50 for GX shifter and $60 fir chain and GX gears. Mt crank failed after 800 miles so sram gave 150 credit towards GX carbon dub crank set. I feel Marin and SRAM took care of me.
@@jmrtinez69 yeah that’s cool that seems fair. Marin would have done another warranty replacement on my hub but I didn’t really want another crappy hub that was just going basically be a ticking time bomb.
I upgraded from a 3x7 tourney drive to a deore 10 speed 1x10 11-46t of range way better than tourney
@@downtoridemtb ya I agree luckily for me they couldn't get me one. Or they knew it was going to fail and where trying to save name. Thanks for the video, I'm glad I'm not the only one having bike problems. Lol
Nice video. Ride safe bro!👍
Thanks!
I have an Advent 9 speed 11-42 used 10speed KMC chain and it works perfect.
Cool, I was thinking about throwing a 10s chain on the Advent 9s that is on my Giant Talon. I’ll have to give it a try. Probably needs a new chain anyway.
I have the Advent X 10 on my gravel bike in a 1x system. I came to the video for the chain noise issue and I think I'll try your idea with the 11x chain. I'm not an expert in bike repair but I would like to share my analysis on my derailleur. I noticed chain skipping when I rode the bike fast on rough terrain (with fastest gear). At first I thought the clutch didn't do its job but the screw is max tight. On the stand the bike shifts well all gears. I noticed though, when pushing by hand the derailleur a few mm inwards, that the derailleur doesn't come back to its initial position and the chain gets caught by some teeth of the following gear. I then shifted gears up and down many times. I noticed that the derailleur is not able to set consistently in the same position when gowing down to the fastest gear. Most of the times the chain runs good but a few times I get this chain rub. This might happen when riding in rough terrain and cause the chain skipping. I tried to work the H screw but as you said it, at a point the gears start to shift hard and you don't improve chain rub that much. So I'm guessing materials and manufacturing tolerances are not outstanding and maybe a narrower chain could compensate this. As people talk about deformation in the hanger, I'll probably also try a visit to the LBS.
Yeah mine still does it sometimes. No actual skipping gears but just the noise occasionally. I’ll have to see if it does the same thing you mentioned with pushing inward. I think maybe it is just down to less than ideal tolerances and quality control. I did have the chain off for something else and I put the 10s chain back on as a test... way more noisy.
Great tip about the nine speed chain!
Probably a typo but just in case... don’t get a 9 speed chain. That won’t work.
@@downtoridemtb haha. Yep, typo. 😁
Tried this hack straight away with Microshift advent-x install. 11 speed chain works like a charm. Bravo!
Nice! Can’t see any reason not to.
If you have a choice based on items in stock, go with KMC chains. They also have a quick link that comes with the chain and have never let me down. SRAM chains seem to break more often for me however.
Totally agree. KMC chains just look like they spent more time designing and refining them. Plus sram quick links say single use which is ridiculous.
@@downtoridemtb agreed. KMC makes lots of chains for Shimano as well apparently.
Ive had the exact same experience with sram chains. Been using Kmc on my 8 9 and 10 speeds with no problems.
Agreed. 12 speed isn’t needed and the cheap ones go out of tune super quickly. This video will get tons of views. I’m here before 1k. Well done.
Yep I’m loving the 10 speeds! Thanks for the compliments!
@@downtoridemtb just ordered the 11-48t Advent X cassette yesterday. Need a couple other components, then will be doing my own test and review.
Thanks for the video. I'm waiting for more updated videos about ADVENT X.
Definitely will do a follow up once I get more miles on it!
Im riding the sx 12 speed for 3 years and just ordered the advent x after seeing a few good reviews. The sx shifts perfectly but is extremely heavy, especially the cassette. Just hope I didn’t wast my money
I think you’ll like it!
Great video. Totally agree with you, 10 speed is more than enough for MTB. 🤘
Thanks! Although I did ride som old schools trails yesterday that required that 48t gear. So steep that I tried to go into an even easier gear not knowing I was in the easiest. Still made it up though.
Interesting. I put this rear derailleur and shifter on my hard tail and paired it with a 11/46 sun race cassette and it has been buttery smooth for me since day one.
Interesting indeed. It shifts great for me, just a little noisy sometimes.
Mine is super quiet. I’m coming from sram 10 speed cassette and x9 rear derailleur and shifter.
That’s cool. I looked at Sunrace cassettes before but none even come close to the light weight of the Microshift one. But if I bend teeth on another cassette then I’ll def go that route.
@@downtoridemtb i think that noise is good, you can tell when its shifted lol
I have the same problem as you whith that casette noise. To me the problem was in the cable. Y changed the cable and clean the sheath whith dw40 and apply some vasoline into the sheath cover and its done
I’ll have to give this a try. The inner cable is new but the outer part is not. Definitely worth a try. Thanks!
Great drivetrain and hack! I just want to say I think tolerance is worse the more gears you have on a cassette. Think of it this exaggerated example. For your freehub if you had a cassette that was 10 gears and another that was 100 gears, the one with 10 gears the derailleur can move over that bigger chain area more accurately because its moving 7mm per shift. The 100 gear example would mean the derailleur is moving less than a mm (0.7mm) per shift. The play in the derailleur becomes the tolerance and miss shifts and precise tuning is needed. I know that my 10 speed needs tuning once a season or more if I bash it around. My older 7 speed would stay in tune for many years. That was a Deore LX drivetrain from the 90s (before it was called SLX). Just something to think about. Have a great day.
Yeah I definitely agree with you. More is not necessarily better with these 1x drivetrains. All about the total range and the performance.
I use only 12 speed chains even on 10 and 11 speed systems. I see zero downfalls and way more move for a non perfect adjusted system. Also 12 speed chains are just higher quality
Makes sense. Plus you have the same quick links for all bikes which makes things easier.
Great vid! Very helpful I got a advent x about 3 months ago and have been noticing possibly a little more chain noise than it used to have when I first got it, but maybe I just didn’t notice any noise compared to my old, non clutched drivetrain. is there any good way to make the life of the clutch as long as possible?
Yeah I think the clutch does add noise because I flipped the switch off and it seemed a little quieter. I don’t think there is any way to extend the life of the clutch other than just regular cleaning to maintain the whole derailleur. But the clutch tension is adjustable by removing the cover where the switch is.
The difference between the shifters is the cheaper one is finger/thumb shifting and the "trail" one is thumb/thumb shifting and has a rubber pad on the lower gear paddle.
Ah that’s good to know! Gotta have the thumb thumb style!
Definitely should've checked your RD hanger alignment!
I did after. It was perfectly aligned. I think the derailleur cage was slightly bent.
you convinced me - I'm moving from 2 x 11 to 1 x10. I just wanted to check that if after a year you still recommend the 11 speed chain over the 10 speed chain.
Awesome, you’ll definitely enjoy the simplicity. I still 100% recommend the 11 speed chain. I also think KMC is the best option out there. I recently replaced mine with a new Sram chain as preventative maintenance and it was just kind of shifting oddly. I put the KMC back on because the chain stretch was really very minimal and it just shifts nicer. Also if you don’t mind, order from the links in my video description. I get a little kickback which helps out the channel but you don’t pay anything extra.
My bike comes with the Microshift shifter but the Sunrace cassette. Zero problems. Never adjusted since getting the bike.
I didn’t realize it was a mix of parts. I always just assumed it was all Shimano. Anyway that’s great news that you haven’t had to mess with it at all. Hopefully that translates to the Advent X!
@@downtoridemtb Steve from Hardtail Party loves the Advent X. I'd reach out to him for pointers on setup
@Cheap-O MTB yeah I saw his video actually after I ordered mine. Definitely made me feel good about the purchase. I think I’m good with the setup. It’s shifting great now that the hub is sorted out and the new chain is on.
Nice hack. I have an advent x in my gravel bike with a 38t chainring and a 11-50t cassette. Originally it was 40t and 11-48t. I left the same chain (kmc 10s) and size. But when I made the fix the chain begans to rub always in some cog no matter how I move the indexing. Finally I can solve the problem playing with the clutch tension (I put less) and the B-tension screw with the distance between the big cog and the guide pulley. The brand says that must be 15-17mm with the original 48t but with the 50t I left in 10.2mm and now it works. Hope this helps somebody. Cheers!
Yeah I had that b limit set less than recommended too, but it’s kinda hard to gauge since it was on a full suspension bike and everything changes at sag. Have you thought about trying the Sword series by them? Made for gravel and seems to be better designed.
@@downtoridemtb Lately I discover that the kmc 10s chain that I left is short by 1 link or for better say by 1/2 inch. I size it like microshift recommend in the user installation manual. I will change it and see if the shifting goes better because the less tension. Then I will post here. Thanks for the recommendation about sword but for now I will be tinkering around with the advent x, the sword capacity is 37t, just for their 11-48t casette. Mine is version 1 that have 41t of capacity enought for the 11-50t 👍👋
As a beginner cyclist, the one thing that I have come to love about the way Mircoshift rear derailleurs are engineered is how easy rear derailleur installation is. When viewed from the rear, the derailleur structure does not visually interfere with the line of sight of the casette and cage pulley. As a result, adjusting the limit screws and tuning barrel adjuster for optimal shift performance is so simple. The limit screws are also clearly visible from the rear, this helps in the sense that you can tune the guide pulley to be perfectly aligned with the largest and smallest cogs by making minute adjustments to the limit screws.
I never really thought about that, didn’t think it was much different than any other derailleur I’ve adjusted. But you are right, it is very easy to do once you fully understand the process.
I have the same hub on my bike and an SX eagle drivetrain and it has the same problems that your were describing. There is no play in the hub. I have looked at many forums about the sx eagle and there are a lot of problems with it that people have.
Do you mean you have the same Marin stock hub? Mine never had play in the hub itself meaning the wheel stayed where it was supposed to be. The play was in the freehub body which is what allowed the cassette to move around so much. If it’s a Marin hub, that is most likely your problem.
Got my advent x 9speed, plus pro trigger shifter, seems to shift good, i have the med cage which should be stronger to deal with the torque i'll run through it.
Enjoy it! I’m still running mine and have had very few issues.
Always when installing a new drivetrain use a derailleur alignment gauge. Your derailleur hanger is probably 1mm to 2 mm out of alignment. Check Park DAG-1 and park videos
I should have addressed that in the video. Check out my pinned comment.
I've been having the oddest shifting issues w/ my AdventX setup. I've got it mounted on some Hunt Trail Wides, and initially I thought the shifting issues "might" be a result of the wheel flexing under pressure. When I put the watts down on the three or four smallest cogs I have issues where the chain skips. It's the strangest thing. And I built out the whole bike in spring of '21. So it's not that old. It does have some miles on it, and the cassette is the less expensive one (steel)... so it "might" be wear. But this has been an issue since early on. I've checked the derailleur hanger (w/ an appropriate tool), and it's true. So no joy there. I've fiddled and fiddled w/ chain line and cable tension w/ no appreciable gains. But I have NOT tried an 11 spd chain! I'll give that a go and let you know what I find. Thanks for the video!! I'm hoping this will solve my issues.
Man hopefully it works out for you. Maybe just a bad chain to start with? Or too long of a chain? I’m sure you already know, but make sure you b adjustment screw is in the right spot too. Good luck!
The "pro" shifter has a silicon thumb pad, where as the normal one doesn't.
Regarding the chain rubbing: could be a slightly bent derailleur hanger but I checked it with a crude, homemade gauge and also asked the shop look at it when the replaced the hub and they said it was fine. Admittedly my gauge was not perfect and the shop could have just eyeballed it.
I have the normal advent on my bike and it’s also been nothing but problems. The clutch stopped working, apprently it was designed bad so the chain rubs and snaps when you shift and the cassette is moving as well as some inner plate by the pulley wheel rubs and bends the teeth if you dump gears.
@Zachary Kim, that’s a bummer. Hopefully this Advent X is better. I really don’t want to deal with more drivetrain issues.
I installed an Advent X two weeks ago in my 2015 Marlin 6, and I have NOT noticed any clicking noises in any gear. It is using a KMC X10 chain (which is 2 links short for the 36T chainring that I have installed). I used a Park Tool DAG-2.2 to be sure that the hanger was not bent. Its too early to know (only 60 miles on the road), but for now is working very well.
@@VictorRamirez-rz5qt glad you’re liking it so far. I really do need to get a proper derailleur hanger alignment tool just so I can be 100% sure.
@@VictorRamirez-rz5qt I already bought Advent X set and waiting for Marlin 6. What kind of crankset did you installed with your bike? Do you have any chainline problem? What is your crankset chainline number? Thanks in advance.
My RZ2 shifted like crap all the time until I adjusted the b-gap using the sram tool. Seems a lot better now, but I'm still thinking of moving to a GX derailleur.
Yeah that gap is pretty important and there are lots of issues with the screw backing itself out over time. Also check your cassette and see if it has a play in the hub body.
Is that how you noticed the hub going bad?
Yes. Just grab the biggest gear back there and see if it moves laterally. Shouldn’t be any more than 1-2mm of play. Check the wheel for the same. Marin hubs are notoriously bad at least on these bikes.
In my opinion, 11 and 12 speed drive trains are overkill and to fickle when stuff gets dirty or slightly worn.
I run a 10 speed 11t to 46t 10 speed sunrace HG compatible casette, with a mid cage 11 speed shimano xt derailuer. As I busted my slx long cage 10 speed off a rock. The 20 buck difference going xt was a no-brainer. My drive train is flawless and gives me ample range, at a 1/4 of the price of 12 speed and 3rd of the price of an 11.
I agree with you 100%. I also started running an 11 speed derailleur with this setup. Just went for Deore though. It’s pretty good.
95 GT Pantera here with some just sub Zaskar parts from early 2000s but need help. 7spd stxrc group up front xt/ deore sLx other derailleur. Not compatible but I’m still riding it. Got -1/3/4/6/7 in back but only Trish 4 and 7
I’m regards to hubs, really bad ones are often Speced on lower tier bikes. They are truly terrible after a few years as they are hard to service, bad fit and finish, etc. I will definitely be looking at a better set of wheels next time im in the market.
Great shifter and derailleur. Remember about gear cable housing being not too bend like they tell in manual. I almost thrown out new perfect derailleur because of some moron mechanic not bothering to read manuals
Yeah I don’t think a lot of shops are very familiar with Microshift. Hopefully you we able to just pull slack cable from the front of the bike to sort it out
I've had mine since March and in gear 8 it feels like it's slipping under load? And recommendations on chains for it? Awesome video 🤙👍
Thanks. I have had a KMC chain on mine and it has been solid. It was just their basic 11 speed chain. I recently put a Sram 11 speed chain on just as preventative maintenance and it seems to do fine too. Have you checked your b adjustment? Made sure the cassette is tight?
I just recently bought the same setup and I bought 3 chains to go with it, a 11sp shimano, a 10 and 11 KMC, all 3 made slight noise on smallest cogs, after spending some time watching the chain come off the cogs with a magnifying glass, it looks to me that the ID of the chain or, the thickness of the cogs is the issue, not the gaps in between, looks like the ID of the chain may be a bit tight and pops off the cog with a slight click, which may dissappear with some break in, other than that, I noticed no difference from the 10sp chain to the 11, both shifted flawlessly..the 10sp chain looked to have adequate outside clearance between cogs, I seen no issues of rubbing
Yeah it could have been a lot of things that caused my rubbing. Chainline, bad manufacturing of the chain or other parts. Interesting the inner diameter part. Hopefully it will wear in properly.
Thanks for the informative video. Did you use a spacer to install the 10 speed cassette on the 12 speed hub?
It’s just a typical Shimano HG style hub - which is the only style hub that this system will fit. No spacer needed.
@@downtoridemtb if your hub was for 12 speed and you install a 10 speed cassette you dont need a spacer? (Not the one that comes with the cassete).
@Darius Lankarian it’s kind of the opposite actually. It’s just a basic hg style hub that Marin decided to put the 12 speed cassette onto as stock. So anyway, no additional spacers needed.
Hello! I just bought the Microshift Advent X. Do I need a rear derailleur hanger for my GT Aggressor pro? Thxs!
Awesome you’ll love it! You’ll just use the existing derailleur hanger.
Typically when you have one or two gears in the back that are off but all the others are fine it means the hanger is out of alignment. If it is a barrel adjustment issue all gears would be impacted.
Logic makes sense but I just checked it with a quality gauge and it is spot on.
Great video. I have now Advent 9 on my bike. Does it make sense to upgrade to Advent X apart having 10 speed instead of 9? Thank you
I don’t think so. But if you have the 42t cassette then it might be worth upgrading to their 46t cassette
I got advent acolyte 8spd. In about 300 miles on it right now. And it has some jumps but it’s not bad for trails. I have. a advent to but it’s on wife’s bike so not much time on that one.
I didn’t even know about the Acolyte. That’s pretty cool that you can get an 11-46t in it. I think their best value might be the 9 speed Advent with 11-46t.
@@downtoridemtb I couldn’t find the 11-46 in the advent at the time. I have the 11-42. The acolyte I wanted that 46 so I went with that.
That’s cool, 46 is probably good for just about anywhere. Crazy how it was just a few years ago and the premium stuff was only 11-42 on an 11 speed.
@@downtoridemtb yeah and it has a clutch derailed option. Microsoft is doing good work.
Microshift makes great stuff. I don't think you can find better value (price vs performance) in the industry. I've used their 9 and 10 speed systems with 2x and 1x cranks including front derailleurs, and all of their stuff just works. Build quality is also great. Save some money on your drivetrain and spend the extra dough on high end brakes.
I agree although my most recent video covered a hybrid setup which I think is even better. Check it out.
I have an NX drive train with a SX chain and SX cassette on my new BMC twostroke AL. 100 miles in and the shifting is still smooth. My question is, will I see a big difference upgrading to a GX eagle derailer, GX shifters and xx1 chain, but still using SX cassette?
I don’t think you’ll notice much upgrading to GX. Plus as far as I know there is no SX cassette. The NX cassette is what they use on any SX builds. At least that is for sure how it was approx 2 years ago when SX came out.
This makes me really curious about the Advent 9s groupset. They have nearly the same gear range as the Advent X and after using the Box Prime 9 for awhile it definitely seems that 9 is enough. Too bad nothing is in stock anywhere.
Yeah the 9 speed looks good too. Not sure if they offer the partly aluminum cassette though which is a big part of the weight savings.
@@downtoridemtb they do offer it in 11-42t. I prefer steel still for the durability. I’m sitting at 42lbs as it is so cassette won’t save much 😅...
Dang that’s a heavy bike!
@@downtoridemtb full steel enduro 😃
Thanks for the review.
Did you index the derraileur, not just adjusted the high and low adjustments?
Park tools has a great video I use on indexing derraileurs.
Yes I did index it
Hey best review of this groupset by far! Wondering how it has held up over the course of a few months?
Also, I see microshift now makes an 11 speed cassette but no derailleur or trigger shifter. Would you still take the 10 speed Advent X groupset over the 11 speed Advent X cassette mixed with other branded components?
Thanks. It has held up pretty well. I bent some cassette teeth on the second to largest cog and they warrantied it. I smashed the derailleur into a rock and had to replace it but that was my fault. I also just added a fun upgrade to it which there will be a video on soon. As far as 11 speed, I’d only do that if it had more overall range. I wonder if they are going to have an 11sp group coming out soon.
@@downtoridemtb it seems very possible! I'll stick with picking up the 10 speed groupset. For the 10 speed what is the optimal chain ring size? I was thinking either 32 or 34T
@@theFriebe that’s probably down to preference and what kind of trails you ride. I have a 32 but if you ride a lot of high speed trails then you might want the 34.
@@downtoridemtb I'm running into an issue finding KMC 11 speed chains.would a Sram 11 speed give me the same results? Or do you believe the KMC is what does the trick for setting up this properly?
@@allisonfriebe6426 I think any 11 speed chain would be fine
Wouldn't the thinner 11 speed chain result in slower shifting since it has to be pushed over further before it can engage the next cog?
I don’t think so because it’s the inside edge of the chain that catches. However I will say that I think my derailleur was not really manufactured right. I have since smashed it into a rock and replaced it with a new one and this one is much quieter.
can you downshift /upshift more than one cog at a time with this system?
Downshift yes. Upshift no.
might be a little late but in the off chance that you see this would you be able to give some advice on compadability.
I have brought the microshift groupset and am a little confused oin what chains and chainrings i am required to use to make the groupset work properly?
Cheers
You should be good with any 10, 11 or 12 speed crank. The teeth on those chainrings are the same. For a chain, I still think an 11 speed is best. I prefer KMC. Tried a Sram chain and it wasn’t as smooth. Haven’t tried shimano though. Hope that helps!
Regarding the slight rubbing issue: Sounds like a slightly bent derailleur hanger to me.
Could be slightly. Check out my pinned comment. It was checked but not personally by me with anything but a homemade tool.
Second. In general all wide range systems are based on low cable tension, so the initial setup of the highest gear and with how much pull you fix the cable is crucial. Always turn the cable pull on the shifter a few turns out before attaching the cable, so you could loosen tension if needed. Good review!
Definitely a bent hanger. I’d put a hanger tool in the top 10 tools for cyclists
@@jfkusa123 working in a shop, a longer hex key with the derailleur still attached is sufficient. But of course this is a result of many poor derailleur hangers to practice on 🙂
Noise is probably chain line. I make sure my chain is dead straight in the 5th gear. Use bb spacers to adjust the line.
I bought the Advent X in May, about six months ago, and had been happy with it up until this month, December. The derailleur has stopped working properly; it still changes gear well going up and down the cassette, but the chain is now too loose when in the smallest cog because the derailleur is not pulling back enough, which means the chain is dropping off the chainring. The chain is the correct size and everything was installed properly, as it was working great for the first six months. Tried to make a warranty claim with Microshift, but they have refused saying there seems to be no issue with the function but also saying may need to tighten the star screw. Unfortunately, I am not great with fixing bike stuff, so will have to pay for a mechanic to see if this is the issue and if it can be fixed.
As I said, it worked great for six months and I was really happy, but a derailleur having an issue after only six months and no chance of getting a warranty claim accepted, I do wonder about the longevity of the parts. Suppose you get what you pay for. Think I will bite the bullet and go back to Shimano XT or SLX.
Yeah it could be that the clutch mechanism just needs more tension. Should be quick and easy to at least try it. Good luck!
i have the same issue just after first days of using the derailleur. Even after shotrening the chain and tightening the clutch, it still doesnt work properly and the chain is skipping while riding throught rought terrain. Sometimes the chain gets stucked between the smellest cog and the frame and its really annoying and dangerous when it happens in a higher speed and you cant move with the cranks bacause its stucked.
@@cagy999 As an update, I finally got Microshift to accept the warranty claim. I had to send the derailleur back to Taiwan but after just a couple of days of them receiving it, the warranty claim was authorised. Was told the derailleur was a first generation and some upgrades have been done to solve some issues, which means they sent a 2nd generation derailleur as a replacement.
That's great to have it resolved so quickly on receipt of the derailleur but frustrating too that the warranty claim was originally refused for so long. Also, it seems apparent that Microshift were aware of issues with the derailleur.
@@andyjack37 good to know, thanks. Did you send the derailleur directly to Taiwan or did you first try it through the distributor you bought it from?
@@cagy999 I bought it directly from Microshift in Taiwan. I'm in Thailand and there aren't any shops here, that I could find, that stock Microshift parts.
Ive been running this drive train on my emtb for about 6000km now , running 3x chains with wax and swapping every 200kms . Just about to get a new chain . So from what i can see the kmc 11 speed chain is the best recommendation at the moment ?
It’s definitely the best from what I’ve tried which are KMX 11s, sram 10s and sram 11s
I am a complete newbie. I rebuilt a 2017 Db Recoil 29er. I have already ordered an Advent X pro shifter and derailleur. I'm not sure what kind of 11 Speed chain would be best. I have also been wondering if I could add a 11-50t cassette.🤔 Any ideas? Anyone??
Thanks a million for the chain hack!! 👍
Not sure about the 50t cassette. It will probably work but don’t take my guess and anything more than a guess. As for the chain, the KMC one I got seems pretty good. I wouldn’t overthink the chain.
@@downtoridemtb Thanks. I'll just get the Advent X cassette.
I'm thinking off doing a Shimano M5100 cassete and 11spd shifter paired with this derrailleur.. Do you think i should do that or get a full M5100? Awesome video btw! That just made me think of replacing my hub too hehee
According to Microshift, their shifter and derailleur only work with each other so mixing brands is a no go.
@@downtoridemtb Doesn't every brand say that? They also have a 11speed shifter so if that's really the case i should still be fine using that cassette when paired with their 11speed shifter right?
To be honest I’m really not sure. I’ve never mixed and matched brands.
@@downtoridemtb Sram and shimano are mixable that's for sure. Sadly i don't know if that's the case with microshift.
A good 10 speed has all the range if spaced well. SunRace Shimano an Microshit space cassette cogs well.
Agree 100%
how much it cost? for advent x set?..
After your switch do you still it's worthwhile versus the SX when the hub was working. I have a new MTB with full SX group and was considering an upgrade to GX, or Advent X.
That’s a really tough question and one I’ve pondered myself. I like that it is lighter and I like that the space between the gears is bigger. Worth the money? I’d say no if your SX is in good shape. However if you snap a chain or bash your derailleur, then yes maybe go for the complete new Microshift drivetrain. GX upgrade is an option but you’ll never get the full weight savings because the SX and NX cassettes are their only ones that work with standard HG hubs and they’re just heavy. Plus GX is a lot more expensive. Hope that helps!
@@downtoridemtb Thanks for the advice. I am going to keep fiddling with the SX and might consider a GX mech and shifter if I can't.
Right on, swapping the derailleur would be the easiest route assuming everything else is in proper working order. Good luck.
What size is your chain ring? I'm running a 34T and had chain length issues with mine... 114links wasn't long enough, only had 1 link of overlap when sizing the chain.
I think it’s a 32t. When I had the 10s chain it was the exact size needed. If you have a hardtail then I’d think I overlapping link will be ok. That’s how FoCo Flow Show did his Salsa Timberjack.
I used a kmc x10 chain, and on my bike I had to buy another chain and add an extra link (plus another missing link) to make the chain long enough. Expensive to have to buy a who other chain for those two links, but it was too short otherwise.
That is a hidden benefit to the 11s chain - most are longer
I've gone thru 3 cassettes in 1000km of riding with the Advent X (11-48 cassette). I'm finding I'm getting to the 300km point and the chain starts skipping on cogs 6,7 & 8. Chain still fine according to chain checker tool, hanger fine, tried new cables (inner and outer). Tried all sorts of B tension settings. Replacing the cassette is the only thing that brings it back to new. Anyone had similar experiences?
I have not had mine skip at all and I’m definitely way beyond 300km. Do the teeth look worn down at all when it starts doing that?
Swapping that steel chainring to an aluminum one is an easy 60+g weight loss too. There's always people selling sram take offs for cheap.
I didn’t even think of that. I may do that eventually or try out an oval ring.
I have the microshift Advent 1x9, you now have me wondering about changing my chain to a 10 speed chain.
Yeah it definitely wouldn’t hurt, especially if your drivetrain is a little noisy or the chain is getting kind of old. Good luck!
hmm i have the same cassette de railer etc but the 9 speed it also ticks slips under load up hill on occasion it feel like a clunk but i'm not sure if i hit a branch or kicked up a rock every now and then lowest gear 9th is my riding gear is freely spinning presently shop bound .so i see they have a four year warranty so i was going to dig into it myself did not know they warranted there product that long so i'm opting to take it to the shop that installed every thing. last time i checked my chain was 700 miles ago it was at 50 % stretch i ride often maybe not die hard but i can say this microshift setup for me has seen safely 4,700 miles i teamed it with raceface crank i'm also riding a marin wildcat hard tail 1x9 so you gave my mind a wonder if the free hub did not really fail but i think i will let the shop give a verdict since they installed the 1x9 i upgraded front fork to rockshock pike so getting new bike not option i would be living on the front porch chuckles i just wont ride 2x 3 x i love my Marin Bike Hard Tail have 2 i ride her in western pa on gravel roads Titusville Pa on weekend i ride to free my mind not compete and local rxr trails during the week i think microshift advent is great sometime a bit touchy on shifts it will two slots if your not careful at almost 5 k miles that black coating has held up cant say the same for the raceface crank its firm but you can tell raceface has cheaper coating process much of the teeth have almost zero paint left i should went Shimano but i wanted to try raceface and microshift i'm not afraid to give new kid a chance you make me wonder if i should not size up the chain from 9 speed i mean
Yeah the skipping thing sounds like a completely different issue. Hopeful,y the shop can figure it out. Maybe worn cassette teeth, even if the coating looks good. Not sure though. As for going up to a 10 speed chain, I’m going to try it this week on my Giant Talon that has the Advent 1x9. Video should be out the following week.
@@downtoridemtb look forward to that video maybe when i say skip my term is wrong Friday i was pedaling then the pedal just spun like it caught nothing or un attached if i shifted to lets say 8 th pedaling returned to normal after further looking the ninth cog i can spin it freely for the miles i put on the advent i think it held up good wont trash it just amazed there is 4 yr warranty wont be shocked today when guy at the shop calls to find out its the cassette any way i look forward to next video gave me nuggets on this video and hope to gain more nuggets from your next video ( i based my miles on apple watch recording ) !!!update cassette the lock ring came loose and its fixed they said things look good if not hold up microshift has been good about honoring there items !!!!
Nice! Easy fixes like that are always a relief!
How to get rid of the ticking use a 11 speed chain advent x seems to work better with an 11
Yes they are terrible hubs. I swapped my hub out as well. Marin pd for my new wheel and hub as well. I'm still happy with my Riftzone 2.
Did they give you a replacement or pay for the wheel/hub of your choice?
@@downtoridemtb Great question. They did not have the hub or wheel so they gave my local bike shop $250 towards no wheel or hub. I than put $100 of my own money and got a much nicer wheel.
Год назад установил этот групсет на свой гравийник, только с дуалами, естественно. Передачи не чëтко переключаются, возможно дело в дуалах, может их нужно сильнее нажимать.
my RD is just a tourney tx for 7 speed paired with 9 speed cogs and shifter and I dont like it but I have no choice.
I’m surprised that even works! Microshift does a clutched 9 speed advent system that would probably work with your existing cassette.
How many links does your chain have? I bought a Sram 11speed 114link chain and by just putting it straight in there it seems extremely tight.. , but the Sram PC1031 that you put on initially also seems to be 114 links.. ?
I’m not sure but it will depend on your chain stay length. Chain should go around the biggest cog and around the chain ring (skipping derailleur) with 4 links overlapping. There are also calculation levels you can do to determine what it should be.
@@downtoridemtb Thanks for getting back to me:) Yeah I just measured and its not even connecting the quick links on the biggest ring in the back. its a 2mm gap from the quicklinks. There is a 34tooth in the front so also a bit big, was what I had laying around.. should probably find a 120 links then..
Yep you def need a longer chain. Cheers!
Hi there! Do you think I can use this derailleur with a 10s deore shifter and a sunrace 10s 11-46t?
I think I heard somewhere that the derailleur will only work with their shifter. It’s all about how much the shifter pull the cable each click. The cassette should be fine though I think.
@@downtoridemtb in my mind the cable should move the same distance to shift a 10 speed cassette regardless of the brand. But I can be wrong. I don't know if I like the idea of shifting up and down with the thumb. It would be nice to be able to use the deore shifter.
Thumb-only shifting is so much better. That way you’re only using your finger for braking. Totally worth trying especially considering how cheap the shifter is.
@@downtoridemtb it worked perfectly. Sunrace cassette, adventex and deore shifter.
@@leninedamacenasanteiro6499 awesome!
O senhor gostou desse grupo amigo ?
The Microsoft Advent X? ;) Just saw it up in your video description. Didn't realize Microsoft moved into bike parts.
Autocorrect strikes again!
microSHIFT is the company name
Hi! The plastic bolt that seals the inner cable entry in the shifter is not holding in place. Any idea?
Axel Erwin
Thanks!
Do you mean the barrel adjuster? If it comes loose, that means you don’t have enough tension in the cable. Screw it all the way in, tighten the cable at the pinch bolt at the derailleur, then adjust the barrel adjuster as needed.
@@downtoridemtb Sorry! I meant the "cable port cap". You remove this little bolt to allow access to the inner cable. MicroSHIFT Support replied and told me to use green Loctite to keep it in place. I think I will use something lighter than Loctite. 😉
Cool hope it works for you!
Did you try adjusting your high limiting screw
All limit screws are adjusted properly. It actually seems to shift a little better with the b limit a little closer than what they say.
nice tip about using the 11x chain ... did you try with a 12x chain just out of curiousity?
Haven’t tried but I bet it would work. Maybe even better than the 11s chain.
@@downtoridemtb Thanks for the quick reply, bud. I've just ordered my Advent X cassette and derailleur - so I'll try a 12 speed chain (on the same basis that internals are the same spacing but it's the externals that are narrower). There's a couple of days' lead time on the parts coming in so I'm just trying to work out if there's an alternative trigger that'll give an XT feel (i.e. push / pull, double gear-change, nice and crisp without massive amounts of travel).
My local bike store didn't have an Advent X Pro Trigger in-store to try but they had the Microshift 9x trigger and that had too much travel for my medium sized hands . It was light and squishy and then suddenly "click" ... if that amount of play is common across the Microshift trigger then "Houston we have a problem."
I was thinking about the SunRace DLMS33I (that should mount up nicely with my Hopetech brakes) but don't know what the pull-ratio is. I may end up just having to go with the Advent X Pro Trigger. Have you tried / heard of any alternative triggers?
I think someone in the comments here said they used a Shimano shifter successfully. I can’t say I’ve thought much about the travel in my pro shifter. Seems ok but I don’t have any shimano stuff to compare it to. Good luck!
Is the Advent X derailleur compatible with 10speed shifters from other brands???? I have the cassette and derailleur but I cannot find the shifter...
I don’t know but I would give it a try. I’d assume all 10 speed shifters are cross compatible but I could definitely be wrong. They’re pretty cheap so it would be low risk to try it. Especially if you find one used.
Upon further research, starting to think it is unlikely as different systems require different amounts of cable pull to move the desired amount.
@@downtoridemtb On their product page Microshift states that the Advent X derailleur is only compatible with Advent X shifters. Do they mean only the Advent X model shifter and not the plain Advent (9 speed). Anyway, I asked them on FB, YT and o their official site but they act like a ghost company. No reply yet. Thanks for the content dude. Subscribed!
@@sixties00 yep I’ve emailed them twice and never got a response. Obviously that low price is coming at the expense of customer service. I assume they mean only those shifters. Universal Cycles has both versions of the shifter in stock right now. Thanks for subscribing!
@@downtoridemtb To be fair, I did get an official reply but it went straight into my spam mail. I saw it a week later. The Advent X derailleur is only compatible with Advent X shifters
Just wondering what chain you would recommend?
Well the KMC X11 is working great for me. I don’t know if anyone else having issues with the 10 speed chains like I did though. I’d choose KMC over SRAM though. Even on their cheap chains they just look like the have more design going into them with the X pattern and shaping.
@@downtoridemtb Any issue running a shimano crank and chain on this? I have a shimano bb on a frame that i'm think of building up with the advent x...
Should be fine as all that stuff is pretty universal. My crank is technically 12 speed and it works great. Chain will be fine as long as it is a 10 or 11 speed.