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Recently modded my SRAM Rival hydro 1x11 gravel drivetrain to 2x11 by simply bolting on a SRAM double chainset 46/34, SRAM front derailleur with their angled cage and replacing the innards of the lever with the correct upgrade kit. The 1x11 had covered about 10,000 miles so I fitted a new chain but kept the original 11/42 cassette. The shifting deteriorated almost immediately and no amount of cable renewing and softening of the angles that the cable routing has improved matters. Changing 1 cog down the cassette (to a harder gear) involves clicking twice or 3 times then pulling the derailleur back to the desired gear once the chain has eventually moved. Changing to easier gears is marginally better and it's worse in the big ring than the 34. I've noticed that the top jockey wheel has quite a bit of lateral play. Thinking this is part or wholly the issue, has anyone had similar experience and can recommend a suitable replacement?
If you've tried the simple things - b tension, new cable etc, then replacing jockey wheels is a relatively cheap thing to do that can improve shifting.
A 10,000 mile old cassette will be absolutely knackered, couple that with a new chain and it’s no wonder you are having shifting problems.
Yep, need to get a new cassette on that sharpish before the new chain is worn by the old one.
New jockeys at the same time will give you the best chance of good shifting.
Don't know about SRAM but shimano top jockeys are designed to move around a bit. They call it float I think, so unless its excessive I'd look elsewhere. Cassette would be a good start, but new inners, outers on the gear cables usually gets results and would also be cheaper to rule out.
Ps Sorry didn't read OP carefully enough, cables already changed. Outers as well?
Yes, inners and outers replaced with quality new. Forgot to say, I've also tried a new 11-36 SRAM cassette and the issue is still there. The B tension screw is set fine to get it into the 42t gear. The mech seems to be moving enough but hard to tell. I thought the top jockey should have minimal side to side play, really my question is are there alternatives that don't move about 2mm side to side? I acknowledge the comments about the cassette being knackered but as I ride exclusively in Spain with dry conditions and look after my chain, it's not as hard on kit as UK riding. The problem started immediately after going 2x not a gradual deterioration.
Top jockey wheel should float.
My understanding was that 1x and 2x Sram set ups required different rear mechs. If that’s the case you’d need to sacrifice some range and use your 11-36 cassette with a mech designed to follow that profile and with enough capacity to cope with the ring size difference combined with cassette sprocket size difference.
Don’t think the Sram clutch works with well 2x set ups - pretty sure the dedicated 1x mech as have a clutch, and the 2x ones don’t.
I acknowledge the comments about the cassette being knackered but as I ride exclusively in Spain with dry conditions and look after my chain, it’s not as hard on kit as UK riding. The problem started immediately after going 2x not a gradual deterioration.
Did you check chain "stretch" on the old chain? Even in dry conditions with good maintenance the chain will still "stretch" over time - dirt / dust will still get into the rollers causing friction and wear. Can you put the old chain back on to see how that performs for comparison?
Also, did you size the new chain for the set-up (not just copy the old one) and have you double-checked that the cable is threaded correctly through the derailleur?
I realise I'm pushing the capacity of the setup, it's a big ask to have a range of 34-42 to 46-11 but the shifting issues occur in the mid range gears, I set the chain to run about 2cm from the top jockey wheel when in 34-11, a gear I never use as well as 46-42. The thought about Rival 11 and 22 mechs being different is a good one, I may try replacing the mech, they're not massively more expensive than new jockey wheels.
FYI, (sram 11 speed x1 derailleur), the b screw setting made a lot of difference.
I've had shifting issues with knackered jockey wheels. If you think about it, if the upper - guide - wheel, has too much lateral play, it simply won't be able to move the chain far enough to shift reliably both ways - the cage will move, but the jockey wheel won't, or at least not enough.
I have no idea what replacement you should buy, genuine SRAM would be fine I'm sure, but maybe pricey. I've used various aftermarket ones with bearings and they're fine, though in really claggy conditions, the bearings can get seized up and need cleaning out/greasing. Hope are nice, but mad expensive for jockey wheels and noisier ime, than the usual resin/Nylon/plastic ones.
Of course your cassette may be borked also, but changing the jockey wheels is relatively cheap and straightforward and may sort things out with minimal hassle.