Can’t Get the WHEELTOP Derailleur to Align with 1st Gear?

Riders ask this a lot: “I can’t find a way to get the derailleur to align with 1st gear.” It usually starts because calibration was entered while the derailleur was still on a larger cog. The steps below are the official order. Do them with the bike in a stand and the cranks turning. Do not run initial calibration while you are riding.

The manuals for each kit are here: EDS TX, EDS GeX and EDS OX 2.0. App screens are covered in the WHEELTOP app setup guide. If the kit is not on the bike yet, start with the EDS TX installation guide.

Before you start: check the hanger first

The derailleur hanger has to be straight. From behind the bike it hangs parallel to the cassette cogs. If it is bent, straighten it or fit a new one before you touch calibration.

The hanger also needs a step at the bottom. The small tab on the derailleur, next to the mounting bolt, has to sit on that step before you tighten the bolt. That is what lets the derailleur swing. A step that is too small needs a hanger with a larger step, or a hanger extender.

This short clip shows the tab on the step: rear derailleur installation.

The kit comes paired — wake it up first

A new kit leaves the factory already paired. Parts ship switched off. Plug in the magnetic charging cable once to wake the derailleur, then unplug it. You only pair again when you add or replace a part, and then every part pairs to the rear derailleur again.

Step 1: Set the cassette speed in the app

The speed count is not fixed in the hardware. Set it under Flywheel settings in the WHEELTOP app. If you are running a SRAM 12-speed cassette, set it to 12-speed, then do the initial calibration on the smallest cog. The app lists Shimano speed counts. You do not need a SRAM brand entry.

Step 2: Initial calibration on the smallest cog

Initial calibration starts with the rear derailleur on the smallest cog. On an EDS TX, the front derailleur is on the big chainring as well. Keep the cranks turning the whole time. Calibrating with the chain stopped can damage the derailleur, and you should not start this mode out on the road.

Why the 12th-gear mistake happens

If calibration starts while the chain is still on a larger cog, the derailleur treats that cog as its starting point. It then cannot walk back to the smallest cog, which is the “won’t align with 1st gear” problem. Put the chain on the smallest cog first. On the TX, put the front on the big ring too.

Recovering when it won’t reach the smallest cog

1. On the TX, with the front derailleur on the small ring, the rear derailleur is only meant to reach the 3rd cog. That is how it is designed. Shift the front onto the big ring and try again.
2. If the limit screws were tightened earlier, back them off a little. You set them properly at the end.
3. In the app, check the cassette speed. The default is 12-speed. Change it to the cassette you actually have.
4. With the front on the big ring and the rear on the smallest cog, open Initial calibration and move the guide pulley until it lines up with that cog.

Keep the cranks turning

Turn the cranks while the derailleur moves. Never leave the chain stopped during calibration, and never do this initial calibration while riding.

Step 3: Fine-tune gear by gear (+R / L−)

Shift up the cassette one cog at a time. If one gear will not climb onto the next cog, adjust that gear on its own in Fine-tuning. Raise the number by 5. If it still will not climb, add 5 again. Use +R and L− for that gear only. You do not have to redo the whole cassette.

Step 4: Limit screws last

Set the limit screws only after initial calibration and the gear-by-gear tune. On the smallest cog, turn the limit screw until it just touches, then back it off a quarter turn so it is not locked. On the largest cog, the screw takes a 2.5 mm hex: turn it until it seats, then back it off slightly.

Front derailleur (TX): one screw, no app

The TX front derailleur is not adjusted in the app. One screw does the job.

1. Big ring and largest cog. Set the guide plate parallel to the big ring.
2. Clockwise moves the plate toward the chain. Turn it until the inner plate is just clear of the chain, about 1 mm, and not rubbing. Counterclockwise moves it away.
3. Then check the big ring with the smallest cog. If the outer plate rubs, you were too far from the chain. Go back to the big ring and largest cog and bring it in a little.

The front-derailleur clip is here: front derailleur adjustment.

Messed up the button settings? Factory restore in the SW tab

If the buttons no longer do what you expect, open the SW tab in the app and run Factory restore. That puts the button assignment back to the factory layout.

Full 25-minute video

The full installation and setup video is WHEELTOP EDS installation and setup (25 minutes). Chapters:

• 0:00 rear derailleur installation
• 2:18 front derailleur installation
• 4:33 shift levers
• 6:37 app setup for the rear derailleur
• 7:24 initial calibration
• 11:19 gear-by-gear fine-tuning
• 12:28 limit screws
• 15:05 front derailleur, including chain rub
• 22:29 gap between the guide pulley and the cassette

Still stuck after this order? The troubleshooting guide is the next page, and the roadside checks are in “It just stopped shifting”.