Mark noticed his CeramicSpeed cage had developed a faint wobble. He removed the four stock screws and found scored heads from repeated cleaning. The fix: TiNE titanium cage screws and a torque sequence he hadn't followed before.
The Cage Screw Problem
CeramicSpeed OSPW cages use four small screws holding the cage plates. Stock steel weighs roughly 3.6g (old cage) or roughly 5.2g (new cage) — at the drivetrain's lowest point, every gram rotates with each pedal stroke. Repeated removal scores the heads and loosens cage alignment.
TiNE Cage Screw Specs
| Cage Version | TiNE (4 pcs) | Stock | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old CeramicSpeed | 1.9g | 3.6g | ~1.7g |
| New CeramicSpeed | 2.4g | 5.2g | ~2.8g |
Torque: 1Nm → 0.3Nm → 1Nm → 0.3Nm
Alternate top-to-bottom — small upper pulley on top, large lower on bottom
Mark installed the four TiNE screws following CeramicSpeed's specified torque sequence: top screw 1Nm, next 0.3Nm, next 1Nm, bottom 0.3Nm. The alternating pattern balances the cage plate tension — each screw shares load with its neighbor rather than carrying it alone. The wobble was gone. Cage alignment held through the next 500km of training.
Mark's Training Weeks After the Swap
Two weeks later, Mark checked — cage still aligned, screws unmoved. The titanium heads showed no scoring. He added the Shimano pivot bolt (2.0g vs 8.4g) next. On his threshold loop, the drivetrain felt consistent — no cage drift, clean chain routing.
TiNE CeramicSpeed cage screws at tinetech.com