With the dizzying number of new parts, groups, and compatibilities, trying to figure out what parts you can keep of your old kit can be maddening. Here are a few compatibility setups/hacks that may just keep you from having to buy a whole new drive train.
The video above comes from a German bike tuning company, Fantic 26. They offer SRAM 10 speed Gripshifters for sale that are labeled as modified to work with either 9 speed SRAM or 9 speed Shimano rear derailleurs, but still offering 10 speed shifting. In the video a 10 speed Gripshift shifts a 10 speed XTR rear derailleur with a 10 speed SRAM cassette and XX crank. Clearly, it’s hard to tell how well it shifts from a video but considering that they’re selling the shifters, it probably works well enough.
Check out a Zee 10speed-9 speed hack and SRAM XX ring theory after the break.
Have a SRAM 9 speed drivetrain but want a clutched derailleur? Over on Pinkbike’s forums, the user who goes by jwick posted some very interesting pictures with a 10 speed Zee and XTR shadow plus rear derailleurs running on a 9 speed drivetrains with a SRAM shifter. The catch is that 10 speed and 9 speed Shimano systems have completely different cable pull ratios, so they aren’t cross compatible.
To overcome the issue so that he could run Shadow + derailleurs with SRAM 9 speed shifters, jwick made a 6mm spacer from a square brass nut that sits on top of the old cable clamp with a slot for the cable cut into it. Using a longer pinch bolt, the spacer apparently adds enough length to the lever arm that it works with 9 speed SRAM shifters. Apparently, jwick claims to have been running it with the XTR Shadow + derailleur above for 6 months without issues. In addition, there is a pretty detailed thread over on MTBR on the various Shimano 9 speed/10 speed compatibility issues. Now it just needs to be updated for 11 speed…
Nice work.
Finally, we got a tip from Johnny to check out Marco Aurelio Fontana’s Cannondale over on Jonas’ blog. It certainly looks like it is running an XX1 crank or rings on a standard 10 speed Type 2 rear derailleur. We would assume it is running an XX1 chain to take advantage of the special tooth profile on the crank to keep it from coming off without a front chainguide. There are rumors that Trebon has been testing a CX version of XX1, so it’s interesting to see the 1x drivetrain potentials popping up. If the 11 speed chain works well on 10 speed cassettes, or better yet, a 10 speed chain works well on the 11 speed chain ring, it will be even easier for riders who want to try out a 1x drivetrain with the XX1 rings or crank.