Ratio is back with another DIY hack designed to modernize your old mechanical SRAM 2×11 groupset by converting it to run new close-ratio SRAM AXS 12-speed gearing without the need for expensive electronic components. Many cyclists loved the lightweight simplicity of SRAM Red 22, but would have needed to ditch a perfectly good groupset and add heavier battery-powered shifters & derailleurs to their bike to upgrade to 12speed gearing spreads.
Ratio DIY 2×12 to the rescue…
Ratio 2×12 SRAM mechanical Road Upgrade Kit
c. Ratio Technology
Why replace a great SRAM 11-speed mechanical road bike groupset with a newfangled wireless electronic group, when you can upgrade it to a Ratio 12-speed groupset for almost a thousand dollars less and more than 250g of weight savings? A lot of cyclists would also simply rather not worry about charging batteries to be able to ride their bikes – retrogrouch or not.
Do you remember when SRAM Red 22 came out, all the way back in 2013? It was a really lightweight 2×11 speed mechanical road bike groupset with your choice of brakes: hydraulic disc, hydraulic rim & regular mechanical rim brakes, plus two rear derailleur cage lengths and the pretty great Yaw front derailleur). From the start there was also a Force 22 option & an even more affordable Rival 22 just a year later.
my 15-year-old lugged steel cyclocross bike with SRAM Red 22
Now the thing is, many of those mechanical groups are still out on the road. And since they probably need to replace their chains, cassettes, chainrings, and even derailleur pulleys… why not upgrade to 12-speed at the same time?
Tech details
Ratio’s SRAM Force 22 derailleur with AXS 12sp cassette & flattop chain
Following up their Budget Mullet mechanical SRAM 1×12 Eagle mechanical road bike conversion, Ratio’s latest 2×12 Road Kit allows SRAM 2×11 riders to upgrade their worn drivetrain components for new SRAM 12-speed. Keep your exiting mechanical shifters and derailleurs, just swapping in the Ratio conversion ratchet & derailleur pulleys, then get a new AXS 12sp cassette, AXS Flattop chain, and a compatible chainring combo. No actual electronic AXS parts required.
The Ratio upgrade kit includes only the stainless steel ratchet that you install inside your current shifter, switching cable pull from 11sp to 12sp, and a pair of new 11T derailleur pulleys s optimized for the old derailleur and new flattop AXS chain, spinning on Enduro bearings. A relatively simple how-to video will guide anyone with good mechanical aptitude through the process in about 20 minutes.
Upgrading your current bike, you will actually need to switch from the HG freehub body of SRAM 11sp to the XD-R driver body of SRAM road 12sp. That’s the only non-wear item, but should be available for most recent wheelsets out there.
The upgrade kit is compatible SRAM Red, Force & Rival 22 derailleurs AND all SRAM 11-speed road shifters. You can then use any SRAM AXS road cassette, being limited only by the max cog size of your original rear derailleur. And use any SRAM Flattop chain and SRAM or aftermarket Flattop-compatible chainring combination (because of the chain’s proprietary roller size).
Read more about the full compatibility of all of Ratio’s innovative drivetrain upgrade kits here.
Ratio 2×12 SRAM upgrade – Pricing & Weight Savings
The new Ratio 2×12 SRAM road upgrade kit costs just $112 / 99€ plus tax & shipping, or £99.50 inclusive in the UK. But the full upgrade will certainly cost you a bit more – Ratio estimates another $378 for the chain, cassette & rings. Still if you wanted to replace all of your current SRAM 22 components with Force AXS it would run you $1400-1463, so you still could save as much as $960. And you are essentially replacing parts that are likely worn out anyway, right?
The side benefit is lower weight.
Using our own real weights for Force 22 & Force AXS, Ratio calculated that you’d save 287g if you upgrade a Force 22 disc brake group with their kit or 254g if you upgrade a Force 22 rim brake group vs. buying the new battery-powered Force AXS gear. It’s hard to argue with lower price, lower weight, and simpler tech.
If you don’t want to go electronic, Ratio has got you covered.
If Shimano 12 speed cassette spacing is compatible with SRAM(?), then it should be possible to keep the existing rings and freehub body, just swapping the shifter ratchet, cassette and chain. As well as 9200 & 8100 cassettes, there are aftermarket options from China, etc.
According to their web site this current 2×12 upgrade is only compatible with SRAM 12 speed AXS™ road cassettes (Red™, Force™ and Rival™). I believe the cassette spacing (cog to cog) is different between 12 speed road Shimano and 12 speed road SRAM.
SRAM and Shimano 12 speed cassettes use the same spacing: https://youtu.be/g4l_O1qtJ8I
I’ve tried a Shimano cassette with a SRAM road drivetrain and the ~.4mm cog pitch difference is enough that it it does not index properly
It sounds like the potential issue is the derailleur pulleys (non-issue if 11s pulleys work with Shimano 12s chain).
Assuming the converted SRAM shifter’s “clicks” are spaced the same as Shimano’s, you could pull this off by buying their shifter kit, omitting the pulleys, and using Shimano’s cassette + chain. I am told that the Shimano 12s chain runs and shifts fine on the 11s cranks/chainrings.
Note: I have heard of people successfully running flattop chains with Shimano 11 speed chainrings like Jeremiah Bishop.
https://bikerumor.com/pro-bike-check-jeremiah-bishops-very-interesting-canyon-grail-adventure-bike/
Most excellent.
I never need to replace my cassettes or chainrings because I replace my chain often. And I don’t ride in long mud-infested events. So the assumption that I need to replace these items in my 2×11 drivetrain is not correct. Nevertheless I like the knowing there’s a non-electric option for going to 2×12.
Are you sure those parts aren’t worn, or are you simply boasting that you haven’t yet?
If you’ve been through several chains, your gears can accumulate wear in ways that aren’t always visible. I’ve seen this multiple times with gradually reduced shift quality. The chainrings are susceptible to lateral wear of the shift ramps as well.
The kit doesn’t come with any of those parts anyways, so who cares? And why would you even be considering it if your drivetrain will never wear out? It’s like whining about the selection of snow tires in Florida…
I can’t speak for rodegeek, but according to Strava I have 21.000km outside riding and 15.000 indoor riding (on different cassette) on my SRAM RED eTap 11s bike using the same cassette + chainring and replacing the chain every ~4000km. I can count the amount of time I’ve ridden it in the rain on one hand and I clean + re-lube the chain about every other ride. Proper care goes a long way
I upgraded my SRAM Force1 Rose gravel to the 1×12 Ratio technology kit (with new chainring (chinese Deckas 38t) and cassette Force XPLR 10-44 AXS, XDR freewheel, SRAM Flattop chain) and it works like a swiss watch
What, it’s ticking?
An accurate silent Swiss quartz watch! ;)))