Need advice on drivetrain upgrade w/Red Powerglide crank

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Fourthbook
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:11 pm
Location: Columbus, Ohio

by Fourthbook

I want to upgrade the drivetrain on my wife's CAAD 9 on a budget, so the two components that I've already upgraded (2010 Cannondale - Red cranks with powerglide chainrings and 2011 Red brake calipers) must stay; but the Rival shifter/levers, front & rear derailleurs can go and the chain, cassette and cables will be replaced when needed. I've read the VeloNews article on Red reverse compatibility and searched this forum for threads, but still want your advice/experience on how I can mix/match either SRAM or Shimano shifters and derailleurs to get the best performance for the $. Can't afford the new Red but can afford used 'older' version of Red (pre-2012; pre-Yaw, etc.). Should I simply stay with the older Red or is it better to mix some used Shimano (Ultegra 6700?) which might be a bit less expensive?

Thanks for the insights.

John
Last edited by Fourthbook on Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Fixie82
Posts: 348
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:45 am

by Fixie82

I can't comment on any compatibility regarding shifters and RD however I would not recommend the Red FD, save your pennies and get a Force (Steel cage) as the stiffer cage gives better shifting. The new Yaw FD will work with the older shifters however it does make the trimming function redundant. The new YAW FD is a big improvement and maybe worth the extra cost.

I have not done it but I believe you can use Shimano FD as well.

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