Mixing SRAM and Shimano

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slowK
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:04 pm

by slowK

Contemplating a new bike. I love SRAM shifters - fit my hands so much better than Shimano. But not many bikes come with SRAM. Would it be possible to buy a Shimano equipped bike and just change the shifters and F/R derailleurs to SRAM?

I don't care about having a complete matching groupset - it's much more about function for me.

I know the cassette, chain and brakes will be fine. At present, I had SRAM22 shifters/derailleurs/cranks, with a Miche cassette (13-30, much more useful for my lower speeds, have used Shimano cassette with no issues too), Dura Ace chain (recommended by lbs as quieter), and Ultegra brakes (so much better than the Force 22 brakes on my other bike).

Thanks.

Hexsense
Posts: 3270
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:41 am
Location: USA

by Hexsense

You know what? run it!

I run Sram Red 22 Shifters and rear derailleur with Shimano 9100 front derailleur. It proven to shift better on Oval chainring (but i don't use Oval anymore). And require less effort to shift. Plus built in cable adjuster is a bonus.
I got two setting on the front shifting. it's low trim and high. which means
small ring in the front and 28 to 15 in the back without chain rubbing. small+small (like 34t front with 14-11 in the rear) will make the chain rub my front derailleur.
big ring in the front and whole range of cassette without chain rubbing.

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slowK
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:04 pm

by slowK

Hexsense wrote:You know what? run it!

I run Sram Red 22 Shifters and rear derailleur with Shimano 9100 front derailleur. It proven to shift better on Oval chainring (but i don't use Oval anymore). And require less effort to shift. Plus built in cable adjuster is a bonus.
I got two setting on the front shifting. it's low trim and high. which means
small ring in the front and 28 to 15 in the back without chain rubbing. small+small (like 34t front with 14-11 in the rear) will make the chain rub my front derailleur.
big ring in the front and whole range of cassette without chain rubbing.


Thanks. It boils down to the Shimano crankset playing with SRAM22 FD I guess. But that's encouraging if you get a Shimano FD to play with SRAM shifters. A bit of FD cage rub as you describe is a tradeoff I could live with.

2lo8
Posts: 551
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:32 am

by 2lo8

Seconding that it should work fine. The shifters and the RD need to match (at least match enough to give some useful combination). The FD needs to sort of match, there's some combinations of shifters and FDs that don't play nice.
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MayhemSWE
Posts: 867
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:44 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by MayhemSWE

Shimano's levers pull more brake wire than Sram's does. Though compatibility is usually still good enough, Shimano brakes paired to Sram levers may require more precise adjustment.

charlieboy52000
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:43 am

by charlieboy52000

slowK wrote:Contemplating a new bike. I love SRAM shifters - fit my hands so much better than Shimano. But not many bikes come with SRAM. Would it be possible to buy a Shimano equipped bike and just change the shifters and F/R derailleurs to SRAM?

I don't care about having a complete matching groupset - it's much more about function for me.

I know the cassette, chain and brakes will be fine. At present, I had SRAM22 shifters/derailleurs/cranks, with a Miche cassette (13-30, much more useful for my lower speeds, have used Shimano cassette with no issues too), Dura Ace chain (recommended by lbs as quieter), and Ultegra brakes (so much better than the Force 22 brakes on my other bike).

Thanks.


You won't have any issues. I run ultegra chain and cassette with etap and DA 7900 brakes.
Actually I just ran a DA9000 chainring because my red got damaged and it shifted better at the front.
Go figure.


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markyboy
Posts: 1125
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 10:22 pm
Location: Bristol uk

by markyboy

I run Sram etap with dura ace 9100 chainset, dura ace cassette, and sram red chain runs as sweet as a nut :D
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slowK
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:04 pm

by slowK

Great - thanks everyone. It does open up more (and cheaper) options.

Mayhem SWE - thanks - I'd read that too. But I gave it a go, and find my Red22 levers with Ultegra 6800 brakes far superior to my other bike which has Force 22 levers and brakes (Swissstop GXP pads on both, alloy rims). I actually rode my Force22 bike for the first time in ages yesterday, and was surprised by how poor the braking was in comparison.

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