Looking for a little help. Currently on a Cutthroat, running gevenalle shifters with mtb 2x10 speed drive train and BB7 brakes (mtb version). Want to change to brifters (to clean things up, and also to make it easier to run a handlebar bag). Any way to move directly to Shimano 10 speed brifters? I read somewhere the pull was the same. But I'm not sure about brakes - would I have to move to road version of BB7? To make a long story short - want to run 10 speed mtb drivetrain with brifters.
As far as I know, up until 9 speed, Shimano road and mountain derailleurs were able to be used with each other's shifters. 10 speed road shifters can't be used with 10 speed mountain derailleurs, but they can be used with 9 speed mountain derailleurs.
Thanks for input JWB475, reubenc - it really is tough to figure it out. I did read elsewhere that I could use Shimano 10s brifters with a Shimano RD, but that I'd have to buy a road/cross derailleur for the front. Either way, I think I would also have to shift to the road version of the BB7s.
I really like the gevenalle shifters, and they are dead easy to set up, maintain etc. It's just that I'd like to get the cables under my wraps, to make it easier, less cumbersome for a large handlebar bag.
A Shimano 9 speed mountain rear derailleur will work with Shimano 10 speed shifters. The 10 and 11 speed dyna sys rear derailleurs changed the pull ratio (to be more like SRAM) so they will not work. A front mountain derailleur will work with road shifters, but very poorly and be very hard to adjust. So as you said, the Shimano cyclocross front derailleur is a good option. This article from Arts Cyclery is probably the best I have seen concerning rear derailleur compatibility, you should check it out:
ljsmith wrote:A Shimano 9 speed mountain rear derailleur will work with Shimano 10 speed shifters. The 10 and 11 speed dyna sys rear derailleurs changed the pull ratio (to be more like SRAM) so they will not work. A front mountain derailleur will work with road shifters, but very poorly and be very hard to adjust. So as you said, the Shimano cyclocross front derailleur is a good option. This article from Arts Cyclery is probably the best I have seen concerning rear derailleur compatibility, you should check it out:
Sora R3000 and 3500 are still on the old pull ratio. They're a good solution if you want to upgrade an older 9 speed bike to hidden cable housing. The shifting probably isn't quite as good though, since the new pull ratio is there to compensate for the extra drag and mush of the hidden housing.
drwelby wrote:Sora R3000 and 3500 are still on the old pull ratio. They're a good solution if you want to upgrade an older 9 speed bike to hidden cable housing. The shifting probably isn't quite as good though, since the new pull ratio is there to compensate for the extra drag and mush of the hidden housing.
chunkylover53 wrote:Looking for a little help. Currently on a Cutthroat, running gevenalle shifters with mtb 2x10 speed drive train and BB7 brakes (mtb version). Want to change to brifters (to clean things up, and also to make it easier to run a handlebar bag). Any way to move directly to Shimano 10 speed brifters? I read somewhere the pull was the same. But I'm not sure about brakes - would I have to move to road version of BB7? To make a long story short - want to run 10 speed mtb drivetrain with brifters.
Thanks for any help
Yes,
Use the Wolftooth "TanPan" I've ran one on my with a XTR 11sp rear derailleur with my 105 shifters flawlessly for thousands of miles including surviving mud at Land Run and the DK200.
Jtek shiftmate or Wolftooth tanpan will adjust shifter pull to mtb derailleur. As mentioned, 9speed mtb rear mech works with 10speed road shifters. Avid bb7s mtn don't work that well with road levers. You would need some kind of adapter for that, like Problem Solver's travel agent.
Plenty of good advice on this thread. FWIW, I have two bikes running Ultegra 10 speed brifters with MTB drivetrains. I’m using a Jtek Shiftmate with the front MTB derailleur and no adapter with a 9 speed XT rear derailleur. Both shift like butter.
OffB10Path wrote:Plenty of good advice on this thread. FWIW, I have two bikes running Ultegra 10 speed brifters with MTB drivetrains. I’m using a Jtek Shiftmate with the front MTB derailleur and a 9 speed XT rear derailleur. Both shift like butter.
Oh wow I didn't know these existed for front derailleurs too!
A mountain double like a 42/28 and a 10-42 cassette with a clutch rear derailleur would be awesome on a drop bar bike. Bit expensive too.
Thanks again for input. I did find some 105 10 speed shifters on sale, so bought those. And I also bought a Jtek shift mate for the front derailleur - SJS cycles (I suppose the main distributor) was super helpful. And I am planning to run a wolf tooth Tanpan for my rear derailleur. So from talking to people, it looks like this should do it.
I really wish there were more options - I'm hoping with the increasing popularity of gravel riding something will appear. The gevenalle shifters were great - bombproof, and I loved the shifting - I just wanted to get rid of the cables in front of the bars to help with handlebar bag.
Will have to wait a few months until I get to test it all - fat bike season here for a while yet!
chunkylover53 wrote:Thanks again for input. I did find some 105 10 speed shifters on sale, so bought those. And I also bought a Jtek shift mate for the front derailleur - SJS cycles (I suppose the main distributor) was super helpful. And I am planning to run a wolf tooth Tanpan for my rear derailleur. So from talking to people, it looks like this should do it.
I really wish there were more options - I'm hoping with the increasing popularity of gravel riding something will appear. The gevenalle shifters were great - bombproof, and I loved the shifting - I just wanted to get rid of the cables in front of the bars to help with handlebar bag.
Will have to wait a few months until I get to test it all - fat bike season here for a while yet!
Sounds like a very good solution.
Not sure what your solution for brakes is, but I run the TRP Hy/Rd (now called the HyRoad) and found them to be a massive improvement over the BB7s... If that is more than you'd like to spend, the TRP Spyres are also significantly better. Unlike the BB7s the Spyres actually have BOTH pistons/pads move into the rotor and this creates a much more effective brake.
Problem with the Spyres is the pad adjustment screw and the ancient pad standard that's way too tall for modern brake discs.
I gave the pad adjustment screws a loctite bath and that helped. The pad standard is still annoying tho. Ordered some modern Shimano pads that I will grind down to fit, we'll see how it goes.
Not sure what your solution for brakes is, but I run the TRP Hy/Rd (now called the HyRoad) and found them to be a massive improvement over the BB7s... If that is more than you'd like to spend, the TRP Spyres are also significantly better. Unlike the BB7s the Spyres actually have BOTH pistons/pads move into the rotor and this creates a much more effective brake.
That's the next thing I have to get - I have mtb bb7s and they won't work with the brifters. My experience has been pretty solid with them (unlike some friends, who always seem to be fiddling with theirs); and I live on the prairies - so honestly not all that much braking! I was going to give the Spyres a go. Are the hydraulic ones that much better (experience with both?). Do you have to still bleed them occasionally? I do use my Cutthroat for a bit of bike packing, so I like the idea of cable only - though to honest, even when bike packing on my mtb with hydraulic brakes I've never had a problem.
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