Mix and match shimano

slowslowslow

Hi all,

Running full Tiagra 10 speed on my cube Agree.
just brought some second hand 6600 Ultegra brake calipers and got a front mech into the bargain.

Do I assume that as long as its 10 speed that i can run any Shimano stuff together? I'm no racer, just a sportive plodder who enjoys a ride so nothing too technical required.

Is, for example Ultegra 6600 and 6700 pretty much the same?
Can I run 105 shifters with Tiagra mech and ultegra calipers? hope you get the jist..

Anything to avoid?

There seems to be a lot of good deals on individual components out there, I just don't want to get anything that is incompatible!

Slow

Grill

4600/5700/6700/7900 and up have a different brake pull ratio than older models. You can still mix and match, it's just not as good.

slowslowslow

so am i better off finding other Ultegra 6600 parts?

Guernsey Donkey

A 105 5700 FD will not work with Tiagra 4600 shifters.
Ultegra 6700 Callipers will work with Tiagra 4600 shifters.

Speaking from experience in both cases (and the manual for the 105 FD).

Grill

Yes they will, check the compatibility chart...
http://productinfo.shimano.com/PDFdownload?pdf=compatibility/en/2014-2015_Compatibility_v010_en

slowslowslow

Cheers folks. Could not see any 6600 on there unless I missed it. These things are very complicated...:)

ugo.santalucia

Things are made complicated by manufacturers because they want to avoid liability and litigation. If you are not a litigious individual, you will soon discover that most components work well enough with each other, including of course brake calipers and levers from different generations.
You can even become a nutter and intentionally mix components that are not supposed to work together to prove a point (that you know better, that is...)... as you have probably gathered, I am one of those folks and this is my bike

MisterMuncher

Whilst loving the bike, and fully understanding your choices, Ugo, are you not a little peeved that going hydraulic on your brakes and staying 9-speed are probably going to be mutually exclusive?

The man who can make a tuneable STi will surely stack Heisenberg money.

ugo.santalucia

MisterMuncher wrote:

Whilst loving the bike, and fully understanding your choices, Ugo, are you not a little peeved that going hydraulic on your brakes and staying 9-speed are probably going to be mutually exclusive?

The man who can make a tuneable STi will surely stack Heisenberg money.

Not really...
Hydraulic is interesting for me, but 11 speed drivetrain isn't. 9 Speed works well and is very tolerant, meaning even a muddy drivetrain will shift. In addition, this setup allows me to fit MTB cassettes, which means I can run a 36 x 36, if I really want to go up those steep banks. 9 speed cassettes are cheap as chips, I got a few for 9 pounds each and this setup takes 9 or 10 speed chains, which also come at a tenner or less each. When you use the bike offroad you start to appreciate low cost spares.
Ideally I would like to maintain this setup and if Campagnolo comes up with a mechanical/hydraulic 11 speed lever, then it will be the perfect upgrade... if they don't, then I can keep running a HyRD at the front, which is nearly as good as and whatever at the rear, because the rear won't matter.

MisterMuncher

Absolutely fair enough. I'm merely musing on how integration tends to mean you have to take innovations you don't want with those you do.

I still think there's a market for a configurable/switchable lever, though. Campag levers of a certain vintage can be changed to different speeds by changing the shift disc. Couldn't someone make a "blank" lever that you could pick and choose the disc for, or even a blank with a hydro cylinder built in. I can see it working to switch between campag and shimano, but SRAMs pull is out by a factor of 2 if memory serves.

ugo.santalucia

MisterMuncher wrote:

Absolutely fair enough. I'm merely musing on how integration tends to mean you have to take innovations you don't want with those you do.

I still think there's a market for a configurable/switchable lever, though. Campag levers of a certain vintage can be changed to different speeds by changing the shift disc. Couldn't someone make a "blank" lever that you could pick and choose the disc for, or even a blank with a hydro cylinder built in. I can see it working to switch between campag and shimano, but SRAMs pull is out by a factor of 2 if memory serves.

There is the technology to do that and a lot more, but there isn't the will. They prefer to brand as innovation something that Mavic did in 1992 instead.

MisterMuncher

Perhaps this is where Microshift, FSA et al should focus their efforts. The high end, whole group thing seems to be sewn up.

ugo.santalucia

MisterMuncher wrote:

Perhaps this is where Microshift, FSA et al should focus their efforts. The high end, whole group thing seems to be sewn up.

The sport equipment market is mainly driven by desire, rather than common sense. If someone came up with a universal 10 speed shifter that works well, they won't sell many. You can see that even someone like myself ended up being tempted by the lure of a pair of Record shifters (although bought for 75 quid... )

MisterMuncher

You're not wrong. Needs a usp beyond function, and in cycling that's either brand image or extreme lightness.