9 speed RD on 11 speed system.

velo.2010
velo.2010 Posts: 48
edited October 2017 in Workshop
Just having a discussion with someone on another forum. They say there is enough limit screw adjustment in a 9 speed rear derailleur to accommodate an 11 speed cassette and RH shifter.

I always assumed that the RD could only make so many shifts across matching the number of the RD itself. Is it possible to run an 11 speed set up with a 9 speed RD ?

Comments

  • Man Of Lard
    Man Of Lard Posts: 903
    The "intelligence" that controls the number of steps is in the shifter...
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Depends on the pull ratio. 9 speed (or8,7,6) MTB mechs won't work with 10 or 11 speed shifters.

    I think with road stuff, 11 speed shifters won't work with 9 or 10 speed mechs.
    I don't do smileys.

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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Useful link, although a bit dated.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/a ... urs-48460/
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    But it also requires the parallelogram to move the requisite distance with each click.

    You definitely can't use a Shimano Road 11 speed shifter with a road 9 speed rear mech because they changed the cable pull with the move to 11 speed (and, annoyingly, the newest 10 speed Tiagra stuff)

    I know you can marry older 10 speed shimano road shifters with a 9 speed MTB rear mech which then allows you to use bigger cassettes.

    Which bits are you trying to put together?
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    9 speed mechs work with 10 speed shifters but not sure about 11 due to pull ratios.

    Keef again is correct. Hat.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • velo.2010
    velo.2010 Posts: 48
    Thanks for the replies. It relates to a query from a guy on an Irish forum (Boards.ie). He was looking to upgrade from 9 to 11 speed without spending too much. Of course his best bet is just to pick up a full gruppo at a decent price.

    Another poster remarked that he didn't need the 11 speed RD as explained in my first post. I said he did, along with the chain, cassette and RH shifter.

    I gather from the replies here that the pull ratios also rule out keeping the 9 speed LH shifter and FD along with the brakes.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    If he's happy with mis-matched shifters he could keep the LH shifter, front mech, brakes. But if he wants it to shift properly I think the minimum he'll have to change is RH shifter, chain, cassette.

    Plus if his rear wheel is a few years old there's a chance it might not take an 11 speed cassette. Some do, some don't. Mine for instance won't, nor can they be adapted by changing the freehub.

    So if he's looking at a new wheel or a hub and a rebuild too, it all sounds a bit silly just for an extra couple of sprockets. And he'll end up with a bike that looks like it was put together by David Blunkett...
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Just convert to down tube shifters - then any shifter that has the range can work on any number of gears. And he certainly won't need to spend too much!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    11s shifters need a rear derailleur from an 11s group. 9 & 10s kit from road Shimano groups can be mixed. It's not a movement range issue, it's indexing.

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