Bicycle Mechanics - Sram Dual Drive with Shimano brake/shift levers

Hi folks,

I'm wondering if anyone has a bike with a shifting system involving Sram Dual Drive and Shimano shifters? I've read how they are not supposed to work together but Bike Friday seems to spec. this setup on some of their folding bikes.

The real question is whether the front derailleur shifter (a triple, in this case) can shift the internal hub portion of the Dual Drive. The other shifter shifts a regular rear derailleur as per normal hub setup.

Thanks to anyone who can explain to me how BF or you have managed to do this.

jeronimo

I think you're absolutely right that you would only have to worry about the hub shifter, because you could just use a Shimano derailleur with the STI shifter to handle the cassette (because SRAM's cassettes are spaced to the Shimano standard). I have no idea if the shift ratio is the same for a front STI and a DualDrive hub though. It would be really interesting if it turned out to be. Good luck!

7 speed shimano sti shifters work 100% perfect on the SRAM 3x7 Dualdrive (ffront and rear). However, it might be a trick to find 7spd sti shifters. ALso, I don't know if they'll work on the 3x9. Since the hub gears on the 3x7's and 3x9's shift in the opposite direction (I know, I have both) I have a slight concern that the cable pull may also be different. (SRAM is also pretty unafraid to mix things up with non-standard cable pull ala their x-0 rear derailleurs.)

I'd say the chances are high it will work fine, but there's good reason to wonder.

I'd say the chances are high it will work fine, but there's good reason to wonder.

Right, and the bummer is, if it doesn't work, you have to go back to whatever derailleurs were installed before (i.e. redo the cable routing and adjust everything) then shelve a perfectly functional DualDrive.

I've been wondering the same thing myself: if anybody knows with certainty that the 3x9 DualDrive will work with XTR brake/shift levers, I'd love to know. I need those levers because they're mounted in reverse on my under-seat steered recumbent.

Right, and the bummer is, if it doesn't work, you have to go back to whatever derailleurs were installed before (i.e. redo the cable routing and adjust everything) then shelve a perfectly functional DualDrive.

Unless some kind sould on BF who has a 3x9 dd set and a set of shimano shifters offers to try it out . . . ;)

SEriously, I will try it out when I get a chance and post the results. It might not be for a week or two, though, so please be patient. The folks at Bike Friday would probably know the answer.

Thank you all for your responses. BF uses 3x8 and 3x9 dual drives on their more recent bikes so it would seem that this should work for systems using more than 7 speeds. I'll let you know the results when I try it out.

Thanks

Jeronimo

7-speed STI brifters can be found anywhere, just in Sora level only.