Bicycle Mechanics - ultegra matches xt?

can you mix ultegra with xt bc i was thinking off doing this on my mountain bike

can you mix ultegra with xt bc i was thinking off doing this on my mountain bike
Depends what you want to mix. Cranks and front derailers are a problem.

Rear shifting stuff is totally compatible, if you stick with the same number of gears, except that Ultegra derailers don't like rear sprockets bigger than 30 teeth.

More details at:

http://sheldonbrown.com/speeds

http://sheldonbrown.com/front-derailers

Sheldon "Mostly" Brown

+---------------------------------+
| Is ambivalence a bad thing? |
| Well, yes and no. |
| -- Garrison Keillor |
+---------------------------------+

i mean like ultegra crank, xt cassette, xt rear der. will the xt front derrailler work with the ultegra cranks?

You'll probably want an Ultegra derailleur because its designed to shift the larger rings found on a road crank

i mean like ultegra crank, xt cassette, xt rear der. will the xt front derrailler work with the ultegra cranks?
Not well. The curvature of the cage doesn't match the smaller large chainring.

Also, Ultegra cranks may not clear the right chainstay of your mountain bike frame.

In addition, the XT front derailer won't index properly with an Ultegra SIS shifter.

See the links I already sent you where this is all explained in detail.

Sheldon "Read The Pages" Brown

You'll probably want an Ultegra derailleur because its designed to shift the larger rings found on a road crank
Unfortunately, an Ultegra front derailer won't index properly with XT shifters.

The only front derailer compatible with both XT (or other flat-bar indexed shifters) and a 52/53 big ring is the Shimano R443.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/front-derailers

Sheldon "Can Of Worms" Brown

Unfortunately, an Ultegra front derailer won't index properly with XT shifters.

The only front derailer compatible with both XT (or other flat-bar indexed shifters) and a 52/53 big ring is the Shimano R443.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/front-derailers

Sheldon "Can Of Worms" Brown


You got me there. But what about pro mountain bikers running 42/29, XTR shifters and using Dura Ace FD's ?

oh but i saw nicolas vouilloz who races with lapierre do this with xtr and dura-ace but he took off the 3rd chainring and uses xtr shifters, so does that work only with dura-ace?

its a 3-ring ultegra crank but I removed the 3rd ring so now its 30x39 in front and 11x34 in rear

oh but i saw nicolas vouilloz who races with lapierre do this with xtr and dura-ace but he took off the 3rd chainring and uses xtr shifters, so does that work only with dura-ace?

It probably works because a double crank can be "indexed" by the limit screws and doesn't rely on the shifter to stop at an intermediate chainring.

Unfortunately, an Ultegra front derailer won't index properly with XT shifters.

The only front derailer compatible with both XT (or other flat-bar indexed shifters) and a 52/53 big ring is the Shimano R443.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/front-derailers

Sheldon "Can Of Worms" Brown

I'm not so sure about that.

For years prior to Shimano producing the flat bar road shifters, tandem manufacturers sold bikes with road bike cranksets and front derailleurs and rapid fire mountain bike shifters. My wife owns a Specialized Crossroads Pro from 1999 or 2000. It came stock with LX Rapid fire shifters, Tiagra front derailleur and SR triple road crankset. Everything indexes great.

You got me there. But what about pro mountain bikers running 42/29, XTR shifters and using Dura Ace FD's ?
Doubles are very forgiving, it's triples that are fussy.

Sheldon "Exceptions" Brown

so then it shouldnt be any big deal?

so then it shouldnt be any big deal?

Read the rreplies again.

Ultegra crank may or may not work. The big chainring might rub on your chainstay. In any event you'll need a different bottom bracket.

XT front deailleur probably won't match the bigger Ultegra chainrings very well.

There are mixed opinions about how well an XT shifter will work with an Ultegra front derailleur. I say yes, Sheldon Brown says no.