Bicycle Mechanics - 11 speed levers with 10 cogs on the rear?

I have an Athena 11 speed group, but the rear hub on my old Shamals won't accept an 11 speed cassette without a spacer between the cogs and hub so the free hub can only hold 10 cogs.

(apparently some Mavic hubs also need a spacer but can still take 11 cogs)

Any idea if this will bugger with the shifting?

If I set the H L limit screws and cable tension appropriately I imagine it should shift correctly.

No you can't shift a 10s cassette with 11s levers. The spacing is different, and it would be like trying to use a metric screw in an inch thread. I don't understand the problem. If you need a spacer to fit an 11s cassette, why don't you simply add one?

No you can't shift a 10s cassette with 11s levers. The spacing is different, and it would be like trying to use a metric screw in an inch thread. I don't understand the problem. If you need a spacer to fit an 11s cassette, why don't you simply add one?

It's an 11 speed cassette just with one of the cogs removed so the spacing is correct.

The problem is that when you add the spacer behind the largest cog it means that there is no longer room for 11 cogs on the free hub.

Then you can go ahead and use it, but what happens if you eliminate the spacer and use all 11 sprockets?

Then you can go ahead and use it, but what happens if you eliminate the spacer and use all 11 sprockets?

In that case, because of the offset shape of the largest cog on an 11 speed cluster, the back of the cog touches the hub body. When you tighten the lock ring the hub freezes.

I don't think you've thought this through. You would have to remove both a 1.6mm cog and a 2.2mm spacer. That far too much additional space, unless you move the 2.2mm spacer behind the cassette. I doubt that you could screw the large cog limit screw in enough.

The only sensible cog to remove would be the 16T. If you do that, the 15-17 shift would be poor.

I'd have to look at the exploded view of the hub to see exactly what positions the freehub. Figure that out and then you could determine if a 1mm spacer would be enough.

I'f also ask if you've actually tried using a 1mm spacer behind the cassette. The smallest cog never has full engagement with the cassette body splines. What matters is that it have some engagement, after the lockring is tightened.

A 1mm spacer will push the smallest sprocket off the cassette body it won't engage at all. I'm going to try using a 2.2 mm spacer behind the cassette. The cassette is 12~29;

29 26 23 block
2.2 mm spacer
21 19 17 +2.3mm spacer block
16
2.2mm spacer
15
2.2mm spacer
14
2.2mm spacer
13
12

Is it possible to replace the freehub with a Campy 11 speed freehub body (so you don't have to rebuild the wheel)?
If not you could you rebuild the wheel with a new 11-speed hub?

Old Shamals have 16 spokes on the rear. The hub is nothing like the newer oversize axled models, so the cassette bodies are nothing alike either. It would not be cost effective to rebuild with another hub.

Old Shamals have 16 spokes on the rear. The hub is nothing like the newer oversize axled models, so the cassette bodies are nothing alike either. It would not be cost effective to rebuild with another hub.


Actually the ones I have are 12 spoke 1996/97, but you are correct the free hub is not compatible with newer ones and I'm not going to rebuild them. I might sell the Shamals and buy some new wheels.

Thanks guys.