Shimano and SRAM interchangeability
 

I'm building a bike, and so far I have installed the bottom bracket (GPX), crank (SRAM Rival series double crank) and the front derailleur (SRAM Rival). The cassette is a Shimano 9-speed one.

I plan to use SRAM TT 500 bar-end shifters. I understand one is friction (for the front der) and other is indexed (for the rear der). Can I convert the index shifter to work with the Shimano Sora rear der? Or, should I just buy an SRAm rear der?

I understand there is a 2:1 and a 1:1 ratio for Shimano and SRAM, respectively - I am not sure if this applies to ALL of their products, or just some. Do ALL SRAM products work on a 1:1 ratio?

If so, and I use an SRAM shifter, 'd have to move the rear der cable twice as far to get the same effect using Shimano components, correct? The SRAM front shifter/front der cable is friction only, so I assume that it's OK regardless of brand mix.

Thanks!

For rear deralleur, you must use the same manufacturer for both. If you are using SRAM shifters, you'll definitely need a Shimano derailleur, otherwise it won't work. Like you stated, the pulls are different.

The front derailleur is fine to use either Shimano or Sram.

All SRAM shifters pull more cable than Shimano. But unlike SRAM, the Shimano cable pull is different for each gear.
You can use 10sp SRAM shifters with shimano derailleurs (except 7900 front) and Shimano or SRAM 10sp cassette, but only with a Jtek Shiftmate.
I don't think they make one for matching 10sp SRAM shifters to a 9sp cassette, but you can check their web site.

All current SRAM rear derailleurs use a 1:1 cable pull. All current SRAM front derailleurs use the same cable pull as Shimano front derailleurs. Other than a few Twist Shifters All current SRAM shifters use a 1:1 cable pull.

Not quite. The Shimano rear ratio is 1.67 to 1.

SRAM mountain is less than 1:1. By my measurements, it is somewhere between 0.8 and 0.9 to 1. So SRAM shifters have to pull somewhat more cable than the cog spacing.

And SRAM road is completely different than both Shimano and SRAM MTB. It is somewhere between SRAM MTB and Shimano.

And Shimano 10-speed MTB stuff is incompatible with everything else in their lineup - it pulls more cable. By design it will be incompatible with anything by SRAM, otherwise the entire design team would have been fired.

Not quite.
You can use these together:
- 9s Shimano Shadow RD
- 10s mtn cassette
- 10s Shimano road shifters

I know this works because I have *two* bikes with this setup.

And the 10s mtn cable travel change affects only the RD/righthand-shifter.

OK. This makes sense, in that Shimano 10-speed road shifters work correctly with a 10-speed Shimano (or SRAM) cassette with a 9-SPEED SHIMANO REAR DERAILLEUR.