vrmmsm

Hi, I've done a lot of searches here and on the 'Net and found lots of answers about mixing and matching SRAM and Shimano, but it's always "can I use XX shifter with YY derailleur". That's NOT my question.

I've got a bike running a Shimano 3x8 Claris setup 50/39/30 and 11-32 (and disc brakes). While test riding bikes, I tried something with SRAM doubletap shifters. I love the simplicity of just having one thing to push.

Could I leave my Claris front derailleur and brifter on the bike, and swap out the rear derailleur, brifter and cassette for say a 9 or 10 speed SRAM doubletap setup and then swap in the appropriate 9 or 10 speed chain successfully? No radical changes of gear ratios.

It seems like Shimano and SRAM use the same basic chain assuming you stick with a chain designed for the correct number of rear cogs, so I think that would be OK.

Since this means that the brifters would match the derailleurs, that issue is solved.

That just leaves if the SRAM rear and Shimano front setup would work well together and I suppose if the existing disc brakes would work well with the SRAM brifter.

Thanks in advance

Steve

jimc101

A little confused initially about what you're asking, think the question should have been something like 'can I run an 8 speed Shimano LH road shifter/FD with an SRAM RH Double Tap /rear shifter and gears?' , having read it a few times, thinking you're going to run the LH shifter Claris, and the RH SRAM, go to 10 speed with an 11-32 and appropriate RD, and that it? If so, from a cost POV, this seems a very expensive way to do things, and having run different brake/shifter combos, it will always feel wrong, as the sensory experience, your expecting will differ to what you actually feel.

Technically what your proposing will work, it will just cost a lot, you will get lost of questions as to why, and it will feel weird/off when riding at least initially/when you come back from paired shifters.

For the brakes, as long as they are mechanical road, they don't care about the lever.

vrmmsm

Exactly!
OK, good to know. What sort of "feel" do you mean? Are you just talking about the fact that one will shift one way and the other will shift another way? I'm not necessarily going to do this soon. I just got the bike (my first in years). Actually, we just got two of them and all of the associated gear to ride in an MS 150. So after all of the expenditure of bikes and other kit, I won't be spending that money for something unnecessary any time soon. But the SRAM double tap shifters are so clean and efficient to me. I love them. I'm assuming there will be so little shifting of the big gears that having the mix won't be that big a deal. Not a lot of hills in this part of Texas.
That was kind of what I was thinking.

I assume the biggest thing other than having the derailleur matched to the shifter is having the chain matched to the cassette.

Thanks for the response.

ljsense

The SRAM/Shimano mix isn't a problem, but you might have a little trouble running a 10-speed chain with your front derailleur and crankset, which were designed for an eight-speed chain. I'm saying 10-speed, because that's what you'll find for SRAM road levers.

Sram and Shimano chains and cassettes are interchangeable, assuming they're for the same speed. It's just the difference in the outside width of the chain when you move among 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 speeds. You could swap your right shift/brake lever, your rear derailleur and cassette and run a 9-speed chain, which is only 1 step away in either direction from what the front half and back half of your design wants. But that's even more money for this setup that will train your left and right hands to do a one-off shifting procedure. You might be better off just selling the bike and getting one with SRAM if you like the feel of doubletap.

vrmmsm

Thanks for the info, folks.

Yeah, selling the bike, at least right now is not an option. Maybe some sort of upgrade in a year or so could happen. This question was as much theoretical/feasibility related as anything else.