I've searched all I can and came up with more questions than answers. Again, I'm new at all this and trying my best to figure it all out. I know you can mix and match components -IE 105 w/ Ultegra or Dura-Ace. What I can't figure out is if there are specific problems with mixing different component YEARS.

For example, from what I understand, the 105 shifters have been remodeled for the 5700 version. Would having everything ELSE in the 5600 version screw anything up? Or just be poor for performance?

Further, Is there a "rule of thumb" with mixing & matching? For example, Should one try to use the same style Shifters, FD & RD if possible so they all synch up?

Reason I ask: We're trying to upgrade my wife's bike to higher end parts & get rid of her triple crank. We're using it as an opportunity to learn how to work on a bike & do as much as possible ourselves. It seems that buying parts individually on sale is cheaper than just buying a full group (ie. 105 5700). It would give us an opportunity to get some higher end parts (ie. saw a new last year's Dura-ace BB on sale for $25 - the cost of a new 5700 BB) and spend the same amount of money.

Also, this isn't all about the money - we could go out and drop $600 or whatever on a new 5700 group. But if we're doing it ourselves we might as well spend some time with it. AND we have the whole winter to look around...

Thanks so much!

Other than a few bugs you'll likely end up with, most anything will work with anything IMHO, my drivetrain consists of shimano, sram, suntour, and micro shift, some new some early 90's. It tends to result in longer setup and adjustments but eventually will work.

The one Shimano group that was incompatible with contemporary and later groups was pre-9-speed Dura Ace.

Other than that all Shimano road groups are mix and match pretty much at will. Front derailleurs are best used with either a double or triple as Shimano specifies. A triple fd will work with a double crank but not quite as well as the true double fd.

Be aware the road and MTB FRONT derailleurs and shifters don't work well together. For rear derailleurs they are interchangable so an MTB rear derailleur can be used with road brifters to allow a wide range cassette if you wish.

The 10s Shimano mtn RD's have a different cable travel and are not compatible with road brifters.

I agree with the above posts--I have SRAM, Shimano, and Campy pieces, in XT, XTR, and DA (nothing in DA 8spd), and have had no issues, EXCEPT as HillRider pointed out, my brifters would not reliably shift the XT FD, so I went to DA 9spd bar ends with Tektro brake levers. That solved my only 'issue' with "mix-n-match".

My CX bike is a Shimano mix-and-match: DA shifters, Ultegra hubs and crankset, 105 RD, and RSX (!) FD. Works like a dream.

Good point. These things are so new that I forgot about them not being compatible with older, pre-10-speed stuff. BTW, are these rd's compatible with 9-speed MTB shifters? I expect they are not.

I have one right here.
It appears the cable travel is roughly *double* the previous units.
I am sure it not compatible with anything, (except a 10s mtn shifter).

Thanks for the replies!
Should have specified that this is for her Felt road bike which currently has 2303, Sora and some other lower level components.
https://****************/road-bikes/fe...ens-road-bike/

Still debating whether to go Shimano or SRAM with it, so if there are any additional mix or match issues with SRAM please let me know as well. Don't want to turn this into a SRAM vs. Shimano thread, but if one is easier to build than the other that would also be great info to have...
Thanks so much, you guys are great!

Do not mix and match sram and shimano. The chainrings and cassettes were desinged to work together, at the very least.

Huh? What does a chainring have to do with a cassette?

Personally,
I prefer 8-tracks to cassettes

I too would like to know.

It's not too late to get put on Santa's naughty list with posts like this.

kneecop, Should be a fun project, but I've a couple of questions. Are you changing the number of rear gears? If so a chain replacement from the 8S to a 9S or 10S chain is required to match. Do you have the required tools on hand? If not and this is possibly a one time build your LBS can swap BBs and cassettes for probably less than what the tools would cost.

While many of us have Frankensteined a drivetrain, the FD should match the new crankset's chainrings for best results, IMHO. A compact crankset should have a FD meant to be used with a compact, a double FD with a double crankset and so on. From the bike's specs you can buy a braze-on FD for your mounting clamp. The Sora RD is likely a keeper worth replacing if it ever breaks, if you wish. I see no difference WRT ease of the swap whether you use SRAM or Shimano. Have fun.

Brad

Using a double or triple specific front derailleur is a good idea but there are no "compact-specific" front derailleurs. Shimano and SRAM always specified their regular double front derailleurs with compact cranksets. Campy at first came out with compact specific front derailleurs but even they have dropped them and now recommend their standard double derailleurs.

HillRider, That comment was based on my experiance with cage/chain interferance in some combos, but now that the compacts are usually 50T whereas mine was a 48T I can see why it wouldn't make much of a difference. Thanks for updating me.

Brad

Shimano does have a compatibility chart.
This doesn't mean other combinations won't work.

https://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont...ty%20Chart.pdf

Thanks BradTX - Yes we are changing it all out - triple to double OR Compact (not sure yet) so we're expecting to replace just about everything. We have some tools, but expect that we may not be able to do everything. We're pitching this to our lbs too, as a good way of telling where they stand in handling customer relations. If they can do it for cheaper, faster and better, we may have them knock the whole thing out. Doubt this will happen, so would let them single out things that may cause us major issues like the BB, etc.
Just in the planning stage and planning we intend to do.
THat Compatability chart is PERFECT though for what we need. Thanks Dedhed!