Hello!

I've been doing my research but thought I would ask the experts to verify a potential plan of action here...

I'm collecting parts for a 2 builds. Original plan is that they would both be 9 speed road bikes, the nicer bike using mostly Dura Ace 7700 parts and the winter bike using my old Ultegra 6500 parts. I've collected everything I need for the ultegra bike, but I still am shopping for 9 speed shifters, 9 speed cassette and chain for the Dura Ace bike. Since the nicer Dura Ace bike is my pride and joy and because 9 speed shifters are almost all used and expensive, it occurred to me that maybe I should do 10 speed Ultegra 6700 shifters with concealed cables, a 10 speed cassette and 10 speed chain...call it done.

One of my concerns is the braking. Will 10 speed Ultegra 6700 shifters pull 9 speed Dura Ace 7700 brakes OK? I think I've read that the pull is different but can it be adjusted to feel/work right?

Also, I love the look of the DA 7700 crankset. I want to use this crankset but how will it work with the 10 speed plan? I suspect it will be just fine but the Front Derailleur might need to be changed to 10 speed?

Thanks for any help you can offer. And here is a pic of some of the parts I've been working on:

Yes, you can use the 10 speed shifters, chain and cassette with your other 9 speed stuff including the crank. I use 7900 shifters with the older brakes and it works fine. Another option would be Campy 11 speed shifters with all the rest 9 speed.

Ultegra 6700 levers pull more cable than your brake callipers are designed for. That means that it requires more effort to stop. However, Ultegra 6600 brifters would work very well with your brake callipers as would Dura Ace 7800's. There should be no issue with getting your front derailleur to work

Great! Thanks for the feedback.

I starting thinking about the chainrings too. The thickness of the 9 speed chainrings isn't too wide for the 10 speed chain?

You can run a 10-speed chain on 9-speed rings without trouble; I've tested that set-up. A thinner chain on thicker (or more widely spaced) chain rings can sometimes "skate" or fall off the outside, but here the difference is not enough to cause real problems.

I'd recommend the 7800 shift/brake levers unless you're set on having the shift cables under the handlebar tape.

FD and crank should be fine. So close it doesn't matter.

Wouldn't it be the opposite ? If the levers pull more cable, it should require less effort.

I was thinking the same thing, but I understand that there is an issue here. As I have now come to understand it, as soon as Shimano went to concealed cables the pull ratio changed...right?

It is kind of important to me if I'm going to bear the expense of this "upgrade." any particular reason why you prefer the 7800 over 7900 or 6700?

The only reason I say it is because I've used the 7800s extensively and think they are great. They have the correct cable pull ratio for your 7700 brakes and they are a steal. Check eBay or your local swap.

But those points aside, it's a bit unfair for me to make the recommendation over 6700 or 7900 since I have not used them. They have a more modern look, that is for sure.

A lever that pulls more cable has a lower mechanical advantage, therefore needs higher effort.

7800 brifters work best with the brake callipers you already have. Shimano's first foray into hidden shift cables was less than stellar, many people were disappointed with shift performance. The exposed shift cables are less attractive, but the cabe routing has none of the sharp bends that concealed cables have. Had not both SRAM and Campagnolo already been offering concealed cables Shimano might never have gone that route. When Campagnolo was the only alternative,Shimano stayed with exposed cables

My brain is in backwards mode today.

Good points. I'm going to need to keep thinking about this as the 6600 shifters would save me money

It really depends on what you can find. You won't have any more luck finding new 7800 or 6600 shifters than you would 7700 9 speed. Probably you can find new 6700 or 5700. In theory the 7900, 6700 and 5700 with concealed cables are not optimal for your older brakes. I have found, in practice, that they work just fine. If someone has tried them and they've not worked, maybe they will chime in and you will have a YMMV situation. I'll also mention that you can still get new 9 speed DA bar end shifters, that's my solution for the bikes I want to keep 9 speed.

Since the 7800 and 6600 are newer than the 9 speed stuff, you are actually more likely to be able to find them. While it is true that your brake calliper will work with 7900, 6700, or 5700 levers, it will take more hand strength and modulation will not be as good. It is important also to keep in mind that Shimano has now moved on to 11 speed for all of its top groups so except for Tiagra, 10 speed has been dropped. This doesn't mean that you can't find replacement parts, but they will be as scarce as 9 speed is today in a few years

I wish I could travel back in time to stock up on parts I want now! Damn that would be amazing.

But the difference in the derailleur's actuation ratio offsets the difference in the shifters' cable pull, if both are 10-speed. The derailleur and chain move the same distance and so you are doing the same amount of work either way. On the other hand the there may be a difference in total friction between the two systems and I don't know which has more or less friction. My guess is that the 7900 may have more friction due to a more complicated cable route.

I wasn't talking about shifting. I was talking about braking. Different cable

Of course, thank you for your correction.