Upgrade GX derailleur or swap to XT ?

[Zimmerframe]

Presently running an SRAM GX 11 speed on the Kenevo.

It was awful at the start but it either settled in or I got used to it and it actually doesn't shift too badly now - part of the initial problem was something to do with the cable, which a horse fixed by picking the bike up with the gear cable - much better afterwards.

Unfortunately, now the jockey wheels have so much play in them it's amazing it even changes gear.

So, I either swap them out to hope ones and at the same time do the bike yoke cable wheel change at the same time to hopefully end up with nice GX shifting for life (well a few weeks) :

Shifty | black | SHI-B

Our Shifty is an extremely effective tuning part for your SRAM rear derailleur.The original idler pulley of the SRAM 1x11 and 1x12 rear derailleurs is made of plastic and rotates on a steel axle without additional bearings.Particularly under poor weather…

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Or swap to an XT GS 11 speed ... ?!?

The XT GS 11 speed derailleur is actually cheaper than buying the pieces for the GX ....

Does anyone know if the SRAM shifter will work with the XT GS or do you need to swap out to a XT SL-M8000 at the same time ?

 

[KennyB]

No. Apparently the amount of cable feed is different. I put Hope jockey wheels on my hooligan hardtail over 3 years ago, ridden 3 times a week (before Levo) in the Quantocks (renowned for wearing stuff out). Never missed a beat.

 

[B1rdie]

The shifter and deraileur have to be the same brand, cassete and chains will work on both.

 

[KennyB]

The shifter and deraileur have to be the same brand, cassete and chains will work on both.

Absolutely. Bought an Alpinestars with a Shimano DX groupset (3x7, 1991). First big ride chain came apart. Went to SRAM chains ever since on that bike's various iterations until I sold it last month.

 

[DrStupid]

Dam it man, just try it.... and let us know if it works!

I have had great success with the rd-m8000-gs (11 speed medium cage XT). Its a tough SB that works perfectly as a 10 speed, though it's not supposed to be compatible.

There is a thread out there, stating that shimano 10, 11, 12 and Sram 11, 12, may all coexist on the same mule provided your not completely stupid and maybe even if you are.

 

[Doomanic]

provided your not completely stupid

It's Zim we're talking about here...

and maybe even if you are.

Never mind, looks like you covered it...

 

[Zimmerframe]

may all coexist on the same mule provided your not completely stupid

I thought he covered it, but no .. We have horses, not mules and I obviously should have made it more clear, it's for the bike. Horses, donkeys & Mules don't gears - not the living variety's anyway. You'd think someone who lives on a farm would know that !

 

[DrStupid]

I thought he covered it, but no .. We have horses, not mules and I obviously should have made it more clear, it's for the bike. Horses, donkeys & Mules don't gears - not the living variety's anyway. You'd think someone who lives on a farm would know that !

Hey, I'm fighting with the misses, the kids and the grand kids, work is a disaster, the country is falling apart at the seams. Cut me some slack.

 

[DrStupid]

Hey, I'm fighting with the misses, the kids and the grand kids, work is a disaster, the country is falling apart at the seams. Cut me some slack.

Oh yeah... and a second wave potentiality.

 

[net wurker]

I think with 12 speed drivetrains, the old "you can't mix shimano and SRAM derailleurs and shifters" is out the window. I guess they all have the same pull ratios now, so you can mix and match.

 

[MrBrownstone]

I just got an acoustic backup bike that came with NX 12 speed and it’s easily every bit as good as my XT 11 speed on my Speedfox AMP. Even crisper. I would never bother going with GX or above given how well NX works.?‍

 

[Mcharza]

Yes you can use Sram shifter with Shimano XT derailleur and cassette

 

[laustin956]

Hi don't think you can use a sram shifter with shimano derailleur as there different ratio

 

[net wurker]

Hi don't think you can use a sram shifter with shimano derailleur as there different ratio

I think this is no longer the case with the 12 speed groupsets.

 

[net wurker]

Just to calcify, in the older sets going way back and up through 9 speed 10 speed and even 11 speed, shimano used a 2-to-1 pull ratio in their shifters, where SRAM used a 1-to-1 ratio. So they were tied to one another. You couldn't use a 2-to-1 shimano shifter with a 1-to-1 SRAM derailleur, and vice-versa.

That seems to have changed with shimano's 12 speed groupset. There are many videos on you tube that back this up. Lots of folks mixing them up and it working fine.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Just to calcify, in the older sets going way back and up through 9 speed 10 speed and even 11 speed, shimano used a 2-to-1 pull ratio in their shifters, where SRAM used a 1-to-1 ration. So they were tied to one another. You couldn't use a 2-to-1 shimano shifter with a 1-to-1 SRAM derailleur, and vice-versa.

That seems to have changed with shimano's 12 speed groupset. There are many videos on you tube that back this up. Lots of folks mixing them up and it working fine.

crap .. I just bought the 11 speed and no shifter due to being inspired by @MrTeno2U positivity of "give it a go"

Does that mean I'll only end up with 6 gears or I'll need to double click for each change ....

 

[DrStupid]

crap .. I just bought the 11 speed and no shifter due to being inspired by @MrTeno2U positivity of "give it a go"

Does that mean I'll only end up with 6 gears or I'll need to double click for each change ....

If it dont work... I'll buy it from you even if shipping is nutz.

 

[net wurker]

Does that mean I'll only end up with 6 gears or I'll need to double click for each change ....

Not sure. I just wish I knew about XT derailleur compatibility with my GX Eagle drive train. Already replaced the mech twice in 4 months due to sucking in a stick at the bottom jockey wheel and mangling the derailleur.

I can't help but think the XT mech is way tougher than the GX mech, which seems to me the rails are made out of steel-like butter and almost-aluminum.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Ok .. so it looks like which shimano and sram say it won't work .. a bit like the 12 speeds, it looks like it will work :

11sp. Shimamo shifter 4,03mm per click
11sp. Sram shifter 3,85mm per click

So in theory, close enough that it should work ... one way to find out

 

[B1rdie]

I suggest you go with full shimano attire to have the real experience ...

Aint we talking about 11 speed since the begin of this thread?

 

[B1rdie]

Ok .. so it looks like which shimano and sram say it won't work .. a bit like the 12 speeds, it looks like it will work :

11sp. Shimamo shifter 4,03mm per click
11sp. Sram shifter 3,85mm per click

So in theory, close enough that it should work ... one way to find out

After 10 cliks you should have 0,18 x 10 mm of gap ...

 

[Zimmerframe]

I suggest you go with full shimano attire to have the real experience ...

Aint we talking about 11 speed since the begin of this thread?

Yup, 11 speeds.

Ordered the mech, so we'll see how it goes.

I was trying to work out if 2mm would be ok or not.... I guess we'll know soon enough ?

 

[Jackware]

11 and 12 geared bikes are so yesterday's must have and overrated - if you end up with only 8 or 9 gears you'll be a trend setter.

 

[DrStupid]

Not sure. I just wish I knew about XT derailleur compatibility with my GX Eagle drive train. Already replaced the mech twice in 4 months due to sucking in a stick at the bottom jockey wheel and mangling the derailleur.

I can't help but think the XT mech is way tougher than the GX mech, which seems to me the rails are made out of steel-like butter and almost-aluminum.

Do you need the super low climbing gears? If 11-42 will do you, or better yet 11-36, then consider a shimano 10 speed. I find them better suited to the stupid stuff I do.

 

[DrStupid]

Yup, 11 speeds.

Ordered the mech, so we'll see how it goes.

I was trying to work out if 2mm would be ok or not.... I guess we'll know soon enough ?

The XT 11 speed shifter is nice. It's not exactly a crime if you must use it.

 

[net wurker]

Do you need the super low climbing gears? If 11-42 will do you, or better yet 11-36, then consider a shimano 10 speed. I find them better suited to the stupid stuff I do.

I need to see if the freehub on my wheel is changeable. If so, I may do very well that. I have an XD driver currently on my rear wheel, so kinda locked into Eagle cassettes.

I never had any rear mech disasters on my Transition bike with XT M8000 drivetrain. It was long cage AND 26 inch wheels, so in theory it should have been sucking up sticks even worse than my Eagle system on 27.5 wheels.

In fact, I do remember often times it did, except that I just stopped and pulled the stick out, and rode away fine. GX Eagle, it blows up the derailleur when it sucks up a stick.

I think XT derailleurs are just built tougher.

 

[net wurker]

Yup, 11 speeds.

Ordered the mech, so we'll see how it goes.

I was trying to work out if 2mm would be ok or not.... I guess we'll know soon enough ?

If it doesn't work out, you could just order the XT shifter to go with it.

 

[net wurker]

EDIT: oops, just saw Mr Tee posted the same thing as I just did.

 

[DrStupid]

EDIT: oops, just saw Mr Tee posted the same thing as I just did.

No problem. Lol. It takes a village.

 

[Mcharza]

If it doesn't work out, you could just order the XT shifter to go with it.

Or SLX shifter if you are in tight budget. It cost about 35-40€