With 7-, 9- and 10-speed systems, the sprocket spacing between brands is close enough that it rarely causes any difficulty in practice.įor perfect matching, you might substitute different spacers, use alternate cable routing, or use a Jtek ShiftMate pulley adaptor. Cassettes It is really the cassette that determines how many speeds you have in back.Ĭampagnolo/Shimano 8-speed cassettes have different spacing, so you can't generally get good indexing using a Campagnolo 8-speed wheel with a Shimano shift system or vice versa.( Friction shifters have no compatibility issues, they work with everything.) This usually goes along with the correct number of clicks - though a shifter with an extra click also can work, as long as the spacing is OK. Indexed Shifters These need to have the spacing of detents ('clicks') to match the system they'll be used with.The following parts only are 'speed specific': There are, on the other hand, some real compatibility issues. Remember, you account for 80 percent of the weight even if you are riding a rather heavy bicycle! With bicycle components, the performance gain with higher-end models is often minuscule. In reality, the fancier parts aren't always the most suitable, in the same way that a Ferrari, while it is a great racecar, isn't at all as good for daily transportation as a Toyota - there are practical issues of cost, reliability, serviceability and durability. 'Jones' is also a slang term for a drug addiction! Also, design often is churned by spec hype, and 'keeping up with the Joneses,' as in more sprockets, lighter weight, higher-priced components must be better. This has led to much confusion as various parts are labeled as if they are incompatible with other parts even though they are actually usable with little or no problem. Component manufacturers like to sell you lots of new parts, even if you don't need them.

10 vs 11 speed chain