44 Bikes

[tamaso]

What you need to know is this: When Shimano introduced "Dyna-sis" shifting in their mountain bike shifters/derailleurs, they changed how much cable is pulled per click. So road and mountain Shimano are no longer compatible. 10 speed or 11 speed. None of it is compatible. You need to stay within the groups and allocated speeds. The only caveat is that you can possibly run a 10 speed mountain cassette with a 10 speed road group. But the caveat to that is that it depends on what the low end of the cassette is. A long cage Ultegra rear derailleur does not work with a 36t cassette FYI. The rear derailleur pulleys slam into the last cog and no amount of b-tension will get it out of the way. Shimano does not make a 34t cassette either (or at least not that I saw via my OE account). Their cassettes go up to 32t in road, then 36t in 10spd mountain and 40 or 42t in 11 speed mountain. This is why I had to use mixed components and deploy that Jtek Shiftmate.

Shimano Di2 is a different story so long as you keep road front &rear derailleurs or mountain front & rear derailleurs - the shifters don't care. You can't mix and match that stuff though from what I understand: So you'd have to have a pair of road hooded shifters with a set of XTR front and rear derailleurs.

Shimano makes an XT 10sp 11-34 (CS-M771). 10sp Shimano road levers shift a 9sp Shimano MTB rear derailleur across this cassette perfectly-- I have 5700 shifters pushing a 9sp Deore XT (M750) on this cassette on my NFE currently, no Jtek needed. Cheers.

[dogrange]

Shimano makes an XT 10sp 11-34 (CS-M771). 10sp Shimano road levers shift a 9sp Shimano MTB rear derailleur across this cassette perfectly-- I have 5700 shifters pushing a 9sp Deore XT (M750) on this cassette on my NFE currently, no Jtek needed. Cheers.

If it's of interest, Praxis recently came out with an 11-40 10-speed cassette. Shifts fine with my 10 sp gripshift/SRAM X9 setup

[fortyfour]

Shimano makes an XT 10sp 11-34 (CS-M771). 10sp Shimano road levers shift a 9sp Shimano MTB rear derailleur across this cassette perfectly-- I have 5700 shifters pushing a 9sp Deore XT (M750) on this cassette on my NFE currently, no Jtek needed. Cheers.

Correct, Shimano does make an XT 10spd 11-34t cassette and I've been hearing from people who have seen the bike that this combination will work with a 9spd. However: Client requested to use the widest range 10 speed cassette available which is the 11-36t version. After spending several times on the phone with Shimano, and getting differing opinions online (and differing opinions from Shimano Tech too), it was not completely certain that 10 speed would work with 9 speed and no guarantee from Shimano with road and mountain compatibility.

The big question though would then be: Does that 9spd rear mech actually have the capacity for a 36t cog? Keep in mind, I had already ordered AND sent back 4 front derailleurs and 2 rear derailleurs.

But truly I appreciate this info and will forward along to the client (He's also reading here too I am sure).

If it's of interest, Praxis recently came out with an 11-40 10-speed cassette. Shifts fine with my 10 sp gripshift/SRAM X9 setup

I did not know that - it seems there's so much information to keep track of these days. I'm surprised I can keep up with as much as I do honestly.. We wanted to keep everything "in family" as best as we could. Sram is different from Shimano in terms of shifting geometry and cable pull I want to say? But we were looking to use Shimano on this rig as that was the request from the client.

Thanks for the information though. It's noted and appreciated.

One thing about the Shiftmate is that since the cable has to wrap around that pulley and cross a flat spot to go from one groove to another, I noticed it basically has to "bed-in". In the stand I had to pull out slack 2 times and it sounds like it's further "nesting" in for the client so he'll have to do the same until things settle in place.

[drwelby]

The big question though would then be: Does that 9spd rear mech actually have the capacity for a 36t cog? Keep in mind, I had already ordered AND sent back 4 front derailleurs and 2 rear derailleurs.

The 36t cog first showed up in a 12-36 9 speed cassette in 2009, before 10 speed.

[fortyfour]

[fortyfour]

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[dgaddis]

Very nice!

[fortyfour]

[fortyfour]

[fortyfour]

"For the Ladies."

[fortyfour]

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[mmoore]

cant wait to see what your TI looks like completed.

Will you be trying to form the stays like you do with steel?

[fortyfour]

Will you be trying to form the stays like you do with steel?

"Try? There is not try. Do or do not."

On a less Yoda level, I will be refining how I make the bends at the chain stay / tire interface so it's less dimple and more of a oval which is formed.

[mmoore]

Those look very nice.

Whats your opinion of the metal in terms of fabrication in comparison to steel?
I.E., Would you say that your prep processes needed to change or be modified to facilitate the new material?

[fortyfour]

Those look very nice.

Whats your opinion of the metal in terms of fabrication in comparison to steel?
I.E., Would you say that your prep processes needed to change or be modified to facilitate the new material?

My approach to welding steel was adapted to reflect processes and methodology as if I were Titanium about 3 years ago. So a lot of things already were in line (more methodology / positioning, etc.). Welding and experience with steel helped to facilitate the work in Titanium but the two materials are very different so in many ways, it is like learning how to build a bicycle from scratch. For example, all new tooling to make my seat and chain stays needs to be created and bending techniques modified. But knowing what I know about bending tubes and forming tubes in steel applies to titanium - I just needed to experiment with Titanium to understand it's limits, how it reacts to bending and forming techniques, what it likes to do and what it does not like to do and make modifications accordingly to my methods/tools. But the jump could not have been made in a more informed fashion unless I knew what I was doing in Steel first. That served as a good sounding board for experience and time behind the torch. I'd say that Titanium shares a lot of similarities to my experience/knowledge with precious metals as a Goldsmith/Silversmith however. It's uncanny just how nitpicky the work is with these materials and how similarly nuanced the two are.

But I will say that physical welding of Titanium is quite easy. It wants to weld itself and has an attraction to heat much like gold wants to solder itself. But you can't fully understand what's happening with Gold or Platinum for that matter until you have Silver completely dialed. I'd say the same goes for steel vs. titanium. You could certainly start with gold or start with titanium, but you'll waste a lot of material at first and throw a lot of money away if you approach it that way (just my opinion).

It's the prep, approach and subtleties that require focused attention with Titanium. I'm learning a literal sh!t ton of information.

[fortyfour]

[fortyfour]

Top tube practice went smoothly. Down tube? Not so smoothly... Oh well - that's why I'm practicing.