10 Speed Drivetrain Compatibility

onetracker

onetracker

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Thinking about doing some Gravel this season. However, the XS Topstone with the non-proprietary BB and other bits does not seem to come out until '23. So, I am thinking about turning my old cross rig into a Gravel machine until I can get what I really want.

Here is the question. Will the following work well together?

Rival 10 Speed Road Shifter + Shimano Deore 11-42 Cassette + SRAM APEX 1 REAR DERAILLEUR (I know that it is designed for 11 speed) + SRAM 10 Speed Chain

Anyone have any thoughts? @jimvreeland @jdog
 
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In this specific case what is the problem?

a) 11speed Vs 10 Speed

or

b) Road Vs MTB

or

c) all of the above

Asking because when I built my el gravelachi I had to buy the GRX specific RD to go with the brifters.
 
jimvreeland said:
They make a GX 10 speed RD that you'll use for that instead. Everything else will work fine.
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Thank you for the knowledge! I really appreciate it! Just to be sure, you are referring to the SRAM GX Type 2.1 10 spd rear derailleur? I see that the GX derailleur capacity is 47T; do you think I could push it and use the Microshift Adevent X 11-48T (lighter and kinder to cassette freehub bodies). 34T Chainring up front.
 
the only “funky” thing is youll need to put a barrel adjuster in your housing for the RD, besides that you’re golden. That GX 2x10 RD is a lifesaver for us cheapos.
 
Pearl said:
the only “funky” thing is youll need to put a barrel adjuster in your housing for the RD, besides that you’re golden. That GX 2x10 RD is a lifesaver for us cheapos.
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Thanks. This is a really good thought.
 
onetracker said:
Thank you for the knowledge! I really appreciate it! Just to be sure, you are referring to the SRAM GX Type 2.1 10 spd rear derailleur? I see that the GX derailleur capacity is 47T; do you think I could push it and use the Microshift Adevent X 11-48T (lighter and kinder to cassette freehub bodies). 34T Chainring up front.
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I would do it. Those derailluers usually have enough wiggle room to get away with it.
 
onetracker said:
Thank you for the knowledge! I really appreciate it! Just to be sure, you are referring to the SRAM GX Type 2.1 10 spd rear derailleur? I see that the GX derailleur capacity is 47T; do you think I could push it and use the Microshift Adevent X 11-48T (lighter and kinder to cassette freehub bodies). 34T Chainring up front.
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jimvreeland said:
I would do it. Those derailluers usually have enough wiggle room to get away with it.
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Yep, it works fine with most derailleurs as long as you are close (3-4t). The shifting on modern derailleurs--those without b-pivot springs--gets a bit balky in the smaller/higher gears, though.
 
jimvreeland said:
I would do it. Those derailluers usually have enough wiggle room to get away with it.
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So, I got this all together and the derailleur will not shift into the 3 easiest gears 34, 40, 48. The derailleur angle is simply not great enough to stop the derailleur from hitting the top three cassette cogs (not enough B-Screw Adjustment even with it maxed out) When I looked more closely at the specifications, I noticed the max tooth count recommended for this derailleur is 36T. When I originally looked at the specs I must have been confused and interpreted Chain Wrap of 47T for max allowable tooth count.

Here is what I am trying to use to create a 1x drivetrain as discussed: [SRAM GX Type 2.1 10 spd rear derailleur (Long Cage)] + [Microshift Advent X 11-48T] + [Hope Drop Stop 10 spd 34T Front Chainring] + [SRAM 1051 10 spd chain (full length 114 links)]

I am going to try a longer B-Screw. Any other ideas? Did I get the wrong derailleur?
 
jimvreeland said:
I have a goat link you can have.
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Thanks. Which one do I need? I did not know goat links were used with SRAM derailleurs. i have only seen these used with Shimano derailleurs.

I am thinking that you specifically mean the Roadlink but that only increases capacity to 40T?
 
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Thanks. I thought that was the one. I sent you a PM about bringing it by the shop for some expert attention.
 
OK. I got this together last week and I think it works pretty well. This is a great way to turn the CX bike sitting in your garage into a more capable gravel machine. I thought the big downside would be the canti brakes but after riding it a few times, it really is not so bad. I have bar top brake levers on this bike which some folks may eschew but I really like braking from the tops when the roads get sketchy. I have some really nice rim brake road wheels sitting around, so it is fun to use these resources. I had most of the stuff on hand except the derailleur, cassette and chainring which made this a really inexpensive conversion. I also bought a 110 BCD bashguard which I decided not to use at this point.

I have been riding CX bikes on dirt and gravel roads for 10+ years; more so when I had a vacation cabin in PA. Cross gearing pretty much sucks for riding gravel but that is mostly what existed at the time. But this is a way to build up a machine that can handle some steep climbing and enjoy some gravel events using what you may already have on hand (mostly). I live in area where there are not many gravel roads, so I have to drive to gravel these days. I am really not sure how often I will drive to gravel roads and may just drive to the trails (my first love) most of the time. We will see how much gravel I really ride. If I find myself riding more gravel, I will buy a Topstone or Diverge in the future.

To get this 10 speed Mullet Drivetrain to work, I used the following components:

1. SRAM Rival 10 Speed Shifters (Exact Actuation)
2. SRAM GX Type 2.1 10 spd rear derailleur (Long Cage, Exact Actuation)
3. Microshift Advent X 11-48T Casssette (10 Spd)
4. Hope Drop Stop 34T Front Chainring (10/11 spd, I have a 110 BCD Carbon Truvativ Crank Set)
5. SRAM 1051 10 spd chain (full length 114 links)
6. Jagwire In-Line Cable Adjuster
7. WolfTooth Road Link - "Goat Link" to extend the length of the derailleur hanger

You might think the Microshift Cassette, has some big jumps and it does. However, I did not find this too bothersome. I was always able to find a comfortable gear. Another option is a Shimano Deore M4100 11-42/46 10 speed cassette, but the cogs are all steel, it is heavier and the jumps are not reduced by that much.


Special Thanks to @jimvreeland for giving me a ton of good advice, the RoadLink and spending some time with me in person to make he final adjustments. He really is the master!

I hope this helps someone repurpose a bike sitting around in the garage! Here is a photo of the final build...
GT Gravel Trim 2022.jpeg
 
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