SRAM shifter and Shimano front derailleur?

[weiwentg]

Folks, can SRAM shifters use a Shimano front derailleur? I know you can't mix the shifters and rear derailleurs. Thanks!

[Pete Serotta]

with Shimano 7900 and 7800 Dura Ace there is a difference. I have not tried it but an told that 7800 works on Red,

[tbilly]

The front derailleur is one of the simplest components on a bicycle. You can use a 7900 or 7800 FD with a SRAM lever and probably not see any problems with your c-ring shifts. The throw for 10-speed is really the same across the board. The rear is different since shimano uses an indexed shifting system and SRAM uses Exact Actuation or 1 to 1 shifting.

-BT

[ThirtyEast]

Short answer is yes, it works fine. The Shimano front ders have a slightly narrower cage than the SRAM varieties, which means you'll get some a small amount of rubbing in some gears if not optimally adjusted...
Other than that it works.

[nelsonk]

I think I read somewhere no trimming was necessary with Shimano 7900. You should be able to go through all ten cogs without FD rub. I test rode a Specialized Tarmac SL2 with 7900, and there was definitely some rub in the last two cogs, could've been the chain touching the larger chainring because of the chain angle. Probably not the best idea to be cross chaining anyway. I think Shimano mentions the 7900 FD works only with 7900 levers. Since they went to the hidden cable design, the pull ratio is probably different. Shimano, of course will tell you for optimum performance you should buy the whole grouppo. When I first started cycling in the 80's, I use to bastardize everything, had suntour superbe, shimano AX, and Campy all on the same bike. Those were the days.

[cdimattio]

Folks, can SRAM shifters use a Shimano front derailleur? I know you can't mix the shifters and rear derailleurs. Thanks!

I replaced a SRAM Red front with a Shimano 7900. Works much better in my experience. No issues, no chain rub, no complaints.

[weiwentg]

folks, thanks. am looking to switch the DT shifters on my commuter bike so my fiance can use it - she's not so good with using the DT shifters. she has small hands, so no giant Shimano shifters.

[Gold Knight]

I just bought SRAM red shifters and a 7900 FD and it wont work. I am experiencing just 1 click from the 39 to the 53 and that click is tooo short to move the FD to the 53. The crank i am running is the Zipp Vuma which has a very low q-facter so i have no idea how you guys are doing this?

[wbrownie]

Mounted the 7900 FD with SRAM red over the weekend.

Shifting is much improved over the SRAM Red FD. Slight chain rub when on sm frt and large rear as well as large frt and small rear sprockets but not much to worry about.

[John M]

folks, thanks. am looking to switch the DT shifters on my commuter bike so my fiance can use it - she's not so good with using the DT shifters. she has small hands, so no giant Shimano shifters.

Why not bar-end shifters. Since she won't have to take her hands of the bars, it may make it easier to do more fine tuning/FD trimming than with DTs and the small hands aren't an issue like with STIs.

[Felt1]

The trick to using a 7900 Front derailleur with Sram Red or any Sram shifters for that matter and not get any rub, is to install the shift cable on the front side of the derailleur pinch bolt instead of the back side where the cable grove is.

Why this works: the Shimano 7900 shifter pulls slightly more cable than red shifters. so to counter this we need to shorten the lever on the derailleur. By mounting this bolt on the outside/front side it shortens the leverage ratio. Although you will need a little more force to shift, it allows for more FD swing while using less cable pull. Even though this seems like a very small amount of leverage ratio difference is appears to be the perfect amount.

I've done this using Sram Red cranksets and the new Shimano 6700 cranks with no rub. The new 6700/6900 cranksets have a slightly wider small ring to big ring distance than past cranks making it even harder to get no chain rub setups but using this method works.

[vqdriver]

that's good info to keep in mind

The trick to using a 7900 Front derailleur with Sram Red or any Sram shifters for that matter and not get any rub, is to install the shift cable on the front side of the derailleur pinch bolt instead of the back side where the cable grove is.

Why this works: the Shimano 7900 shifter pulls slightly more cable than red shifters. so to counter this we need to shorten the lever on the derailleur. By mounting this bolt on the outside/front side it shortens the leverage ratio. Although you will need a little more force to shift, it allows for more FD swing while using less cable pull. Even though this seems like a very small amount of leverage ratio difference is appears to be the perfect amount.

I've done this using Sram Red cranksets and the new Shimano 6700 cranks with no rub. The new 6700/6900 cranksets have a slightly wider small ring to big ring distance than past cranks making it even harder to get no chain rub setups but using this method works.

[oldpotatoe]

Mounted the 7900 FD with SRAM red over the weekend.

Shifting is much improved over the SRAM Red FD. Slight chain rub when on sm frt and large rear as well as large frt and small rear sprockets but not much to worry about.

So now, if you get a Red group, get it BUT....shimano cogset, chain and FD, and it'll be great.....

[xjoex]

Yes they work, and if you want I have a Deore 31.8 and a Sram X7 that came with my cannondale if you want for cheap! Only used on one ride till I went 1x9.

-Joe

[EDS]

Folks, can SRAM shifters use a Shimano front derailleur? I know you can't mix the shifters and rear derailleurs. Thanks!

Yes. One of my teammates runs all SRAM Rival with a Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 front derailleur.