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Can different Shimano groupsets with same drive train ratio mix and match?

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Can different Shimano groupsets with same drive train ratio mix and match?

Old 06-04-20, 10:38 PM
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Can different Shimano groupsets with same drive train ratio mix and match?

Can 8 gear cassette Deore/Acera/Altus mix and match with 8 speed Deore/Acera/Altus derailleur and freehub and work? How does the experience differ when you mix and match different grades of drivetrain?
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Old 06-04-20, 10:46 PM
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In general, mixing & matching is seamless. You will not notice the difference.
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Old 06-05-20, 02:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
In general, mixing & matching is seamless. You will not notice the difference.
Will there be performance differences? What's the optimum order of component upgrading? The cassette/chain rings, derailleurs, or shifters etc?
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Old 06-05-20, 03:58 AM
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Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet
Will there be performance differences?
cassettes mainly differ in weight and surface treatment. I’d be very sceptical about someone claiming to feel any difference between cassettes of the same degree of wear and tooth count.
Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet
What's the optimum order of component upgrading? The cassette/chain rings, derailleurs, or shifters etc?
Bike parts are far more expensive when bought piecemeal as compared to assembled as a bike. Thorough upgrades can quickly become very expensive.
If you want to be sensible with your money, don’t give in to unfounded upgradeitis. If you can’t give a good, fit or function related reason for Replacing a part, leave it be. Put the money aside for a new bike instead.
If the bike works for you as it is now, then leave it as it is.
Figure out what could improve the ride experience for you. If you can’t think of any, wait until wear makes a replacement required. Then - possibly - use a higher grade cassette, chain or whatever.
Apart from fit items - which can have a HUGE impact immediately - tires, tubes, wheels are often quoted as the place to start changing things out.
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Old 06-05-20, 04:01 AM
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Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet
Will there be performance differences? What's the optimum order of component upgrading? The cassette/chain rings, derailleurs, or shifters etc?
Deore/Acera/Altus are groupset-ed by quality tier & market price. There is no functional difference between them.

The difference is bushings vs bearings. Surface finish. Weight. Country of manufacture & other considerations.

They are interchangeable in function.
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Old 06-05-20, 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by dabac
Apart from fit items - which can have a HUGE impact immediately - tires, tubes, wheels are often quoted as the place to start changing things out.
Can tubes make a noticeable difference? I know tires are night and day different from my own experience.
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Old 06-05-20, 10:26 AM
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Yes, 8 speed = 8 speed = 8 speed. One exception is older Dura Ace (top level road racing parts) 8 speed, which would not be compatible with Deore/Acera/Etcetera
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Old 06-05-20, 10:31 AM
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Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet
Will there be performance differences? What's the optimum order of component upgrading? The cassette/chain rings, derailleurs, or shifters etc?
Cassettes wear out fastest, so I usually wait for them to wear out before replacing. I think upgrading shifters is the most noticeable upgrade.
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Old 06-05-20, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by ClydeClydeson
Yes, 8 speed = 8 speed = 8 speed. One exception is older Dura Ace (top level road racing parts) 8 speed, which would not be compatible with Deore/Acera/Etcetera
And please also note that the Dura Ace 740X exception applies ONLY to indexed shifting interfaces. Cassettes, hubs, brake calipers, brake levers, cranksets and chainrings, etc. are all otherwise crosswise compatible. 740X front derailleurs in particular work well with just about anything when friction shifted, I used one last year on a 50/28 subcompact double!
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Old 06-05-20, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by sean.hwy
Can tubes make a noticeable difference? I know tires are night and day different from my own experience.
IME, lighter wheels makes the bike more responsive at every speed change. And a more responsible bike is more fun to ride. I end up riding harder. And faster b/c of that.
Now, for road bikes, the difference isn’t that much.
But for MTBs the weight difference on tubes can be significant.
Paying the premium for race-weight rims and tires, and then stuffing them with full weight tubes cancels out much of the advantage you just paid for.
Now, for a bike ridden by a pedalling robot, I wouldn’t expect much difference in (Average) speed due to tube weight. But us humans aren’t pedal bots. Small changes can offer a big advantage.
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Old 06-05-20, 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by dabac
Bike parts are far more expensive when bought piecemeal as compared to assembled as a bike. Thorough upgrades can quickly become very expensive.
If you want to be sensible with your money, don’t give in to unfounded upgradeitis. If you can’t give a good, fit or function related reason for Replacing a part, leave it be. Put the money aside for a new bike instead.
If the bike works for you as it is now, then leave it as it is.
Here's the weird thing, I was looking at bikes with prices ranging from 500~900 from named brands, and they all had Altus sets on them. At what bike price range do they starting getting Acera or Deore?
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Old 06-05-20, 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by sean.hwy
Can tubes make a noticeable difference? I know tires are night and day different from my own experience.
That's a "rotating mass" issue. In general, the lower the rotating mass, the better for acceleration. But in my experience this is not readily apparent (YMMV, of course). Using thinner, lighter tubes might in theory give a small reduction of rotational inertia, but would probably also be more prone to flats.
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