Mdavidh

Hello,
I was wondering if it is possible to convert my bikes from 10 speed to 12 speed. They both have red 10 speed group sets and I have some wheels that are 10/11 speed.
Is this possible? What parts do i need?

regards,
Matthew

Iride01 

It's almost always possible to do various things. Question is whether you will find it worth doing. Pretty much I'd just take everything off the bike till all you have left is frame, fork, stem, handlebars, seat post and saddle. Maybe keep the front wheel if you don't mind mismatched wheelsets.

If the rear spacing will allow a wheel with a 12 speed cassette on it to fit then I'd put all new 12 speed components on it. Preferably all from the same group set. Mountain bike components for a mountain bike and road components for a road bike.

However in the end after running all the numbers, I'd probably just buy a new 12 speed bike already made. If you're like me you are probably ready for a new bike.

Steve B.

12 is not cheap, even a low end SRAM cassette is $108. Note though that there's a lot of good deals on SRAM stuff currently, it pays to do a lot of Googling on prices.

Maybe others more knowledgeable can answer, but I think the rear hub needs to be MicroSpline capable maybe only if using a cassette starter cog of 10 tooth) and I think the frame needs to be 142 or 148 rear spacing. I suspect I'm about to be learned on this.

FBinNY 

As noted above, just about the whole drive train, likely including the rear wheel.

You should be able to keep your crankset, and possibly the FD, with some tweaking.

In any case it's expensive, and the gain probably insufficient to justify it, until or unless something like a crash would have you spending folding money anyway.

Mdavidh

I thought there was a way to convert the shifters?

FBinNY 

Depending on the brand and generation, it MIGHT be possible. But that would be the exception, and not the rule.

Steve B.

Ive never heard of that, the shifter mechanism pulls a defined length of cable, which would be different for 10-11 and 12 speed. It would involve opening the shifter and swapping the cable pull mechanism. Like I said never seen that.

70sSanO

I don't know SRAM, but spending a few minutes researching, the first step is to find out if you can convert your hubs to an XDR freehub body. If you want to run a road 12 speed I believe that is your only interface option. If you can't you are really starting from square one.

Even if you can swap the freehub body, (as others have pointed out), you are talking about replacing the drivetrain... well maybe, see link below.

I think this is the conversion you were talking about...
https://cyclingtips.com/2021/05/rati...l-upgrade-kit/

John

SoSmellyAir

This is only true with respect to SRAM 12 speed road. Shimano 12 speed road cassettes fit on HG11 freehubs:

12-speed R9200/R8100 Di2 and 11-speed Di2 compatibility (bettershifting.com)

WHY YOU NEED (OR DON'T NEED) SHIMANO'S NEW 12-SPEED WIRELESS DRIVETRAINS - Road Bike Action

Lombard

And if they are Shimano, there is no way to open up a shifter other than with a hammer. They are not serviceable.

squirtdad

you can upgrade to 12 speed you cannot convert

you would need at minimum 12 speed cassette, wheel and hub that fits the 12 speed cassette 12 speed chain, 12 speed shifters, 12 speed crankset, 12 speed derailleurs, might be able to salvage the brakes it depends

.

bluehills3149

The OP is correct.- there is an 11 to 12 spd conversion kit for SRAM road shifters from a company called Ratio Technology.. Some details here:
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/ratio...onversion-kit/
There are also other brands of cassettes such as Sunshine and Zitto which are 12 spd. How well they work? Maybe others can chime in. I believe they fit standard Shimano freehubs which could reduce costs.

Yan 

SRAM makes some low end 12 speed mountain cassettes that will fit on your hub.

MartinDgr

Despite all the negative comments, in some cases you can convert from 10 to 12 speed by changing the cassette, chain, derailleur and shifter only. You can use your existing freehub if it's a Shimano HG 8/9/10 speed freehub. There are a few exceptions of course. The cassette's smallest sprocket must be 11 teeth or greater. The 10 tooth one needs a different freehub body. Also, there are some shimano HG freehubs that only work with 10 speed but they are rare.

Prices for those parts vary of course depending on what brand you buy. I've seen a no name brand cassette and Shimano chain, derailleur and shifter for sale on Aliexpress for $140AUD.

kcjc

Road? You can get a 2x12 Sensah Empire Pro groupset for under $200, https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2271799817676187.html. I don't have the 12-speed, but 4 bikes with their 11-speed. It should be very similar. I actually prefer the 2x11 Sensah Empire Pro and swapped out my Dura Ace 9100 and Ultegra 6800 setups. It's just a bit heavier but I like the shifting more than my Shimano and welcome that 34.

cpach

This is a specific case where it makes some sense! Look into the Ratio Components kits. https://ratiotechnology.com/product/2x12sh-upgrade-kit/ would probably be the best option for you--the kits to use current 12sp SRAM cassettes would require a lot more replacement parts. You could use your existing shifters and derailleurs, and could use your 11SP road compatible wheels. I'd see how it shifted with your existing chainrings--it often works fine.

choddo

That write-up of the Ratio shifter conversion suggests it’s marketed for 1x. Don’t know what the OP has (I assume Red comes in both flavours) but does it work ok with a 2x?

Yan 

rosefarts

In reference to the Ratio gizmo to turn 10 to 12.

Why are y’all talking about the front derailleur? If the bike is 2x now, the goal is probably to go 1x. Even if it’s not his goal, that would be a part I would try before I’d change.

My guess is that with a few minor adjustments, that 10sp front derailleur and 10sp shifter will work just fine on a 12sp chain with 12sp rings.

For spacing, 135 quick release is the same thing as 142 thru axle. Companies like Bitex make good hubs that adapt to either. The trouble is aesthetically, because most (all?) of the hubs that would fit a 10-42 cassette are going to be for a disc brake. The police will not show up if you use a disc hub and build a rim brake wheel, but it might bug you.

The problem is that the bike is probably 130mm. That might get tricky.

Rear hub/wheel, rear derailleur, cassette, Ratio gizmo, 12sp chain, 12sp ring/rings. And a little bit of luck.

choddo

“If the bike is 2x now, the goal is probably to go 1x”

Go through all that effort to lose range of gears? Unless he’s said that explicitly, that he wants 1x for some other reason, that would surprise me to be honest but maybe you’re right.