GRX 400 compatible Low Clamp FD

[digga_fish]

Hi,

what a nice new forum. Everything is new and shiny.

I'm looking forward to get a Cotic Cascade Dropper MTB. That frame is just made for 1x drivetrains, however I'm pretty into 2x and don't wanna change that.

Apparently the Dropper post cable is blocking the GRX FD high clamp, so I need a GRX 400 compatible low clamp FD for 46t.
Any ideas? Could the Deore XT FD T8000 work?


Cheers
mattis

 

[BikeGremlin]

Hi,

what a nice new forum. Everything is new and shiny.

I'm looking forward to get a Cotic Cascade Dropper MTB. That frame is just made for 1x drivetrains, however I'm pretty into 2x and don't wanna change that.

Apparently the Dropper post cable is blocking the GRX FD high clamp, so I need a GRX 400 compatible low clamp FD for 46t.
Any ideas? Could the Deore XT FD T8000 work?


Cheers
mattis

Hi Mattis,

Good thinking, I think you're on the right track (it is what I would try ).

Brief answer:
It just might work OK... ish.
Worth a try in my opinion.

Explanation (with a disclaimer that I haven't tried the combo):

Shimano GRX front and rear derailleur cable pull is equivalent with the Shimano new road cable pull (that is the 11-speed road, and the 10-speed Tiagra 4700) - as discussed in my drivetrain component compatibility articles.

Hence, Shimano GRX front shifter levers pull more cable than is needed to operate Shimano MTB front derailleurs.

However, FD movement can (and should) be limited with limit screws.

If shifter cable tension and adjustment is set to allow for the shifter's click to work, even with limited travel (limited by the FD's limit screws), you might be able to make the shift, with the FDs movement limiting bolt setup preventing any overshifting.

You probably won't be able to use the shifter's trimming options (the extra "small clicks"), but it might just shift OK, if not perfectly.

Note (for anyone reading this later on and considering trying it vice-versa):
Doing it the other way round, i.e. using MTB shifters with a Shimano 11-speed road or GRX front derailleurs will probably not work very nicely, as the MTB shifters might not pull enough cable to make a shift.

Relja FrictionShifters Novović

 

[digga_fish]

I get it. And worst case I have a little loose cable when I'm on the small chainring and the FD is just limited by the screw, hence the small clicks don't work.

Thanks for the quick answer, and Shimano... what a mess...