How well would this work? Is the spacing and thickness of a 9spd chainring so different than a 10spd chainring that it wouldn’t work? I’m not talking about cranksets like from FSA that claim compatibility with both. I’m thinking instead of 9spd specific cranksets like a cheapie Sora or Tiagra.
Thanks!
– Boris
You *might *get it to work in certain cases, but the tolerances are different enough that unless they are designed to go both ways, you will have shifting issues, especially under load.
I recently upgraded my whole drivetrain/shifters to Ultegra 10, with the exception of keeping my old DA 9 crankset… done several long/hilly rides since with plenty of front shifting, works fine. Every once in awhile when dropping from big to small ring, the chain will “float” for just a moment before engaging the teeth, but it’s not even half a pedal stroke, only barely enough to notice. Could possibly be an issue if you were to try it while standing, but then you should know better than to attempt a boner move like that anyway.
I’ve mixed and matched various chain and chainring combinations for years and never had a particular problem (I switched from 8 to 10 cogs in the back and only changed out the chain and cassette). Of course, this may be because I don’t expect my shifting to be flawless and don’t want to spend the time to keep it that way. If you want perfect shifting, I would recommend you keep all the system together and spend the time to maintain it. If acceptable shifting is the goal then mix and match components to your heart’s content.
Chad