Compatibility – which parts can be interchanged with which.
Updated: 09/09/2020. This post will explain bottom bracket compatibility. Which bottom brackets (BBs) can be combined with which crankset standards. Posts that explain in detail the history and construction of each BB standard can be found here: 1 History and threaded BB standards 2 Threadless (press fit) bb standards T47 – a new threaded BB … Read more
Updated: 15/03/2020. This post addresses bicycle crankset compatibility in terms of mixing various speed cranksets with other components. For example: an 8 speed crankset on a bicycle with 10 rear sprockets and a 10 speed chain (a), or a triple chainring with a front derailleur (FD) constructed for double chainrings (b). It will also address … Read more
Updated: 16/11/2018. This post will explain mechanical bicycle brake compatibility (i.e. brakes with cable actuation, not hydraulic) of both calipers and levers. Hydraulic brakes will be explained in a separate article. For explanation of terms like amount of lever cable pull and mechanical advantage, look at this article: Mechanical brakes – working principle. 1. Amount of cable … Read more
Updated: 09/09/2020. Rear shifters are of course used to shift gears at the back – that is to control the rear derailleur (RD in the future) which then moves the chain from one rear sprocket to the other. In this post, first there will be a short explanation of difference between friction and indexed shifters, … Read more
Updated: 27/09/2019. This post explains bicycle front shifter compatibility, i.e. which shifters can be mixed with which front derailleurs, chains and chainrings. Front shifter lever is used to control the front derailleur, that is to change gears in the front. There are numerous designs of various manufacturers. However, for compatibility considerations, the only important factor … Read more
Updated: 27/09/2019. This post explains bicycle front derailleur compatibility of various makes and models. For a detailed explanation of front derailleur (FD in the rest of this post) mounting systems, cable routing and capacity, read this article: Front derailleur. FDs differ in several categories (they are all explained with pictures in above linked FD article): Mounting: braze … Read more
Updated: 29/09/2020. This post explains bicycle rear derailleur compatibility, i.e. what derailleurs can work with which number of rear sprockets (cassettes) and which rear shifters. For explanation of other rear derailleur functioning and limitations, such as chain wrap capacity, read this article: Rear derailleur. Basic terms and what to pay attention to Most modern bicycles have … Read more
Updated: 13/06/2019. Note: this article explains compatibility in terms of rear sprocket mounting and proper gear shifting. For other important facts about rear hubs, read the following articles: Rear hub Freewheel vs Freehub Compatibility categories will be sorted by number of rear sprockets. It is important to note that there are three major rear freehub standards – a) … Read more
Updated: 16/11/2018. Related article: Speeds – rear sprockets. This post will explain bicycle cassette compatibility i.e. what cassettes can be mixed with which rear shifters/derailleurs. For compatibility with various chains, see: Chain compatibility post. Overview of compatibility and possible combinations will be given according to the number of sprockets. From old 6 sprocket standard, to the newest … Read more
Updated: 29/07/2019. This post explains bicycle chains compatibility – which chains can be combined with which number of “speeds”. First basic facts about chain will be explained. Then compatibility and possible mixing will be given per number of speeds a chain is designed for. From one to 12 speeds. Basic bicycle chains facts All the … Read more
Updated: 16/11/2018. This is the first in a series of posts, explaining: combining various different bicycle parts – what can be combined with what, so that it works fine. There are various standards for bicycle parts. 6, 10, or 11 sprockets at the back, road, MTB shifters etc. There are also different manufacturers’ standards. When replacing … Read more
