# ultegra 9 to 10 upgrade Qs



## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

Howdy yo

I broke a lever on my Ultegra 9 6501s and went looking for replacements...

Much to my suprise, it seems that 6600 10 shifters sell for less on ebay than 6501 9s. This got me to thinking, why not also pick up a 10 speed der, chain and casette? Do I also need different chain rings? Does the narrower width of a 10 speed chain work on a 10 year old 9 speed ring? Most of the wheels I have looked at advertise "Shimano 8,9, or 10 spd." Is it universal that a Shimano freehub that accepts 8 will also accept 9 or 10? I know the spacing has gotten progressively tighter, but it seems a prudent question.

Can anyone comment on experience with Modolo Morphos shifters? They are advertised as working with shimano and campy, and at about 1/2 the cost. Anyone?

Or what about a source for replacement levers only? I broke the small lever on the right, and it seems that I am not into the "immpossible" part of the unit. I think I can get it back together pretty easily at this point.

Thanks for your help....


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

brujenn said:


> Howdy yo
> 
> I broke a lever on my Ultegra 9 6501s and went looking for replacements...
> 
> ...


For the change to 10-speed you need levers, cassette and chain only.

Never heard anybody say anything good about the Modolo shifters.

eBay is your best source for a replacement. 6510 is much more available than 6501, but I think they look a little different.

TF


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

*Not der?*



TurboTurtle said:


> For the change to 10-speed you need levers, cassette and chain only.
> 
> Never heard anybody say anything good about the Modolo shifters.
> 
> ...


And der, right? Or is it the indexing in the shifter and adjustment of the stops that allows a 9 spd derailleur to become a 10?


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

brujenn said:


> And der, right? Or is it the indexing in the shifter and adjustment of the stops that allows a 9 spd derailleur to become a 10?


The shifter just moves less cable per index. - TF


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## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

Does that mean the rear derailleur on a 9 speed bike replaced with a 10 speed rear shifter, 10 speed chain, and a 10 speed cassette will work without replacing the derailleur?


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

lawrence said:


> Does that mean the rear derailleur on a 9 speed bike replaced with a 10 speed rear shifter, 10 speed chain, and a 10 speed cassette will work without replacing the derailleur?


Correct - TF


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

Thanks for the help, TF


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## austex (Sep 20, 2004)

And you don't even need the cassette and chain right away - 10sp shifter can be made to shift a 9sp cassette, per Sheldon: http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html , about 1/4 way down the page.


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## coasterbrake (Jun 10, 2006)

Your probably going to need a 10spd front derailleur and ten speed inner chainring, or else your going to get sluggish shifting on the front. The big ring will still work but the inner ring of 10spd is set closer to the big ring to account for narrower spacing.


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## bigman (Nov 30, 2004)

Does anybody have any experience with this, running 9 speed drivetrain with 10 speed shifters??


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

bigman said:


> Does anybody have any experience with this, running 9 speed drivetrain with 10 speed shifters??


I haven't done it, but reading through this thread it seems pretty straightforward.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

bigman said:


> Does anybody have any experience with this, running 9 speed drivetrain with 10 speed shifters??


I have had the experience with a Scattante I used to have. My 6500 shifter went out and I replaced them with a set of 6600 shifters. The shop that did the switch told me that there is a spacer that goes in there. It will then allow for 9 speed shifting. It worked well but then I finally decided to upgrade the entire bike to 10 speed. I also didn't have to swap out the derailleurs either. The only thing i needed was the cassette. The shifting was just as accurate as my full 10 speed rigs. I told my LBS about that and they weren't surprised. The owner told me that most of your shifting depends mainly on the shifters. You can put Ultegra shifters on a Tiagra group and it will shift like Ultegra (granted it won't be as light but it will be as accurate). Most of what you here about needing a full group is marketing hype. Those who buy into it, will tell you that. The higher level components are more durable, but not by much.


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