# SRAM compatible wheels



## david462 (Jan 3, 2008)

i signed up for the RS2 group buy, and am considering building it with sram force (thank you tax returns).

i havnt found many wheels that are compatible with sram though. they all say shimano or campy. only ones ive found are fulcrums and i think mavic.

im looking to buy just the rear wheel for now (already have shimano r560 wheelset on my road bike), and spending about $500 max (on the rear wheel)

i have some experience building wheels...i know how to lace different cross patterns and how to true a wheel, but i have never built a higher quality road bike wheel. i know a guy that can help me dial it in, but would that be the way to go? i havnt looked into it much cause i wanted to ask here what wheels are compatible with sram first.

edit: what is E10 and M10??? i know E10 is campy and M10 is shimano/sram, but does that mean that shimano and sram will work on the same hub? if so, does that mean i can just use my shimano r560 wheelset with sram force?


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## LookDave (Sep 29, 2007)

SRAM works with any Shimano-compatible hub. Not compatible with Campy. If you can run a Shimano cassette, you can run SRAM.


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## Roadrider22 (May 24, 2006)

That is not totally true and don't go down the path that I did. I thought that any shimano hub would be compatable with a Sram cassette but that is not true. Only the Shimano 9/10 speed hub that requires a spacer for the shimano 10 speed cassette is compatable with Sram cassettes. I was doing two Sram builds and ordered a 2008 Fulcrum and a 2008 Easton wheelsets. Both came with the Shimano 10 speed only hub and I was shocked to find out Sram would not fit. Look for wheels with the Shimano 9/10 speed freehub body if you want to use a Sram cassette.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Any Shimano compatable hub with the aluminum deep spline freehub body will not work with sram cassettes. All others (steel or titanium) will work.


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## JTM (Jan 14, 2008)

Does anyone know if SRAM is going to address this? Or is it something the wheel manufactures should address and go back to the old standard? I am building up a new bike w/ SRAM and was considering Fulcrum wheels until I found out about this. I still may if I can find a Fulcrum set that was made before they switched to the new 10 spd. freehub body (vs. the old which have the 8,9,10 bodies).


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## bopApocalypse (Aug 30, 2006)

JTM said:


> Does anyone know if SRAM is going to address this? Or is it something the wheel manufactures should address and go back to the old standard? I am building up a new bike w/ SRAM and was considering Fulcrum wheels until I found out about this. I still may if I can find a Fulcrum set that was made before they switched to the new 10 spd. freehub body (vs. the old which have the 8,9,10 bodies).


You do realize that probably 90% of the Shimano-compatible wheels are 8/9/10 compatible, right? The 10s-only never gained enough traction that many mfrs started using it.

If you're really set on using a wheel with the 10s-only body, just get a shimano 10s cassette (Ultegra or D-A only) - they're the same spacing as sram. problem solved.


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## android (Nov 20, 2007)

JTM said:


> Does anyone know if SRAM is going to address this? Or is it something the wheel manufactures should address and go back to the old standard? I am building up a new bike w/ SRAM and was considering Fulcrum wheels until I found out about this. I still may if I can find a Fulcrum set that was made before they switched to the new 10 spd. freehub body (vs. the old which have the 8,9,10 bodies).


There's no need to change the SRAM cassette. 
Even Shimano dumped the 10 speed only hub and went back to the old standard 8/9/10 compatible freehub body. The 10 speed only Al body was a DumbIdea(tm).


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## JTM (Jan 14, 2008)

I realize that nobody accepted the new 10 standard however it's my understanding is that all new Fulcrum wheels are made with the new/dumped standard and I didn't really want to buy a different cassette since I just bought a new SRAM cassette.


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## swimmingskibble (Apr 9, 2007)

I just ran into the same freakin' problem. I have a 10 only dura-ace hub and I tried putting the force cassettes on and discovered to my dismay that the don't fit. I am just going to either try to find a new freehub, or different cassettes that will work (depending on which option is cheaper.) Anybody have any info for freehub replacements?


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## LookDave (Sep 29, 2007)

Roadrider22 said:


> That is not totally true and don't go down the path that I did. I thought that any shimano hub would be compatable with a Sram cassette but that is not true. Only the Shimano 9/10 speed hub that requires a spacer for the shimano 10 speed cassette is compatable with Sram cassettes. I was doing two Sram builds and ordered a 2008 Fulcrum and a 2008 Easton wheelsets. Both came with the Shimano 10 speed only hub and I was shocked to find out Sram would not fit. Look for wheels with the Shimano 9/10 speed freehub body if you want to use a Sram cassette.


Didn't know that - thanks for correcting my misinformation! Sorry if I misled the OP...


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Cheaper to buy a Shimano 10sp cassette than to buy a new wheel. I use SRAM cassettes and Shimanos interchangably on Shimano drivetrains. I don't know why a Shimano cassette wouldn't work with SRAM.


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## sidsport (Mar 3, 2007)

I use shimano cassettes (and chains) with SRAM Rival on road and 'cross bikes and have found them to be smoother than the SRAM cassettes. This is how most of the Saunier Duval bikes were set up last year.


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## Mega Cycle (Jul 29, 2007)

I want to buy a set of Fulcrum racing zeros, but the only hub options are Shimano/SRAM and Shimano/Dura Ace. I have an Ultegra SL cassette. Which do I pick?

HELP!


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## Roadrider22 (May 24, 2006)

The options are really Shimano 9 and 10 speed compatable which will also be compatable with Sram or Shimano 10 only which is compatable with all Shimano 10 speed cassettes (not any 9 speed) but not Sram. If you know you will stay on Shimano 10 speed groups then the 10 only is OK.


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## Mega Cycle (Jul 29, 2007)

Sorry Roadrider22, I should have said I have a 10 speed Ultegra SL cassette. So does that mean I go for the Shimano/SRAM hubs?

Thanks


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## Roadrider22 (May 24, 2006)

My understanding is that any 10 speed Shimano road cassette will fit either Shimano hub. 9 speed Shimano and Sram 10 speed cassettes will fit only the 9/10 hub. If I was you I would get the 9/10 hub in case you ever want to move to Sram or in a resale situation it offers more options to buyers.


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## Mega Cycle (Jul 29, 2007)

sorry, what's the 9/10 hub? The available choices were Shimano/Dura Ace and Shimano/SRAM.

Sorry if I am being dumb!


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## Roadrider22 (May 24, 2006)

No problem. Get the Shimano / Sram option.


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## Mega Cycle (Jul 29, 2007)

Thanks!


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

Mega Cycle said:


> I want to buy a set of Fulcrum racing zeros, but the only hub options are Shimano/SRAM and Shimano/Dura Ace. I have an Ultegra SL cassette. Which do I pick?
> 
> HELP!


OK, here's the story.

Before 10-speed, Shimano used steel freehub bodies on all their hubs/wheels except the DA which used aluminum (lighter). The problem was that the cogs would cut into the aluminum splines - sometimes to the point of ruining the freehub body. So Shimano decided to use taller splines with more surface area to take the force of the cogs on their aluminum cassette bodies when they went to 10-speed. They made the DA-10, most Ultegra-10 (not those with 13 or larger smallest cogs - i.e. 'junior' cassettes) and 105-10 cassettes to accept the taller splines. This meant that the new DA hubs/wheels and Ultegra wheels (not hubs) were not compatible with 9-speed cassettes, the shallow 10-speed Shimano cassettes or any SRAM cassettes. Some other manufactures (as the above posters found out) followed suit with their wheels. Note that all Shimano compatible cassettes will fit the old-style short spline freehub bodies.

This year, Shimano evidently decided that this was a bad idea and started making their DA freehub bodies out of harder titanium with the old short splines so that everything again will fit. I don't know where they are with the Ultegra wheels at this time and, of course, some of the other manufacturers are still using the deep spline freehub bodies.

So, to answer your question on the Shimano/SRAM vs. the Shimano/DA Fulcrums - All Shimano compatible cassettes will fit the Shimano/SRAM type. Only 10-speed Shimano DA, Ultegra (not the 'juniors') and 105 will fit the Shimano/DA. But if the Fulcrum Shimano/SRAM freehub body is aluminum, you may have problems.

TF


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