You can now use Ratio’s 12-speed gearing upgrade with a 10-speed SRAM shifter
Ratio Technology – the company that created a way to turn your SRAM 11-speed mechanical road shifter into a 12-speed SRAM Eagle shifter – has released two more closely-related products.
A cable spool
Firstly, Ratio has developed its own shifter cable spool that can be used as a replacement part, which also now opens up the conversion of 10-speed SRAM mechanical road shifters (in addition to the previous 11-speed) for use with Ratio’s 12-speed kits.
According to Ratio, the plastic cable spool was one of the most common failure points for SRAM mechanical road shifters and as it wasn’t available as a spare part from SRAM, it often left otherwise functional shifters going to waste.
Ratio’s version allows the conversion of older 10-speed shifters for use with Ratio’s 12-speed conversion kits, or can be used as a replacement part in 11-speed shifters. This little spool sells for £9.50 before postage.
An AXS 12-speed conversion
SRAM’s existing 12-speed road groupsets only exist in eTap AXS wireless form, but Ratio Technology has found a way to add a cable into the mix.
This new conversion kit effectively converts existing SRAM 1×11 (or 1×10) road, gravel, or CX shifters and rear derailleurs into a unique 1×12 AXS configuration that makes use of SRAM’s Flat Top 12-speed chain and matching cassettes and chainrings. This is different to Ratio’s pre-existing kit which works on a different cable pull ratio for use with an Eagle rear derailleur.
The conversion kit (£99.50 plus postage) includes the shifter components to convert your existing SRAM mechanical shifter into a 12-speed item, along with new Flat-Top-chain-friendly jockey wheels (with Enduro sealed bearings, no less) for your existing 11-speed “1x-specific Exact Actuation™” rear derailleur. Examples of these rear derailleurs include SRAM Force 1, Rival 1, Apex 1, or older Force CX and Rival CX.
Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that SRAM’s 12-speed Flat Top chain uses an oversized roller and so you will need to buy into SRAM’s matching cassettes and chainrings (or cranksets). Add to that, the cassettes are currently only available to suit XDR freehub bodies and so your existing freehub will likely need replacement.
Ok, so Ratio’s original product release converted a SRAM 11-speed (and now 10-speed) road shifter into a 12-speed shifter for use with a SRAM Eagle mountain bike rear derailleur. This was damn clever and opened up a whole new gearing range of 10-50 or 10-52 cassettes to pre-existing SRAM users.
By contrast, this latest 12-speed conversion kit feels quite a bit more niche in application given SRAM’s 12-speed AXS cassettes are more limited in range. Currently the widest SRAM 12-speed AXS road cassette on offer is a 10-36T – not all that different from an existing SRAM PG-1170 11-speed 11-36T cassette. And it’s worth noting that the original 11-speed configuration also allows the use of just about any aftermarket 11-speed chainring and chain.
That does leave me wondering who this new 12-speed AXS conversion is for. One option might be the competitive cyclocross racer who wants tighter spaced gearing or a slightly higher top gear. Another potential may be the person who owns a new SRAM AXS 12-speed road bike and wants to share wheels with their older CX or gravel bike that’s running 1×11 SRAM mechanical.
And while Ratio hasn’t at all suggested this to be possible, I suspect you may also be able use this kit to turn your existing SRAM Red22, Force 22 or Rival 22 drivetrain into a 24. That would involve a new 2x crankset, cassette and chain, but potentially re-using your existing front derailleur. It seems plausible, but I haven’t tested whether the front shifting spacing is suitable.
Either way, it’s a welcome development to see new options opened for older parts at a time where SRAM is continually driving toward a wireless world with more premium pricing.
Visit the Ratio Technology website to learn more about compatibility and installation.
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