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Chez Velo hacks Gevenalle w/ SRAM TT shifter on amazing 11-speed 28″ cyclocross concept bike

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Chez Velo gevenalle retroshift hack with SRAM TT 11-speed shifter

Gevenalle has been making quite a bit of headway lately, offering everything from mechanical and hydraulic brake levers matched to mechanical shift levers that can be set to either indexed or friction shift with models for short or long cable pull. One thing it can’t do (yet) is mate up to 11 speed cassettes.

But that didn’t stop Chez Velo, who wanted to use the simple, durable shifter lever combo to build up a slick 1×11 cyclocross bike, so they hacked it. By reversing the cable pull direction and mating a carbon SRAM TT shifter blade to it, they were able to make it work. But that’s really just the beginning of this incredibly cool build…

Chez Velo gevenalle retroshift hack with SRAM TT 11-speed shifter

Christian at Chez Velo said the shifter conversion took about two hours with a drill and file. Sure the rear derailleur is a stock SRAM CX1 unit, but he said the overall goal of this build was to put together something unique without the usual big brands.

To put 11 speeds out back, they used an Edco monoblock cassette. Thanks to the unique design of the single piece, lightweight cassette, it’ll fit 11 cogs on a standard 10-speed freehub body. That let them use standard mountain bike tires, which don’t yet have a lot of 11-speed freehub availability.

Chez Velo gevenalle retroshift hack with SRAM TT 11-speed shifter

They chose a 650B SpeedOne hardtail mountain bike frame, but put 29er wheels with Surly Knard 700×41 tires on it. They jokingly call it 28+, we call it pretty awesome.

Chez Velo gevenalle retroshift hack with SRAM TT 11-speed shifter

Check out more pics of the build and plenty other mashups on their Facebook page.

ChezVelo.com

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19 Comments
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bh
bh
9 years ago

I hate when my tires aren’t 11 speed compatible.

James S
James S
9 years ago

“That let them use standard mountain bike tires, which don’t yet have a lot of 11-speed freehub availability”.

I think you meant hubs and not tires. Those hubs look like they might be DT Swiss which do have 11 speed SRAM freehub drivers available. In fact, I think there are lots of high end companies making hubs that are compatible with 11 speed SRAM. Isn’t the spacing on an 11 speed Shimano cassette the same as 11 speed SRAM? If so, there’s really no point in the Edco cassette since Shimano cassettes will run on standard drivers.

Mike
Mike
9 years ago

You’re prolly right, but: “…he said the overall goal of this build was to put together something unique without the usual big brands.”

Adam
Adam
9 years ago

I was hoping the Goats would come up with this… wasn’t in the cards for them as of the time I had tweeted them. I’d like to see if these ever make production. Good alternative for hydro brakes/mech shifting for CX

Roy
Roy
9 years ago

I guess this would be a way to use TRP’s excellent hydro brakes with a mechanical shifter but I really don’t see the point in putting a shifter more in harms way than the stock sram unit? Really stupid hanging a shifter right out there at first point of impact… not sure about anyone else, but my cx bike shifters are showing nice gouges on the levers and have replaced a couple hoods over the seasons, and I rarely crash.. dig the monstercross look though!

The Goats
9 years ago

we love seeing the creative hacks with our gear.

@Adam – someday we will likely get a SRAM set up out for those who keep bugging us for them. Not a big rush for us, while cool we are simply focused on our core cx Shimano compatible offering.

@Roy – we already have a version of our shifter available built onto the excellent TRP Hylex brakes ($399 for CX1 H and $449 for CX2 H) so considerably less expensive and also inexpensive to fix (think from memory we will repair/replace a broken unit for $75. As far as the shift levers being on the leading edge of the brake lever this does somewhat put them more in harms way and we have seen a good few with scrapes and gouges but they have proven hardy to these types of impacts. The upside to the position is an increased capability.

Nice work Christian at Chez Velo!

The Goats

CXisfun
CXisfun
9 years ago

“the overall goal of this build was to put together something unique without the usual big brands.”

SRAM and TRP. Yeah, they really avoided the usual big brands.

“That let them use standard mountain bike tires, which don’t yet have a lot of 11-speed freehub availability.”

DAMMIT! Now my TIRES have to be 11 speed specific?

Come on guys, I’m to the point now where Bike Rumor is just a site I visit for a laugh, not actual news.

Champs
Champs
9 years ago

Guys, the whole thing is a hack. For fun. Have a little bit of it too, and a joyous week-before-New-Year thing.

iboc
iboc
9 years ago

Oh what a nice hack… whatever.

Not easy to use.

Why not using a real shifter?

Lighter? It’s an (deleted) chromoly bike… come on.

zak
zak
9 years ago

You can’t call it cyclocross bike. How should you shoulder that small frame? No way.

Buffalo Dave
Buffalo Dave
9 years ago

Can someone confirm that TT shifters have the correct pull for an 11 speed CX 1 rd?

christian
9 years ago

@Buffalo Dave, yes the 11-speed sram shifter serves very well the cx1 rd.

Dave B
Dave B
9 years ago

“Gevenalle has been making quite a bit of headway lately……One thing it can’t do (yet) is mate up to 11 speed cassettes.”

Hmmm, I wonder if the goats at Gevenelle are aware of this. Their website offers an 11-speed option, presumably matched with Shimano rear derailleurs, not SRAM, but it is 11-speed and the cassettes are pretty much interchangeable.

Velociraptor
Velociraptor
9 years ago

Buffalo Dave: There is an 11-speed version…. yes, it will work with a CX1 rear derailleur.

slow joe crow
slow joe crow
9 years ago

@james s, I think you are getting a bit mixed up on 11 speed cassettes. The SRAM 11 speed found on most MTB hubs is the SRAM specific XD driver to work with the 10T cog on XX1 cassettes. The Edco monobloc is a conventional 11T minimum cog cassette designed to work on standard 10 speed road or MTB freehubs. While Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo 11 speed road cassettes do have the same inter cog spacing, Shimano/SRAM cassettes use a longer freehub body than their 10 speed design which usually requires a different part.

bmanx
bmanx
9 years ago

@bh – I have news for you, your tires will never be 11 speed, 10 speed or even 40 speed. Now your wheels or even better yet your rear hub not being 11 speed can suck.

GevenalleFan
GevenalleFan
9 years ago
The Goats
9 years ago

@GevenalleFan – Yup Brandon at Sellwood Cycle Repair has made a few of these conversions for customers. Keep an eye on him as he will soon have some parts that might make this a bit easier this spring…

The Goats
http://www.gevenalle.com

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