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Can I use a 3x10 or 2x11 front derailleur on a 3x11 drivetrain?

Bicycles Asked on November 23, 2021

I recently started changing the drivetrain on my Trail 6 (2020) and I wanted to jump to 3×11 from the 2×9 mixed Altus/Alivio it came as stock. My mistake was not paying attention to the type of pull my frame was built for, for the front derailleur: it’s bottom pull.

I have all the components installed on the frame: 3×11 22-30-40 XT crankset, 22-40 11spd sprocket, 11spd XT chain with 138 links and 3×11 SLX Shifters. But the front derailleur had front pull which, sadly, cannot be used on the bike’s frame. For the moment, I’m using the default 2/3×9 Altus front derailleur but, as you may assume, it’s kinda bad (25% of the ratios cannot be used due to excessive chain rubbing and whatnot).

After extensive search, I’ve realized that there are no 3×11 front derailleurs with bottom or dual pull… only 2×11 or 3×10. Since i`m not gonna return the drivetrain (I’ve tested it for 2 days and it started showing signs of wear/tear, as is normal), my question is: can I reliably (or semi-reliably) use a 2×11 or 3×10 front derailleur with a 3×11 transmission? If yes, which of the two is more recommended?

One Answer

In case someone else finds himself/herself in my shoes, here's how it all turned out for me... so, the previous FD was a 2x9 Shimano Altus and it still managed to move the chain from one chainring to another. Since there was no 3x11 option with a different type of pull, other than front, i took a chance and ordered a 3x10 Deore SLX. Besides the usual min-maxes which cause chain rubbing, i also have some chain rubbing when on the mid chainring with the 2 largest sprockets. Otherwise, shifting is good, 9/10 it happens without any delays or the chain getting stuck between gears. I am still observing the behavior of the whole setup but as far as front derailleur goes, 3x10 seems to have ~93% compatibility with a 3x11 drivetrain. Thank you all for your time and answers.

Answered by Chris on November 23, 2021

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