2013 Shimano Dura Ace 9000 11 speed Ribbed Polymer Cables to 2012 Dura Ace 7900 10 speed Shifters

At last, we can make our 10 speed Dura Ace 7900 shifters work as good as it should...thanks to the newer Dura Ace 9000 polymer coated and ribbed cables, right??Theortetically, yes. But, what about the extra clamping force that Shimano says is needed for these cables because they are sooo slippery?

Well, let's find out....when I install em later this month....possibly tomorrow Tuesday 16th...

You know these cables are good when they're packed like this.

Be back in a bit...

We're back!

Yes, they worked as expected. Marked improvement over stock 7900 setup to the point where it's excellent. 

What I did:

Used new Dura Ace 9000 polymer, ribbed cables with my stock new average housings on 7900 shifter + 6700 r.d. + 11-32 XT cassette on Rocky Mountain Prestige carbon road bike (typical external cable routing).

 

Friggin awesome!  Of course, not as quick/shorter-throwing or light as the current 9000 shifters BUT, pretty darn close and way better than any stock 7900 setup due to the 9000 cables alone.  They do make that much of a difference just as Shimano claimed (20-27%? reduction in friction). So far no issues with the cable clamping but if so, I figure one could simply remove the coating by abrading it off.

Also, big money saved as I avoided approx. $800 to fully upgrade to 9000. While I got the biggest benefit of the 9000 group (super slick shifting via polymer cables) for about $20. But, I got em by getting the complete pair of 9000 shifters.  I still do not know if these cables are available for sale alone. I know they are not available through any of our suppliers. However, I have not checked Shimano Canada...