Is there likely to be any problem running a setup like XT M8000 mech (11-42?) on an 11-28 road cassette? Not going to end up dangling in no mans land with insufficient chain wrap, or clattering against the 11t because it was expecting a steeper slop down the gears?

I’m not convinced by my CX bikes shifting and think a shimano MTB mech with a shiftmate might work better than the Rival 22 it came with (and don’t want to spring for a whole GRX group set). The other option is go 1x with an XTR cassette (plus XT shirter and shiftmate).

Nah, I run either an 11-32 or 11-36 cassette with a long cage apex 1 mech, not a single issue.

How do you find the Apex1 shifting? That’s the other option. I just kinda figured the nuclear option of a shimano mtb mech was at least guaranteed to solve the slow shifting issue in the mud.

XT M8000 = 11speed CX = STI’s AKA brifters not my favourite word but works (and not the clinic STI)

pretty firmly under impression that Shimano 11 speed road and MTB have different pull ratios ? would be happy to be proved wrong so if anyone has a link to an up to date pull ratios chart I’d like that

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Bicycles/Maintenance_and_Repair/Gear-changing_Dimensions

^^^plenty of detail in there thanks I have problems and that helps

…my conclusion would be as per my earlier statement Shimano road shifters 11 speed are a no no with mtb 11 speed rear mech ?

Edit ? added can never be too sure

…my conclusion would be as per my earlier statement Shimano road shifters 11 speed are a no no with mtb 11 speed rear mech ?

Edit ? added can never be too sure

They’re a no no.

You can however buy a Wolftooth Tanpan which changes the cable pull ratio so you can use Shimano 11 speed road shifters with MTB rear mech’s.

With regards the OP’s original question, I run a long cage Force CX1 frear mech with either an 11-28 or 11-32 cassette with no problems.

I’ve never gone as far as buying and trying, but I’ve often thought about replacing the 8-speed 11-30 cassette on the Wazoo with a 13-26, to give smaller sprocket jumps and still a reasonable gear range for road use given the 24/38 chainrings.

But the long cage rd-310 rear mech officially has 28T as the minimum easiest sprocket (and officially supports at least 34T) IIRC and I forgot all about this when I ordered a replacement mech a couple of months ago.

Albeit just like on my road bike, I’ve needed to sort out a replacement rear mech cable for months, so I’ve been typically stuck in 17T… Which makes https://www.strava.com/segments/19814823 a bit of a slog of late on the commute home using a 700x50mm Schwalbe Century up front and 26×4″ JJ on the rear!

…my conclusion would be as per my earlier statement Shimano road shifters 11 speed are a no no with mtb 11 speed rear mech ?

From my OP

shimano MTB mech with a shiftmate

The cable wraps around the pulley which has a step in it, so it changes the amount of cable pulled per shift. They make one for pretty much every combination of shifters/mech. The “9” will take a SRAM road shifter and make it work with a shimano MTB mech.

I use a 10sp XTR mech & Zee shifter with a 11/28 & 11/40 cassette and never had any issues, just remember to adjust the limit screw when changing cassette or it’ll not shift well.

How do you find the Apex1 shifting?

Absolutely fine, much like my Force CX1,just a bit chunkier