Campag 9/10 compatibility

lmrt
lmrt Posts: 935
edited June 2007 in Workshop
I currently have a 25 tooth bottom sprocket on my Record 2006 10 speed set up - no problems at all.

However this weekend is the White Rose Classic with some seriously steep hills that I'd rather pedal, than grovel up.

LBS have sold out of low ratio campag cassettes!

I have a 9 speed cassette & mech on my audax/winter bike with nice low gears (28 or 29 I think)

Can I a) use the 9 cassette on my best 10 speed bike
or b) use the 9 cassette & 9 rear mech with a 10 speed lever

I don't fancy swapping the levers over, nor do I fancy using the heavier bike.

Any useful advice appreciated, thanks

Comments

  • ashbyalien
    ashbyalien Posts: 609
    i think you'll have problems shifting if you have a nine speed cassette on. surely it wont index correctly.

    <font size="1"><font color="red">www.myspace.com/sfcv2</font id="red"></font id="size1">
  • pbiggs
    pbiggs Posts: 9,232
    The sprockets will be too <s>close together</s> far apart with a 9-speed cassette.

    There's just time to order a 13-29 online. Check the dealer has stock and will despatch the same day by 1st class or similar.

    Get a new chain as well if you think your current one may be too worn or short.

    <i>~Pete</i>
    <i>~Pete</i>
  • binlinus
    binlinus Posts: 305
    Hi

    Nine and Ten speed sprockets are almost identical in thicknes but the spacers are thinner for the Ten speed. Take the Ten speed cassette off the hub and remove the biggest four cogs. Take the Nine speed cassette and remove the largest four cogs.

    Don't mix the spacers up. Put the Ten speed cassette together with Ten speed spacers but the four big Nine speed cogs. Got the picture? Screw on the lockring and take it for a test ride. It may not shift quite as sweet between the Ten and Nine speed cogs but it should work.

    Don't mix the spacers up!

    It works the other way round as well. You can use Ten speed cassettes on a nine speed bike. Take the fifth or six cog out and use the nine speed spacers.

    Don't mix the spacers up.

    You could also try just swapping two or three cogs.

    Don't mix the spacers up.

    See Sheldon Brown's page for reference
    http://sheldonbrown.com/speeds.html

    HTH

    Bin
  • binlinus
    binlinus Posts: 305
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by pbiggs</i>

    The sprockets will be too close together with a 9-speed cassette.

    <i>~Pete</i>
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    You mean too far apart, surely? That is if you were to put the 9 speed cass with its spacers and use a Ten speed lever.

    Bin
  • pbiggs
    pbiggs Posts: 9,232
    ...Yes, sorry that's what I meant.

    Thanks for the correction, Bin.
    <i>~Pete</i>
  • lmrt
    lmrt Posts: 935
    Cheers fellas

    I'll try what you suggest, however the largest two sprockets on the 10 (23 & 25) are joined together through a built in spacer. I'll try it out on Saturday as I'm away for a couple of days now. I'll report back after the event if it seems ok on Saturday.

    Cheers
  • binlinus
    binlinus Posts: 305
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by lmrt</i>

    Cheers fellas

    I'll try what you suggest, however the largest two sprockets on the 10 (23 & 25) are joined together through a built in spacer.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    That's not a problem. Just take those two cogs out and put in two Nine speed cogs with one nine speed spacer. It should work ok as the extra distance between the cogs will be less than half a millimetre. You may have to tweak the cable tension one way or the other and you may have difficulty shifting into the smallest cog (because it will be half a millimetre further from the spokes and so the rear mech won't throw the chain far enough) but since you want the lower gears more than the higer ones it'll do the job.

    Bin
  • Steve928
    Steve928 Posts: 314
    Is that really going to work? What about the fact that the largest sprocket on a 10s cassette is recessed over the freehub end stops (making it closer to the spokes) while the 9s sprocket is flat. Surely this and the extra thickness of the 9s sprockets will mean that you have precious little lockring thread engaged and/or trouble clearing the dropout at the outer end?

    Just asking - I've not tried it.
  • pbiggs
    pbiggs Posts: 9,232
    It is possible to fit a bit more onto the freehub than it was designed for and still get the lockring to lock. Some frames have clearance to spare for this, some don't.

    I think my suggestion of ordering a 13-29 cassette (and chain) today is a safer bet, though a lot more expensive.
    <i>~Pete</i>
  • lmrt
    lmrt Posts: 935
    Thanks again guys. I considered ordering a new cassette but I won't be at home till Saturday PM and the chances are the parcel would be left in the postal depot, so I wouldn't have it in time. I'll try to run the modified set up Saturday pm and if it seems ok I'll use it Sunday. If not, then I'll just have to push it with the 25 on the day. The Coal Road climb at Garsdale Head is the particular climb that I'm expecting to struggle on - I think it's the hardest of the lot.

    Cheers.
  • binlinus
    binlinus Posts: 305
    Hi

    Good point SteveN. I'd forgotten about the recess on the big 10 cog. That adds another half millimetre, so the overall width of the cassette will be about a millimetre extra. If you can find a 10 speed spare spacer you'd be better off otherwise you are losing a full turn on the lockring. [engage caps lock] DON'T DO IT UP TOO TIGHT!

    Bin
  • BobbyB
    BobbyB Posts: 62
    Or taking a completely deifferent tack, mix and match to your hearts content with this...

    http://www.jtekengineering.com/shiftmate.htm

    Don't think it'll help by this weekend though. Have fun!

    Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now
    Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now
  • pbiggs
    pbiggs Posts: 9,232
    The lockring needs surprisingly little amount of thread to do the job. It does then need to be quite tight - just don't go too mad.

    So you can get away with more than 1mm "extra" as far as that's concerned. More the issue will be clearance between the lockring and bike frame, and also indexing if the spacing isn't quite right.
    <i>~Pete</i>
  • lmrt
    lmrt Posts: 935
    Unfortunately the idea didn't work. I found that I had another 10 speed cassette so I used a spacer from that, but even swapping only the two largest (lowest ratio) sprockets from the 9 speed cassette allowed me to only stack 9 sprockets in total before running out of room on the freewheel body. In other words the 10th sprocket couldn't slot on to the body.

    I rode the WRC with a 39/25 bottom. I found on the second climb that I didn't seem too strong on the hills. Made it up Fleet Moss but had to push the bike up the middle section of the Coal Road, then two other steep sections on different climbs. Was able to ride the final climb (that most people walked). Still got a gold standard so not too bad.

    Cheers fellas

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