Help I need smaller gears - what can I do? A GUIDE

dj58

Depends on your weight, fitness and the type of terrain you ride, the TCR should be lighter than the Defy and as you have a lower bottom gear on the 10sp TCR you should be fine. I use that set up on my 10sp Aluxx Defy (50/34T -12/30T) and find it adequate. If you feel you needed a taller high gear you could swop to a 11/28T cassette, though personally I think it is more beneficial to have the 30T cog.

svetty

Just to add to the thread: I have fitted my better half's bike (previously all 5700 105) with a 9 speed mountain bike rear mech and a 11-34 cassette. Shifts perfectly and she can now twiddle her 1:1 gear ratio up almost anything. Chain needed a bit of lengthening but it's a quick enough job for any half-capable home mechanic.

l33boy

Just my two cents... there is a 33T option for your Compact, TA do one and it almost gives me an extra gear.
I normally ride a 50/34 with an 11-28 on the back but I'm off to do the Cingles in Sept so that 33T in the box will come in useful. Of course I also have an 11-32 cassette in the toolbox but hoping not to need it... Training, training, training.....

Edit: I use a standard (10 speed) Sram red derailleur with that 11-28 but it will wrap a 32 on my frame... just!

Michael-B

Hi all,

Apologies if this particular question has been asked before - I had a look through but couldn't see anything.

I currently have a 7-speed and the lowest gearing is 39x24. I live in an area with plenty of 15%+ ramps so there's a lot of grinding at present!

I definitely want to change rear cassette and imagine 12-28 is feasible, but is 12-32? They're on sale at Rutland Cycling. And will I then need to change my chain?

The latter gearing would give me something approaching the ratio of current compacts and I plan to do a few hill climbs next year.

Thanks,
Michael

l33boy

Depends on your rear derailleur, which 7 speed setup is it?

Michael-B

Thanks for the quick reply... Shimano 600, so the one before Ultegra. It's an old Ribble I inherited and my LBS moved shifters from downtube to modern set up (not sure if that makes a difference though?)

drlodge

Sounds like the same setup as my old Condor, is it a uniglide freehub? If so I have a couple of ideas.

l33boy

Hi, Shimano recommend 28T maximum but so does my red and I can just wrap a 32.
Depending on your hanger you may stretch it to a 30 or 32. It really does depend on the hanger geometry and how far you can adjust the B-screw.
Or get a RoadLink or Road Fairy to drop the derailleur down so it wont be an issue.

Michael-B

drlodge wrote:

Sounds like the same setup as my old Condor, is it a uniglide freehub? If so I have a couple of ideas.

I'm not sure to be honest, will have a look once I'm back home

L33boy wrote:

Hi, Shimano recommend 28T maximum but so does my red and I can just wrap a 32.
Depending on your hanger you may stretch it to a 30 or 32. It really does depend on the hanger geometry and how far you can adjust the B-screw.
Or get a RoadLink or Road Fairy to drop the derailleur down so it wont be an issue.

Thanks for that, hadn't even heard of those!

l33boy

If you do go for the extender I recommend this one
http://gearmechhanger.com/epages/950001649.sf/?Locale=en_GB&ObjectPath=/Shops/950001649/Products/S14&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6uO-BRDbzujwtuzAzfkBEiQAAnhJ0EObvnCtzrYIXS9X7ohfLP4VjxU4B1lkEdZT6JvPqpEaAteL8P8HAQ

drlodge

Yeh check the freehub. If its a Uniglide then you can do as I have - 34/50 chainring front with 12 or 13-28 cassette on the rear. Might be able to go even bigger on the cassette with a roadlink.

Michael-B

drlodge wrote:

Yeh check the freehub. If its a Uniglide then you can do as I have - 34/50 chainring front with 12 or 13-28 cassette on the rear. Might be able to go even bigger on the cassette with a roadlink.

This will no doubt be a daft question for those who know about this stuff - but is there a way for me to tell if it's Uniglide without taking the cassette off? The only way I know how to tell is by checking if the small cog is threaded...

drlodge

Michael-B wrote:

drlodge wrote:

Yeh check the freehub. If its a Uniglide then you can do as I have - 34/50 chainring front with 12 or 13-28 cassette on the rear. Might be able to go even bigger on the cassette with a roadlink.

This will no doubt be a daft question for those who know about this stuff - but is there a way for me to tell if it's Uniglide without taking the cassette off? The only way I know how to tell is by checking if the small cog is threaded...

Yep that's pretty much it. What is the hub - Shimano 600EX or similar?

Michael-B

I think it just says Shimano 600 but will have a look when I'm home. It's a Ribble from about 1991 so I don't think it's Uniglide as apparently they stopped making them in late 80s?

drlodge

In short, what I did was:
- replaced the 42/52 chainset with an Ultegra compact model 34/50 since the BB has English threads. Of course cheaper chainsets are available but its an easy swap.
- used something like an HG50 9 speed cassette (11T-32T I think), taking some of the sprockets to use on the Unliglide hub. I had to use the two smallest uniglide sprockets off the original cassette (since the smallest one is a special threaded sprocket and the next one up also has a unique fitting, these were 13T and 14T) then I added the 16T, 18T, 21T, 24T and 28T sprockets off the HG50 cassette and had to grind the splines a little so they would go on the freehub. Long story short, ultraglide sprockets will fit on a uniglide freehub with a little fettling.

I have a Dura-Ace rear derailleur and Campagnolo 10 speed shifters so its a Shimergo setup. Works a treat.

Michael-B

Very useful advice thanks! I might give that a go myself (swiftly followed by a trip to the LBS no doubt, to fix it).

drlodge

HG50 11-32 9 speed cassette has the following sprockets (11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32) so it must be the [16-18-21-24-28] I used, with the 13T and 14T from the original cassette. Found it on Rose Bikes https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shi ... aid:642720 £13.75

Oddly Rose quote a 25T instead of the 24T but http://www.parkersofbolton.co.uk/produc ... d-cassette shows otherwise.

Michael-B

Thanks drlodge - really helpful - my bike's an 8-speed though (I think I have Hyperglide hub). So I think either of the below should work. One more question if you don't mind. What's the difference between HG51 and HG41 cassettes? I know I can get different teeth ranges but I couldn't figure out if there was any other difference.

drlodge

Michael-B wrote:

Thanks drlodge - really helpful - my bike's an 8-speed though (I think I have Hyperglide hub). So I think either of the below should work. One more question if you don't mind. What's the difference between HG51 and HG41 cassettes? I know I can get different teeth ranges but I couldn't figure out if there was any other difference.

Not quite £2? Not sure really, may be the HG51 is a bit lighter and/or has the nickel-plated finish.

Michael-B

Haha, thanks again

drlodge

Just ordered and received an "Alpe D'Huez Road Fairy" and Campagnolo Potenza 11-32 cassette to go on the Rourke in preparation for the Mont Ventoux holiday next summer. Won't fit it until much nearer the time, will be interesting to see how the Super Record rear derailleur copes with the additional chain take-up. Might need to compromise on chain length and not use small-smallish gears but I don't use them anyway. I don't use big-big either, but would hate to accidently shift into that gear and have the back end ripped to pieces.

step83

That should shift through OK, what rear mech are you using though? May need to wind the B adjust out so you have enough gap on the lower gears

tigerwanito

Great thread

Alibran wrote:

I have a Trek 1.2 WSD, 9-sp Tiagra, 50/39/30 triple, 11-26 cassette.

It served me well in Cornwall, but now I'm living in the mountains of southern Spain, everything is such a struggle, and I have to walk so often that I haven't been out on it for over 2 months.

I've been trying to figure out my options and it's looking like a MTB cassette, rear derailleur and new chain is the only really viable option. Is this correct?

The other thing that I'm wondering about, and hasn't been mentioned here, is it possible to put a smaller granny ring on a triple? My MTB has a 24 tooth granny ring, and there isn't a hill that's beaten me on that (on the road, anyway!). That looks like it could make a more noticeable difference than changing the cassette.

I'm thinking on a similar change...
(I like the idea of a 48-36-26)

vs. or :?:

Is it possible, in a Tiagra 3x10 'default' groupset (flat bar version with distinct shift and brake levers), to replace the Tiagra triple crankset (FC-4703, 50-39-30) by a Deore LX (FC-T671, 48-36-26) or -even better- by a Deore XT (FC-T8000, 48-36-26) triple crankset?
(all of them being Shimano 3x10)

And if so... does it change something for the acceptable cassettes?
(would it still be possible to use the 11-32 or 11-34 version of the CS-HG500-10 cassette ?)
I guess 'derailleur capacity' isn't the only thing to worry about here...

drlodge

Alpe D'Huez Road Fairy and Campagnolo Potenza 11-32 cassette now fitted, using a Super Record rear derailleur. Removed 3 full links, the chain is at quite a stretch on big-big, but just short enough to still have tension on small-small. There is some adjustability on the chain length so to speak, since the road fairy can be rotated before being secured to just the right angle. Takes some fettling, but this setup looks to be perfect for my needs.

imafatman

What do you do when your Ultegra 50/34 with a 11-32 isn't good enough?

Have found it a struggle to get over some of the 10-15% hills at the cadence I want.

Thick Mike

imafatman wrote:

What do you do when your Ultegra 50/34 with a 11-32 isn't good enough?

Have found it a struggle to get over some of the 10-15% hills at the cadence I want.

46/30 on the front?

I have a triple 50/39/30 on my specialized Roubaix. I sometimes need the 30 with the 28 to get up the steepest hills round here.

joe2008

imafatman wrote:

What do you do when your Ultegra 50/34 with a 11-32 isn't good enough?

Have found it a struggle to get over some of the 10-15% hills at the cadence I want.

Increase fitness

imafatman

joe2008 wrote:

imafatman wrote:

What do you do when your Ultegra 50/34 with a 11-32 isn't good enough?

Have found it a struggle to get over some of the 10-15% hills at the cadence I want.

Increase fitness

It's not so much fitness as weight. I'm working on getting it down but in the meantime the big hills are kicking my arse. I can keep up with much lighter riders than me on the flats but the second I hit an incline they are off.

Red27

I'm new to road biking but have been mtbing for 25 years. First thing I noticed going up hills is how different the gearing is as I expected the road bike to be easier to climb than the much heavier mtb. My MTB has 1x11 with a 32 chainring and 10-42 cassette. My Trek Domane's smallest gear is 34 chainring and 32 cassette which is much more difficult on steep climbs. I literally just got the road bike so I'm sure it's premature to change anything but I believe my gearing is the best setup Shimano offers for hills, is it not? I live in Brevard, NC so there's lots of climbing but I put a lot of miles on trails each week so it's not like I'm new to cycling. I'm sure I'll get stronger but what options do I have with Shimano for getting something similar to what I have on my mtb for the steep hills? I think I read somewhere that the new Ultegra is going to have an option for more teeth on the cassette? Or is it easier to put a smaller chainring on? On flat ground I never use the smaller chainring anyways so I don't think going smaller would effect me at all. Or, should I just go to 1x11 like my mtb because that thing climbs like a billygoat? Thanks!

Red27

Oh and both bikes have the same 175mm crank length if that matters.