Replacing 105 12-25 10 speed cassette with XT 11-32 9 speed

willharris10

Ok, so the above is what I'd like to do and I need to understand if it can be done.

I currently have compact double with 10 speed 12-25 rear cassette. To make life living with a compact going up hills that bit easier I would normally have swapped the 12-25 for an Ultegra 11-28 ten speed cassette. But as there is such a thing as a Shimano XT 11-32 this would be far preferable.

But the XT is a 9 speed and my 12-25 is a 10 speed. So can I use the XT and will my system allow it?

Be greatful for the benefit of your wisdom folks. Cheers.

redddraggon

You need a 10spd cassette for 10 spd shifters

willharris10

So what do you consider my options to be?

redddraggon

11-28 Sram or Ultegra is your best bet

or super expensive option, 11-32 XX cassette (here) and use that with a Shimano MTB mech of your choice.

Or you could fit a triple (with your 12-25 or 11-28 ), possibly requiring a new rear mech

jgsi

off topic...... but you aint going to put a 'silly' cassette on your new 6 are you...?
If you need the xtra range are you speccing up with an Ultegra triple?

willharris10

Yup, going for the Ultegra triple and putting the 11-28 cassette on it.

It's just my commuting bike (Cyclocross) that's got a compact and I'd like to increase it's flexibility. 12-25 on a compact is too narrow a selection. 32 would be ideal, then it'll be almost as flexible as the triple with 11-28.

Will continue to investigate and come back to y'all.

Cheers.

amaferanga

11-32 on a road bike will be horrible with huge jumps between gears.

moonshine

it sounds silly...

a compact, nevermind a triple chainset, with a 28 tooth rear sprocket will get you up the steepest of alpine climbs....(with a bit of fitness)

Unless you are lugging pianos - it is unneccecary - the whole of the cycing fraternity can't be wrong - gear ratios are a result of centuries of evolution and refinement

What are the rings on the triple? IIRC a triple won't offer much extra gearing over a(50/34) compact on a 11 - 28 cassette, except there are a lot more duplicated gears....

maddog 2

If you stay with 10spd then you can go

11-28, as suggested
Shimano (Ultegra, DA) and Sram (OG1070, OG1090) do them

Sram XX MTB 11-32 cassette but it's silly money, and you'll need a mtb mech

or the new Sram Apex gruppo has a 10spd 11-32 but that's not out yet
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/s ... look-25053

you could also go 33t on the front ring.... that would drop it a bit more
http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP2466.aspx

willharris10

Well, the 11-28 only really moves me up by 3 teeth, so I'd rather move up a few more, but if changing the front ring to a 33 is easy, then in combination with an 11-28 this could be ideal.

The reason I've taken a triple and then added an 11-28 is because I'll be carrying Panniers and riding LEJOG with the Six. I am reasonably fit but there are some complete nasties of hills along the way and last year riding from Carlisle to John O'Groats I had to get off and walk three times. My friend with a triple managed to make it up, albeit slowly, but without having to walk. I don't especially mind, but it's better to have the gears than need them and not have them.

Can't wait for my Six to arrive, should do so this week.

moonshine

A triple with 50/39/30 and a 28 rear sprocket is a 28.4 inch gear. Vs a 34/25 which is a 36inch gear. Icant see tou needing anything else.

willharris10

Yes, that's spot on.

The issue is that my Winter/Commuting/Semi OffRoad Cyclocross bike has the 12-25 with 34-50 compact. It's this bike I want to help out a bit.

The new Cannondale Six triple will be super sweet.

willharris10

Seems that the SRAM Apex is being launched as someone aleady said, and I'd need the rear mech as well as the 11-32 cassette. This should sort me out for LEJOG.

My new Cannondale Six has arrived and is a dream, but I've decided that I'd be nuts to ride LEJOG on it, with a seatpost mounted pannier set, so I'll use my Condor Bivio and buy some proper panniers. The Six is looking lovely and staying indoors for dry days and sportives. If I ever do one! (Never done one before, but will look into it now. Sound like a lot of fun!).

Just have to wait for the SRAM Apex to arrive in the UK. Very useful to be able to get this size of cassette onto a 10 speed compact.

Yemble

Hi - I'm in the same position. Need to lose a few more gear inches on my 34/52 compact double. Unfortunately I can't wait for SRAM Apex (upcoming trip).

redddraggon wrote:

11-28 Sram or Ultegra is your best bet

or super expensive option, 11-32 XX cassette (here) and use that with a Shimano MTB mech of your choice.

Or you could fit a triple (with your 12-25 or 11-28 ), possibly requiring a new rear mech

I looked at the Ultegra 11-28T, but I'm not sure it'll work with a 105 short cage RD. Officially 27T is the max with that mech - you might squeeze in the 28T or maybe not. For me it's only one extra tooth over my 12-27 so I need to go larger anyway. Edit: or fit a 33T front chainring as well.

For 10 speed wide range cassettes there's the aforementioned SRAM, or the IRD (half the price of sram at around £130). The only catch is that the nicer Shimano mountain-bike RDs (XT and XTR) since 2007 no longer have a barrel adjuster - it's in the shifter. So if you want to mix a XT RD with a road shifter, you don't have that adjustment which - I assume - will make trimming and adjusting the thing difficult if not impossible. The alternative then is a lower end model like the Deore LX M580 if you can find one in GS and low-normal eg http://www.totalcycling.com/index.php/p ... ncy&id=GBP

25T + 34T = 36 gear inches (OP's current)
27T + 34T = 33 gear inches (my current)
28T + 33T = 31 gear inches (target ratio - but will the 28T fit?)
30T + 34T = 30 gear inches (nice to have - but expensive, and low end RD)
32T + 34T = 28 gear inches (spin spin spin! - same derailleur dilema)

The nuclear option is to just convert the whole drive chain to triple.

I'm going to drop by my local shop soon to get their opinion.

• If the 28T will fit with my existing 105 short cage mech, that's the cheaper option: ultegra cassette + 33t chainring
• If I'd need a new mech as well then I may as well go all the way: ird cassette + mtb rd (double the cost)

John.T

Anyone know of an alternative to the XT/XTR derailleurs for driving a 30+ tooth sprocket with 10 speed 105 (or similar) shifters?

http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/nl/index/products/mountain/deore_m590/product.-code-RD-M591-S.-type-rd_mountain.html
Deore will do the job fine.
If you have down tube or in-line adjusters you should not need one on the mech if you want XT or XTR.

Yemble

Cheers I've edited that post about 10 times so far!

freehub

willharris10 wrote:

Seems that the SRAM Apex is being launched as someone aleady said, and I'd need the rear mech as well as the 11-32 cassette. This should sort me out for LEJOG.

My new Cannondale Six has arrived and is a dream, but I've decided that I'd be nuts to ride LEJOG on it, with a seatpost mounted pannier set, so I'll use my Condor Bivio and buy some proper panniers. The Six is looking lovely and staying indoors for dry days and sportives. If I ever do one! (Never done one before, but will look into it now. Sound like a lot of fun!).

Just have to wait for the SRAM Apex to arrive in the UK. Very useful to be able to get this size of cassette onto a 10 speed compact.

What do you have on your main road bike? 11-28 on a compact would be fine for any hill even when commuting.

willharris10

Freehub dude, you need to add a "for me" to that last comment. You can't know what will be fine for someone else. And you look younger and fitter than me ;-)

Main commuting bike is the Condor - it has a 12-25 with a 34-50 compact. It's this bike I'm looking to change the rear mech and cassette on, so that when loaded with panniers I can tackle hills on LEJOG.

My lovely new Cannondale Six with an 11-28 and a 30-39-52 triple is not going to do the tour as it can't really take luggage. I was planning on using it, but I'm now considering the wise advise of my LBS that the Condor Bivio (a cyclocross bike) was designed for the rough and tumble of adventure and would be far better suited. Seems like good advice to me!

PieterM

You could make a 9sp cassette work with 10 sp shifters by attaching the gear cable to the rear mech slightly differently. See 'Alternate Cable Routing' here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html
If you use a 32 large cog you will also need a MTB mech.
And don't forget to adjust the limit screws to prevent the mech from moving into the wheel!

willharris10

Think I'm going to wait for the SRAM Apex to be released, and then attach the 11-32 with a long cage rear mech. This will turn my cyclocross bike into the perfect touring tool :-)

Assuming, of course, that the SRAM rear mech will be compatible with my 105 shifters. Both 10 speed.

John.T

Assuming, of course, that the SRAM rear mech will be compatible with my 105 shifters. Both 10 speed.

Don't worry. It won't be. You can use a Shimano MTB mech OK.

willharris10

Ahhh, brilliant. That makes much more sense. So Shimano XT rear mech, with SRAM 10 speed Apex cassette. Sorted! Just hurry up and release it SRAM!

Yemble

For what it's worth, I fitted an Ultegra 6700 11-28T cassette to my bike the other day, with a 105 5600 short RD and it shifts perfectly through the whole range. (Shimano docs say 27T max / 15T range limit for 105).

I also picked up a TA 33T 110 BCD chain ring just in case.

Killer49

I have a Marin Highway one that has a 105 rear mech despite the Shimano blurb it is possible to fit a 30T sprocket with the B adjust screw on max.
I bought an 8 speed cassette that had a 30T sprocket and used that, is OK with a 9 speed set up.
Regards

andy_wrx

willharris10 wrote:

Think I'm going to wait for the SRAM Apex to be released, and then attach the 11-32 with a long cage rear mech.
Assuming, of course, that the SRAM rear mech will be compatible with my 105 shifters. Both 10 speed.

John.T wrote:

Don't worry. It won't be. You can use a Shimano MTB mech OK.

"Don't worry. It won't be"
I had to read that twice...
He's right, but confused me !

The SRAM rear mech will need SRAM shifters, it won't be compatible with Shimano shifters.
Yes, they're both 10sp, but SRAM and Shimano pull different amounts or cable, you can't mix their shifters & derailleurs, you need both the same make.

Their 10sp cassettes however are interchangeable - the cog spacing is the same.

And you can use any Shimano rear mech with Shimano shifters, regardless of them being 10sp, 9sp, 8sp.

So you can use your 10sp 105 shifters, with a Shimano 9sp MTB rear mech (LX, XT, whatever) and the SRAM 10sp cassette.