Is it worth to upgrade 12-25 to 12-28 cassette?

Thanh55
Thanh55 Posts: 25
edited June 2012 in Road general
Hi Expert
I'm new to cycling, just got my bike and feeling quite hard on the hill, after browsing the internet and have no idea so I started here looking for help. Chain set is double (39-54) cassette is 12-25 (don't know those between cogs) I looking for a bit gentle to my leg when up hill so is it worth to upgrade to 12-28 or can I go 12-32? an I hope that I don't have to extend my chain if possible. Many thanks for your help.

Kind regards
Thanh

Comments

  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    a 12-28 would effectively give you one extra 'bail out gear'
    as you have a 'standard' front chain-set, and are possibly a 'beginner' (judging purely from number of posts), it may be worth considering changing to a 'compact' chain-set - ie 50:34 on the front, which would give you a wider (and lower) choice of gears, without compromising the gaps between gears.

    (you would need to lower your front mech & possibly shorten your chain).

    More expensive than changing the cassette, but possibly the best option.

    Take a look at Sheldon Brown's page on gear ratios. http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
    Cycling weakly
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Hi

    As above, a cassette would give you that extra gear to help get you up the hills. I guess it depends on how much you struggle really. I ride a lot in N Wales and so found that the switch to compact was worthwhile.

    You should fit a longer chain with the 12-28 really - otherwise you could risk damaging the rear mech if you ride big ring with big sprocket. With a compact, you would need to shorten the chain slightly.

    Cost of a chain and cassette vs a compact chainset could well be pretty close - so i'd generally say go for the compact and stay with the 12-25 to keep the close ratio gearing. What chainset are you using at the moment?
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    Def worth trying a 27 or 28, it's very noticeable over a 25. as to whether you need to add a link to your chain it depends on how tight it is now, chances are you can get away with it (especially if you follow good practice and don't use the two biggest sprockets at the back when on the big ring at the front). Unlikely your rear mech will cope with a 32 (assuming it's not an MTB one or Apex etc.)
    Compact chainset would be the next step but that will be pricey and need a few more adjustments
  • Thanh55
    Thanh55 Posts: 25
    Many thanks for your advised, the chain set I used atm is Sram force. I just thinking upgrade the cassette is much easy than upgrade the chain set but 2 out of 3 reckoned I need a compact so I should go for the compact then.
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    I'd do the cassette first and see if it's enough, changing the chainset is a fair bit more expensive and a bit more involved mechanically (as in you may need to pay your LBS to do it if your not confident doing it yourself, although there's nothing particularly complex about it). I actually run a 12-27 cassette as well as a compact chainset so even if the cassette doesn't give you a low enough gear it probably won't be a waste of money as you still might want to use it with the compact chainset.
  • Thanh55
    Thanh55 Posts: 25
    nferrar wrote:
    Def worth trying a 27 or 28, it's very noticeable over a 25. as to whether you need to add a link to your chain it depends on how tight it is now, chances are you can get away with it (especially if you follow good practice and don't use the two biggest sprockets at the back when on the big ring at the front). Unlikely your rear mech will cope with a 32 (assuming it's not an MTB one or Apex etc.)
    Compact chainset would be the next step but that will be pricey and need a few more adjustments

    Thanks nferrar, I don't know much about bike components, but my group set is Sram Force and I don't know the rear mech can cope with a bigger sprockets. And thanks for the tip (don't use 2 big sprockets with the big chain ring).
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    A SRAM force is rated up to 28 teeth so you'll be fine in that regard
  • Thanh55
    Thanh55 Posts: 25
    nferrar wrote:
    A SRAM force is rated up to 28 teeth so you'll be fine in that regard

    Thank you, £59.99 is cost me, can't find any compact chainset cheaper than £270.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Careful with chain length, it's not really your mech you're putting at risk, it might even be the frame. There was a guy either on here or CycleChat who was on a ride across America, shortened chain by a few links after a breakage, then (we think) tried to put it in big/big on a climb, put a load of torque in and changed, something had to give - the chainstay simply buckled. The general concensus was it was the over short chain, surprised me, but when you sit down and think about it, it's plausible.
  • Wheelie Bin
    Wheelie Bin Posts: 162
    I'd like to know who advised you to buy a bike with a 54/39 chainset, because that's where your problems lie. As a beginner you want 50/34 (or even a triple)... and maybe still a 12-28 on the back, but then you might be into a longer cage rear mech to cope with the bigger ring. If you bought from a dealer, I'd say they have an obligation to help you out. A compact chainset compatible with your groupset (doesn't have to be SRAM, but I might be wrong there) shouldn't cost more than £100.00 retail.
    I'm at that difficult age... somewhere between birth and death.
  • Thanh55
    Thanh55 Posts: 25
    Wheelie Bin wrote:
    I'd like to know who advised you to buy a bike with a 54/39 chainset, because that's where your problems lie. As a beginner you want 50/34 (or even a triple)... and maybe still a 12-28 on the back, but then you might be into a longer cage rear mech to cope with the bigger ring. If you bought from a dealer, I'd say they have an obligation to help you out. A compact chainset compatible with your groupset (doesn't have to be SRAM, but I might be wrong there) shouldn't cost more than £100.00 retail.

    It would be nice if you please give me a link to a chain set you mention above. Many thanks for you help.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Thanh55 wrote:
    Many thanks for your advised, the chain set I used atm is Sram force. I just thinking upgrade the cassette is much easy than upgrade the chain set but 2 out of 3 reckoned I need a compact so I should go for the compact then.

    I've just done this exact swap - Force 53/39 chainset to a compact. I bought an Apex 50/34 from Ribble Cycles

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Sram-Apex-Black-10-Spd-Chainset/SRAMCHAR290
  • Thanh55
    Thanh55 Posts: 25
    Thank you very much.
  • marcuswhit
    marcuswhit Posts: 2
    I have two bikes - one has a double (53/39) with a 11/28 cassette, the other is a compact (50/34) with an 11/25 cassette. The lowest gear with each (39/28 and 34/25) is almost identical as far as overall gear ratio goes.

    If I were you, I'd keep the double, get an 11/28 cassette, and a new chain (as others have pointed out, it will need to be longer than your current). I personally buy online (RoseBikes.co.uk) and fit myself, so Ultegra of the above it costs all of £60. You'd pay triple that for a new chainset.

    Only drawback is that with the 11/28 cassette you'll have more of a jump between some of the gears compared to your existing cassette. But I've found it's not an issue once you're used to it. On the upside by keeping your double you keep your top 53/11 gear which is useful for fast downhills. If I was buying again I wouldn't bother with a compact, and I ride a LOT of hills.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    marcuswhit wrote:
    I personally buy online (RoseBikes.co.uk) and fit myself, so Ultegra of the above it costs all of £60. You'd pay triple that for a new chainset.

    The SRAM Apex chainset i linked to above is £50.36 delivered however - and so cheaper than most cassette / chain combinations.

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