Shimano Soma Groupset

gawa62
gawa62 Posts: 4
edited January 2013 in Road beginners
Hello all! If this has been answered before then im sorry.

Ive had my road bike for about a year now and its a specialized allez 2011.Ive just got some new mavic ksyrium elites and im disliking the 9 speed cassette as i want more speed.Would i need a whole new groupset?

Many thanks
Gary

Comments

  • Flexisurfer
    Flexisurfer Posts: 249
    A new group set wont give more speed but pushing harder will.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    What do you mean.

    If you are running out of gears (spinning out) then you can get a dfferent cassette.

    What is your current cassette?

    Going to 10 or 11 speed does not actually make it quicker, just gives you more selection in between the big and small cogs.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • gawa62
    gawa62 Posts: 4
    Ok,Thanks for the replies.As i say im a begginner at this.My cassette is a 9 speed and i felt like i could push it up a gear to get more speed.I suppose thats the maximum.
  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    It's not the maximum - there are 10 and 11-speed groupsets - but the point is that it's not the number of gears but the gear ratios that matter in terms of speed. Depending on what you have at the moment, you might be able to get a cassette with a smaller smallest sprocket, which would help you go a bit faster, but only if you're already riding in the smallest sprocket a lot and have the power to push a higher gear.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    9 speed is probably the best as the components get thinner and thinner the more speeds are added.

    You can get a 9 speed cassette with an 11 smallest cog (I think, deffo 12) which is all anyone will need. If you are spinning out with an 11 tooth it makes no difference if you have 9,10, or 11 speed cassette - its still an 11 tooth cog.

    If 12 is all you can get 1 tooth smaller is not going to make drastic differences.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • gawa62
    gawa62 Posts: 4
    Thanks for all the replies guys, really helpfull.I'll just stick with what ive got then.Pointless spending money on a groupset which isn't really going to give me much speed.I just felt today i could push that extra harder.

    http://www.for-cycling.com/road-cycling ... imano-sora

    This is the set which is currently on my bike.
  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    What matters isn't so much the model as the number of teeth on the cassette and the chainrings, because each model will have different options to suit different terrain. This page explains gear ratios quite well.
  • lotus49
    lotus49 Posts: 763
    You don't say which exact model you have but some of the bikes in that range are compacts with a 50/34 crankset rather than a traditional double with 53/39 ratios. Do you know which you have?

    Changing the cassette is much easier than changing the crankset, but it can be done to give you a higher top gear.

    Out of interest, do you often find yourself in the highest gear and simply unable to spin your legs any faster?
  • Lycra-Byka
    Lycra-Byka Posts: 292
    You must be a very fast.
    I'm using sora 9 speed 50-34 and 27-12 cassette. Top speed downhill before spinning out is about 44mph. Don't need to be doing anything over that!
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    You probably have 50/11 or 50/12 as your "fastest" gear. Bearing in mind Mark Cavendish hits up to 50mph in a sprint with 53/11 gearing, I think that your gears should be plenty "fast" enough..... just spin the legs a bit quicker :D
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    southdownswolf wrote:
    You probably have 50/11 or 50/12 as your "fastest" gear. Bearing in mind Mark Cavendish hits up to 50mph in a sprint with 53/11 gearing, I think that your gears should be plenty "fast" enough..... just spin the legs a bit quicker :D
    +1
    You should be trying to spin your legs faster, about 90 rpm is a good average although some people spin faster or slower depending on preference.I commute on a virtuoso with an 8 speed cassette and i generally ride around 20 mph on the flat in the big ring and mid block with 3 more gears to go .I know thats not too fast but its with full commuter set up with lights, panniers etc so your looking at 30 llb+ for the bike and i do not spin as fast as i would on a training ride where i could get at least 1 mph faster .
    I have only ever spun out at over 40 mph and i think my head was screaming "slow down " .
    My nice bike runs a 10 speed with an 11 tooth top gear and unless i am going down a seriously steep down hill i never use it , unless your a pro i cant see the need 50x11 90 rpm = 32 mph . I am a spinner so i tend to spin faster than that so i would not spin out till 40 mph i reckon .
    FCN 3/5/9

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