Anyone swap their cassette sizes ?

maelochs

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19727766#p19727766]Rolf F[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19727749#p19727749]shmooster[/url] wrote:

Shimano do indeed recommend 28 as the minimum, if you use less then shifting is likely to suffer.

http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/content/seh-bike/en/home/road/shifting---braking/rear-derailleurs/rd-5800-gs-l.html

The implication is that 105 can only accommodate 11 & 12 and 23 to 32! Maybe the higher groupsets aren't so bad.

Seems to me there is no "mimium largest gear---if the thing can handle an 11-tooth cog, it can work fine if the largest cog is 23 or 25, 28, or 32.

The Maximum cog size matters because the derailleur can only pull the chain so far, but there is no "mimimum, maximum" cog size. If an 11-21 existed, it would work just fine. With an 11-36 MTB cluster the derailleur likely wouldn't be able to reach the largest gear.

debeli

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19726274#p19726274]ben@31[/url] wrote:

I'm looking at buying some new wheels. I was wondering while I'm at it, would it be worth getting a new cassette.... Then I took it a step further and thought is it worth getting a different size cassette for different terrain?

I currently have the longer GS cage 11 speed Ultegra, so I have a few options.

Is it worth getting a 11-32 for holidays abroad or sportives in the mountains and a 11-28 for flat land back home?

Thanks.

OP, you don't say whether your current wheels are biffed or buggered, or whether you just fancied a change or wanted to 'upgrade'. If you're keeping them, then you can keep your current ratios on one wheel and experiment with the other.

Whatever you do, you may not get much helpful advice about ratio spread on an online forum. Most of us ride the same roads in similar hills or flats for most of the time. We all have our own natural cadence and preferred ratios and max/min gears for our favourite rides. If yours suit you at present, then why not keep it the same?

I used to do the odd season-end hillclimb and never really bothered with short ratios. It was hell and I was slow, but I had an excuse. And it would have been hell whatever ratio I chose. 28 is already a pretty low sprocket for a climb, so I wouldn't bother... but you are the only arbiter here whose opinion is valid.

ben@31

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19727816#p19727816]Debeli[/url] wrote:

OP, you don't say whether your current wheels are biffed or buggered, or whether you just fancied a change or wanted to 'upgrade'. If you're keeping them, then you can keep your current ratios on one wheel and experiment with the other.

Whatever you do, you may not get much helpful advice about ratio spread on an online forum. Most of us ride the same roads in similar hills or flats for most of the time. We all have our own natural cadence and preferred ratios and max/min gears for our favourite rides. If yours suit you at present, then why not keep it the same?

I used to do the odd season-end hillclimb and never really bothered with short ratios. It was hell and I was slow, but I had an excuse. And it would have been hell whatever ratio I chose. 28 is already a pretty low sprocket for a climb, so I wouldn't bother... but you are the only arbiter here whose opinion is valid.

Just fancied treating myself to some nice deeper rim wheels, while theres a few reductions. Cycling is my number 1 hobby so I can justify the cost per mile ( hey theres worse things to spend our money on ).

I'll plan to keep my current wheelset over the wet and salty winter. Therefore considering buying another cassette, maybe it'll help swapping the wheels over.

However, someone raised a good point about the difference in chain length for different size cassettes. I didn't consider this.

I do like to spin with a high cadence but if I go somewhere flat ( I'm moving home ) I was wondering if its better to have closer ratios rather than a big spread. But its just a thought.

vinnymarsden

There appears to be a real issue re cassette ratios etc on most forums…I kinda get the impression that the "real" roadies shun anyone using more than say a 12/25 ratio, as if they are inferior!!
I personally live in the Peak District and I would NOT be without my 50/34 compact and 11/28 cassette, and frankly I don't care if Im not "cool/hard enough" to run more manly trios…Im almost 55 and ride what suits…not what other people seem to think I ought to be using, and if I was going to the Alps I would DEFFO look at the 32 tooth cassette, unfortunately Im on Di2, and swapping the derailleur would be costly…but the thought of walking up some of the classic hills….OK Ok i'll swap the derailleur!!!

andrewjoseph

re: chain length, i keep a different chain for touring on 36t and day rides on 32t. both for length and wear issues.

bigmat

The answer is obviously going to be different for everyone. Depends on fitness, riding style, weight, gearing upfront etc. My most enjoyable trip to the Alps I ran 11-23 but then I had a compact on. With a double I would probably have wanted at least a 26 at the back. If I did it now I would probably want a compact and the 26! Just use whatever hearing works for you.

As for the comments that an 11 tooth sprocket is useless, even with a compact, I find that very strange.

ddraver

Matt, it sopunds like you might be a bit good so these things maybe don't apply to you but the reality for 99% of riders is that they'd be too scared going downhill to ever properly spin out a 50 x 11

I run that just because it's a nice chainset and I can't afford a new one that is as nice just to have larger chainrings but I CAN want for more gears on a 50 x 11 when we go "downhill" (as much as one can in Dutch Dunes) with a howling tailwind and I'm chasing the club run. It's happened once or twice this year but requires such specific conditions that i don't feel the need to change. Plus, I'm still not spinning out the gear, it's just that a lower cadance is useful for that 10sec burst of power

Matthewfalle

C90 to C60 does work if you don't mind the shorter length.

shmooster

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19727766#p19727766]Rolf F[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19727749#p19727749]shmooster[/url] wrote:

Shimano do indeed recommend 28 as the minimum, if you use less then shifting is likely to suffer.

http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/content/seh-bike/en/home/road/shifting---braking/rear-derailleurs/rd-5800-gs-l.html

I can't see where it says that shifting is likely to suffer.

It does highlight how narrow the recommended range of gears actually is. If you look at the SS version, it says 11-23 and 12-28 - again a very narrow band.

The implication is that 105 can only accommodate 11 & 12 and 23 to 32! Maybe the higher groupsets aren't so bad.

I think the higher groupsets are more limited, I haven't looked in a bit but I think Ultegra at least only goes to 28, not 32.

It doesn't explicitly say shifting will suffer but if you're running it out of spec then it's unlikely to work as well as if you run it in spec.

markhewitt1978

Ultegra 11 speed does indeed offer a 11-32 cassette, you need the GS mech for it to work.

shmooster

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19728661#p19728661]markhewitt1978[/url] wrote:

Ultegra 11 speed does indeed offer a 11-32 cassette, you need the GS mech for it to work.

Thanks Mark, it's Dura Ace that's only 11-28. Not a problem I'm ever likely to encounter.

andrewjoseph

i've run ultegra gs cage 10 spd with a 36t cassette. needed to tweak the B screw a lot and may not work without a long mech hanger.

in my experience it's the mech hanger length that is the most limiting factor. you may be able to buy a longer one for any frame.

ben@31

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19728703#p19728703]andrewjoseph[/url] wrote:

i've run ultegra gs cage 10 spd with a 36t cassette. needed to tweak the B screw a lot and may not work without a long mech hanger.

in my experience it's the mech hanger length that is the most limiting factor. you may be able to buy a longer one for any frame.

There was a photo of one of the pro teams ( maybe Sky ? ) with a custom made cage, retro-fitted to the Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur . I think this was so they could fit a bigger cassette while on the Alps mountain stages.