Cassette and Chainring Upgrade
stringybob
Posts: 64
Just got a Kona Jake the Snake cyclocross bike which I am planning on using as my winter bike (i.e. on the road only). It has a FSA Gossimer 46/36 compact and a 10 speed 12-25t cassette - the shifters are 105.
I am planning the following:
1) Bigger cassette to make the hills a bit easier so im looking at either a Shimano 105 11-28T or a Tiagra 12-30t. What do you think?
2) New chain - KMC X10 Light 10 Speed Chain
3) Replace the 46T chainring with a 50T Shimano 105 FC5750 Compact Chainring
Never done anything like this before so any pointers would be greatly appreciated
I am planning the following:
1) Bigger cassette to make the hills a bit easier so im looking at either a Shimano 105 11-28T or a Tiagra 12-30t. What do you think?
2) New chain - KMC X10 Light 10 Speed Chain
3) Replace the 46T chainring with a 50T Shimano 105 FC5750 Compact Chainring
Never done anything like this before so any pointers would be greatly appreciated
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Comments
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Have you ridden the bike much on the road yet?? The difference between a 46T and 50T chainring is a little bit more than 1 tooth on the sprocket - so 46-11 is going to be a similar gear to 50-12. For a winter bike then i'd have to ask if you really need such a high gear as 50-11?
If you need lower gears then i'd be inclined to try an 11-28 cassette and stay with the 46T chainring for now. I recon you will end up with a very useable range of gears for the majority of your riding - at the loss of a big gear for thrashing downhill which you might use 0.1% of the total time riding.0 -
the 'cross specific setup (36/46 12-27) I have on my ti Kona Rove does the job!
I admit I was weary at first but as previous poster said, the time you'll be thrashing downhill in winter is really negligible. In fact I find the 46 ring beneficial in utilizing the full range (especially middle) of the cassette.
oh yeah, I'm not a weak rider if that may be your concern
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Thanks for the comments - I'll just go for the new cassette and chain then.0
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Actually, one more thing - if I swap the 12-25T cassette for a 11-28T am I going to need to adjust the chain length or can I just measure the new chain against the existing chain as I have now?0
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determine chain length the right way. wrap the chain over the big ring front and back without threading the derailleur than add two full links (2 inches).
there is no way of telling if your chain is correctly sized atm.
have fun with that bike!
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