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I'm about to go for a wide(r) range cassette on one, possibly two bikes.
They're both 1x10 with either a 30 or 34t chainring and standard 11-36 on the back. The one I'm going to change out uses a Shimano Zee mech with an FR cage, which can handle the 25t jump OK. It's been my go-to set up for a while as Zees are / were super cheap and quite compact.
Will it handle a 31t jump? Should I find a Goatlink (or similar bit of metal - there seem to be tons on eBay, but I probably need to do this fairly sharpish for a big ride with c. 10,000 ft of climbing), or, for the £20-ish cost of a goatlink, should I just bit the bullet, buy a nice long cage Shimano 11sp mech and have done with it?
Latter option will be spendier, but may pave the way to joining the 21st century at some point soon. Other catch is the Zee is just fine and I've a spare one kicking around at the mo.
Other option is to use the X9/X0 combo I have on the other bike, which looks like it should work.
Any advice or suggestions on alternatives to the Wolf Tooth goat link + long B-screw?
Many thanks in advance!
Hi. I did the same thing and used a RADR cage I believe.
I have a sunrace 11-42 cassette and a regular long cage XT rear mech. Works fine. At the time it was circa 1/2 price of the 11 speed option. Front ring is I believe 30T; altogether it all climbs fine.
Thank you Gribble!
I have a brand new non-clutch XT rear in my parts bin, so may give that a go, fall back on X0 if it's all bobbins.
Interested in any stories of getting Zee working on more than a 25t range still.
I would be surprised if you could get the range, the cage just wont be long enough to handle the change in chain length. a Radr Cage would be the answer but dont think they're available anymore
Thanks Mashr - you're right, OneUp doesn't seem to sell them any more. Hey ho. Looking at the Googles, it does seem like 11 speed rears do the job, so I'm going to try the options I have and then take the plunge if needs be.
Im running a zee mech with a sunrace cassette, can't remember if it's 40 or 42 though. Works fine with no extra link, shifting maybe not quite as smooth as a smooth thing but it works fine.
Are those cheapo links on eBay any use?
It definitely won't work on a full-sus!
Good point, Chief. I've got a hardtail (so no problems there) but the FS (a Process 111) will have chain growth, although I seem to remember it being pretty minimal. Might end up swapping the Zee + Shimano shifter over to the HT anyway. Sunrace cassette ordered, so I'll see if I can post up the results.
If you’ve got the same X9 rear mech as I had on my last bike that should handle an 11-42 just about.
Zippy - I was looking at the ebay links, too. Similar sort of thing on Amazon. The answer seems to be inconclusive with Zee rear mechs.I was going to give it a go when I hadn't such a pressing need (I know, bad planning on my part).
Will it handle a 31t jump?
On a hardtail, it'll be painfully shite… on a full sus, you'll break things.
Running 11-36 on a hardtail myself, but have seen (short lived) attempts to use a 40t cog.
Well on a full sus it might be fine, depends on the frame. Mine works fine and even at full travel doesn't rip the rear mech off.
Have been running Zee short RD and 42t sunrace cassette on 30t oval ring for a couple years now (with goat link), and all still working well. Won’t pedal backwards in upper gears very well but changes gear nicely.
Ran a Zee mech 10 speed with 32t ring and 11-40t cassette on a Banshee Spitfire. It shifted ok. Nowhere near as good as the same set up but with an m8000 XT mech.
Wouldn't work on a Cotic BFe (the Zee).
I ran a 42 on zee with radr cage.
It was painfully shite to shift.
It moved. It could be termed working by a non fussy person but it was very poor shifting and I mean very. Super heavy shifts up the block regardless of situation even with longer b tension screws. In all a serious bodge.
Swapped the radr caged zee for an 11speed xt clutch mech and it shifts absolutely minted and really light All I changed was the mech. Same cassette same cables same chain
Thanks all. I played it safe in the end, and put the Sunrace to one side and bunged an E Thirteen 42 expander on my hardtail, which had the XO mech on it and was definitely going to have the capacity. Annoying the extender cog didn't come with the B Limit screw it should have (thanks, CRC) so I went to my local fasteners store and picked five up for 9p each (they're M4, 25mm length, Allen head, .7 pitch by the way)
Advice: the cable and outer will probably be a little long with the new B limit. Take the old chain off first and whack the b screw all the way in while holding the mech away from the hanger ledge a bit, then fit extender and new chain and off you go. My chainring was a steel SLX job with little appreciable wear, so all good.
All of this worked flawlessly for the length of the South Downs Way in a day last Saturday - the only exception being the F&^&&ng Shimano joining pin on the chain, which worked its way out by about mile 15 and was immediately replaced with a Sram quicklink.
I'll get a biggerer Shimano mech for the Process and play possum.
I used the oneup rad r cage with a Saint mech it was good imo. Shifted fine (Saint shifter).
I put a new bike together and swopped to 11 speed. Yeah it’s a bit smoother but not chalk / cheese at all
The Saint parts are going spare now along with the shifter and a bunch of 42 gears etc. I’m a keen chain replacer so those 42 plates just never wore. If you need any bits pm me.
Neil
out of interest has anyone tried using the 10speed shimano 11-42 cassette instead of an expander ring/sunrace job? I'm also running a zee rear mech, currently on 11-36 but have one in the drawer for when my drivetrain needs replacing..
Mudfish - I'll drop you a line!
The Sunrace cassettes are going for £36 a pop at the moment, but I'd imagine the XT would be the same or better quality.
I've got the Sunrace on my FS now, and while I can just about get my stock Zee + 25mm B-screw to shift to the penultimate sprocket, it's only at the cost of terrible chain wrap on smaller sprockets. I can see that a RADR would fix all this - but they're no longer available.