[Closed] Roadies using a wide range cassette

1- fine
2 - dunno, 11-32 with a semi-compact all the time
3 - KMC missing link on 105 chain, no dramas

Just fit the 11-32t and leave it on?

Just fit the 11-32t and leave it on?

If everyone answers "it's fine" to Q1 then that would be my most likely course of action.

SaxonRider has an 11-32 on his road bike, which he uses with a standard non-compact front. His bottom gear was lower than mine on my triple with 9sp 11-25. Having used a compact chainset and been annoyed with the jump between chainrings rather than sprockets, I quite fancy this setup because the gap at the front is less than compact.

I wouldn't have thought you'd notice the extra chain length TBH. I swap cassettes between bikes all the time and have never given it a thought.

Jumps between ratios should be no problem if you're used to MTB cassettes - you do ride a mountain bike as well I assume, hard to be sure in this place these days 😉

I have a 11-32 on my touring / day to day bike. It's good for the range it provides however I get frustrated as I constantly find myself between gears and it becomes quite irksome.

I wouldn't ride that set up permanently on my road bike though. For changing for the odd ride, Just buy a new cassette and a chain for it. I wouldn't use the same chain for both cassettes.

Or just man up 😉

I wouldn't have thought you'd notice the extra chain length TBH. I swap cassettes between bikes all the time and have never given it a thought.

If I fitted a wheel with a 32t cassette onto my road bike and accidentally shifted into big/big then I'd rip the rear mech off.

Have 2 wheel sets one has a 32 the other a 34 so not such a big difference but no issues with chain length. Not quite applicable but point of post is to say that in the hope of avoiding differential wear issues I do regular checks with a chain checker and retire early rather than late

11-32 on 11 speed is pretty much the same gaps as 11-28 on 10 speed, which people have been running happily for years

Got an 11-32 put on my road bike when I bought it and have never thought of changing it - there's rarely a ride I do when I don't use the full range. Though I have to admit that I slightly obsessed by finding and riding up steep hills. Oh, and live in Sheffield, where there's no lack of them.

Have 2 wheel sets one has a 32 the other a 34 so not such a big difference but no issues with chain length.

I went from 34 to 36 on an MTB and got into trouble with a mis-shift. 2 teeth is enough.

I have an 11-32 cassette with a single 40t chaining ( with 700-53 ) tires.
It's great for the riding I do but the local hills tend to be a gradual climb for a miles or so rather than a shorter steeper incline.

I'd imagine it's would be pretty effective with 36 up front and the gear gaps are less than expected.

I put 11-32 cassette on my Surly road bike with a 105 rear mech to make it feasible for me to do the Fred Whitton a few years ago.

I liked it so much I left it on ... 😉

Never really missed the closer ratios:

so:

1. Perfect for riding up Lake District hills

2. No ... tried it but just left the 11-32 on in the end

3. Yes ... but not because of question 2

I swapped the 11-28 11-speed cassette to an 11-32 (both run with compact chainset). I haven't felt the urge to switch back yet and have no issues with the jumps between ratios.

I did have to swap my short cage 105 mech for a medium cage. It was possible to bodge the short cage to work by replacing the b-tension screw with an extra long one (in fact an extra long one with a nut on the end due the angle causing the screw end to miss the lip on the hanger), but there was a lot less chain wrapped around the cassette.

Hmmm, does the mech on this bike look like a short or medium to you guys?
[img] [/img]

I use an 11-36 with a compact chainset as I'm 100kg and live in the wicklow mountains.

Spread of gears is fine, I generally just use the top ring until I meet a steep climb.

Use a quick link (sram 9 speed i think), not had much bother - the chain drops off the big ring if i pedal backwards but I'm sure that is down to the bent drop out rather than the link.

If I fitted a wheel with a 32t cassette onto my road bike and accidentally shifted into big/big then I'd rip the rear mech off.

Ah yes, whoops. I meant going the other way, ie a cassette a few teeth smaller shouldn't cause undue 'slop' in the chain (assuming you stay out of the small chainring: small sprocket combo)

I switch between an 13-32 (ish) for most riding, and a tighter 12-23 for time trials, on the same bike without changing anything else. Works fine.

11-40 xt with a road link and a long cage ultegra di2 with a compact up front on one of my bikes

The giant bike posted above is driving my OCD mental.
I hate the way the cut out for the wheel doesn't fit the wheel shape.

Ha, never noticed that.

Maybe I should just sell it and get a new bike?

I'm not a proper roadie but mine had 11-32 with an mtb mech on it, worked a charm (now it's 11-28 just because that's what I had lying around)

I'll be awkward.
I don't like the gaps. I often use a 32 but really don't like the steps when riding the less than hilly ground.
if you are a MTBer you won't notice I reckon.
Have to qualify this by saying that I started TTing in the old days with a straight through 13-17 block and still fail to see the need for a MTB gear of less than 1:1. Guess I am just old fashioned.
Anyway, the gaps will either be fine or a pain for you.

I think you need to burn it and buy a new bike, just to be sure 🙂

Previously when I've swapped multiple cassettes on one bike, I've had a few links of chain with a quick link on either end so I can pop in in or our depending on the ratio.
I've also added a 10t top jockey wheel for a touch more clearance.

I had a year of swapping between 12-30 and 12-25 (10 speed) with compact chainset and a chain for each. I found I liked the 12-30 so dont bother changing anymore.
In fact I've just bought a new bike with Tiagra 10speed and fitted another 12-30 cassette but moay try a 32 or even 34 as its sometimes difficult to keep a decent cadence with a 30.

11-32 11spd rear, 36-46 front does on and off road for me round here (Quantocks and Exmoor) on my most used bike (Whyte Saxon CX).
If anything I miss a bigger front chainring more than lower gears.
Most of my rides start with a 17% (in places) climb.

I just use a 25/12 in the lakes cos I'm 'ard. Although seriously, it's fine. Unless it's a day where my legs aren't so good and then it's slow and awful up the steep hills.

I'd maybe pick a cassette based on the terrain you do most of your riding on. I don't go up that many steep hills, but I ride on flat roads every night. Therefore a close spaced cassette is perfect. Rarely miss the 11 tooth cog. Use every gear every ride pretty much.

You could buy two cassettes (32/11 and 25/12 or 23/12) and combine them to give you a 32/12? But if you use the 11 tooth alot then not a great idea.

That mech should work aswell; although the chain might drag on it when you're in 34/12 and/or 34/11

46-11 is 30mph at 90rpm that would be plenty for me and probably take something like 400 watts on the flat, more than most riders can susrain for very long.

50-11 bumps that up to 34 mph btw.

That mech should work aswell; although the chain might drag on it when you're in 34/12 and/or 34/11

Cheers, don't think I ever use that combo now anyway.

Righto - I'm gonna go 11-32t and see how it goes, can always relegate it to a backup position if need be.

Thanks all.

🙂

You can't tell whether it's short or long mech by looking at it, check the number stamped on the mech 🙂

I've got 11-32 cassette's on both my road bikes and have done so for years. I don't notice the gaps between gears but I'm much for of a mountain biker than a roadie so probably less sensitive about it.

The bike I had the b-tension issues with is also a Giant Defy Advanced (albeit a 2015 model rather than 2014). As such, I'd guess that the 2014 model also comes with a short cage mech, and if the 2014 mech hanger is anything like the 2015 then you'll probably run into issues like I did.

I run 2 wheelsets (cross and road, 11-32 on cross, 11-28 on road) with an Ultegra long cage rear mech - works perfectly. Also use KMC quick link on the 105 chain.

11-32 would be fine all the time, but I needed to buy an extra cassette to make a wheel swap simple, so figured a slightly tighter road set would be nicer - it is, but nothing you'd get hung up over.

The bike I had the b-tension issues with is also a Giant Defy Advanced (albeit a 2015 model rather than 2014). As such, I'd guess that the 2014 model also comes with a short cage mech, and if the 2014 mech hanger is anything like the 2015 then you'll probably run into issues like I did.

Oh sod it. This is gonna get too expensive.

I'll just grit my teeth, dig deep and hope my knees don't explode.

🙂