Sora and Alivio - testing the limits

[MrCJF]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I have two Sora drop bar bikes, one currently has 2x9, the other 3x9.

I have 11-34 with 46/34 Sora on one bike and have read that a 12-36 Alivio cassette would fit with my current sora mech. I have one on order.
But I've also read of people using an Alivio 48/36/26 chainset with a Sora triple mech, so I'm wondering if that was feasible on my 3x9 set up, and would having both extremes together work eg for a touring set up. Has anyone tried this?

(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

[fatboy]

The triple that you ask about will work (you can go smaller on the inner ring (I use 24t).

Less sure about the 11-36, what rear mech do you have? I thought that Sora only went to 32; you've got to 34. How much clearance does the mech have to the biggest cog?

N.B. if you do change to 36 t do check the chain length as if your chain is too short very bad thins can happen in big-big

[MrCJF]

As I have a 46 tooth on my 2x then it makes it easier to get a bigger cassette. The bike came with 48/32 and 11-32 but I changed to 46/34 as I hate the 16 tooth gap. The mech is medium cage sora.

My other bike had 11-30 when I bought it, then I changed to 11-32 then 11-34. All with the medium cage sora mech. It now has 11-32 with a triple chainset.

As the 12-36 is on order I can always see if it fits with the current triple (50/39/30) before putting it on the other bike as planned.

[Pendodave]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I have two Sora drop bar bikes, one currently has 2x9, the other 3x9.

I have 11-34 with 46/34 Sora on one bike and have read that a 12-36 Alivio cassette would fit with my current sora mech. I have one on order.
But I've also read of people using an Alivio 48/36/26 chainset with a Sora triple mech, so I'm wondering if that was feasible on my 3x9 set up, and would having both extremes together work eg for a touring set up. Has anyone tried this?

(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

Do you have the long or short sora rear mech on the 2x9 setup?

[MrCJF]

I'm pretty sure it's the long one, as I have a 34 tooth. There are only two sizes that I'm aware of, though the longer one is usually referred to as a medium.

[Cyckelgalen]

I run the previous Sora 3500 triple groupset with a 12-36 cassette. The 36T cog exceeds Shimano's recommendations for the rear mech but it works OK. Shimano's recommendation tend to be rather conservative I believe.

[Pendodave]

I'm pretty sure it's the long one, as I have a 34 tooth. There are only two sizes that I'm aware of, though the longer one is usually referred to as a medium.

Apart from the length of the cage, is there any material difference in the rest of the mechanism? I have a short cage sora on my bike, and the cage from a medium set in a box. I wonder if putting the longer cage on would save buying a whole new mech.

[Cyckelgalen]

I would give it a shot. Most likely, the longer cage requires more tension from the spring but it may still work adequately.

[the snail]

Hi all. This is my first post.



(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

Another option may be to swap the inner ring for e.g. 26T, which is what I did on my similar 105 triple.

[MrCJF]

Hi all. This is my first post.



(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

Another option may be to swap the inner ring for e.g. 26T, which is what I did on my similar 105 triple.

Would that exceed the capacity of the Sora front mech? I thought a 22 tooth range would be pusing it, I've not come across anyone having a 24 tooth range. But as Cyckelgalen says, Shimano probably quote conservative tolerances.

[Brucey]

Shimano quote a specification which will work anywhere within a range of chainstay to seat tube angles, and will still allow the chain to clear the bottom of the FD even when you are running small-small. But you oughtn't be running those cross-chained gears anyway, and it is unlikely that the frame geometry is pushing the boundaries of the allowable range of angles either. In practice this means you can usually extend the capacity slightly.

In fact you can tell if it is going to work without trying it; just select the extant small chainring and the smallest sprocket you intend to use with that chainring (say the third or fourth one from the right) and look at the chain clearance in the bottom of the FD. Remember that when you are actually pedalling the chain will be taut, so the clearance will increase slightly. Allow 2mm per tooth less on the chainring. So if you have 8mm clearance you can think of running a chainring 4T smaller without issue; the worst that might happen is that the chain may drag in the bottom of the FD when you backpedal in the limiting gear.

cheers

[MrCJF]

Thread resurrection!

After six months with my 3x9 with the 12-36 on the back, I'm happy to report good things. I had had one instance of accidentally going 50-36 which caused the gears to jam. Fortunately on a very quiet country road, so no one around to see my attempts to un-jam them. The bottom gear did allow me to get up HArvesting Lane to Butser Hill non-stop for the first time in my three attempts.

I would consider now dropping the 50/39/30 to the 48/36/26. I'm thinking about a mini-tour on King Alfreds Way, and I think lower gears would be needed for a fully loaded bike off road.

[roubaixtuesday]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I have two Sora drop bar bikes, one currently has 2x9, the other 3x9.

I have 11-34 with 46/34 Sora on one bike and have read that a 12-36 Alivio cassette would fit with my current sora mech. I have one on order.
But I've also read of people using an Alivio 48/36/26 chainset with a Sora triple mech, so I'm wondering if that was feasible on my 3x9 set up, and would having both extremes together work eg for a touring set up. Has anyone tried this?

(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

I have Sora 9 speed (latest model, long reach derailleur) set up on our tandem with 46/36/24 and 11-36.

It's just outside the nominal range for both front and rear, and all works absolutely perfectly.

[MrCJF]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I have two Sora drop bar bikes, one currently has 2x9, the other 3x9.

I have 11-34 with 46/34 Sora on one bike and have read that a 12-36 Alivio cassette would fit with my current sora mech. I have one on order.
But I've also read of people using an Alivio 48/36/26 chainset with a Sora triple mech, so I'm wondering if that was feasible on my 3x9 set up, and would having both extremes together work eg for a touring set up. Has anyone tried this?

(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

I have Sora 9 speed (latest model, long reach derailleur) set up on our tandem with 46/36/24 and 11-36.

It's just outside the nominal range for both front and rear, and all works absolutely perfectly.

That's really helpful to know.

[roubaixtuesday]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I have two Sora drop bar bikes, one currently has 2x9, the other 3x9.

I have 11-34 with 46/34 Sora on one bike and have read that a 12-36 Alivio cassette would fit with my current sora mech. I have one on order.
But I've also read of people using an Alivio 48/36/26 chainset with a Sora triple mech, so I'm wondering if that was feasible on my 3x9 set up, and would having both extremes together work eg for a touring set up. Has anyone tried this?

(my 3x9 is currently 50/39/30 with 11-32).

I have Sora 9 speed (latest model, long reach derailleur) set up on our tandem with 46/36/24 and 11-36.

It's just outside the nominal range for both front and rear, and all works absolutely perfectly.

That's really helpful to know.

BTW if your gears jam on big/big, definitely fit a longer chain.

Much better to have it slack in little/ little than jammed in big/big as the latter can easily destroy your derailleur.