What is the biggest cassette I can have?

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mnichols
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What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by mnichols »

Last minute change of plan, decided to take my Cannonde Synapse on an LeJoG rather than my Enigma Etape due to the lightness, stiffness and ultimately speed. Switching away from traditional touring with panniers to Bike Packing all be it with a Carradice Saddle Bag has made it possible

Anyway, I would like a slightly easier gear. I'm currently running an Ultegra 6800 11 speed Compact with 32 Cassette at the back. Can I go 34 tooth?

I would like to stay Ultegra as I've tried mix and matching different makes/models and it's never as slick (IME)
mattsccm
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by mattsccm »

Doubt you'll get bigger in Ultegra. Its a sporty/race group set not touring gear. With a light load 34-32 should be fine. Even if you did fit a 34 you may find your mech doesn't like it although I have run a 32 with a shirt Ultegra mech so a medium may cope.
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hondated
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by hondated »

mnichols wrote:Last minute change of plan, decided to take my Cannonde Synapse on an LeJoG rather than my Enigma Etape due to the lightness, stiffness and ultimately speed. Switching away from traditional touring with panniers to Bike Packing all be it with a Carradice Saddle Bag has made it possible

Anyway, I would like a slightly easier gear. I'm currently running an Ultegra 6800 11 speed Compact with 32 Cassette at the back. Can I go 34 tooth?

I would like to stay Ultegra as I've tried mix and matching different makes/models and it's never as slick (IME)

That's interesting as I thought the Etape would of been made for what you are doing. I've always regretted getting a Roberts Tourer rather than an audux as the tourers is definitely hard work at times.
old_windbag
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by old_windbag »

This may be worth looking at but has limitations on double chainrings. It's worth seeing if it would be of benefit beyond the capacity of your current system stretching to 34 tooth, which I'm sure others will tell you if possible or not.

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/derailleur-optimization/products/roadlink

Another forum user has used this successfully I believe to extend gear range. If it works then it's quite an easy solution and low cost( plus cassette change ).
iandriver
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by iandriver »

Assuming a 25mm tyre, looks like a 34 over a 32 would take you from 28 to 26.5 gear inches. Hardly seems worth it. Something like a super compact chainset might be a much better investment http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p338 ... cral-Rings
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
Samuel D
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by Samuel D »

hondated wrote:That's interesting as I thought the Etape would of been made for what you are doing. I've always regretted getting a Roberts Tourer rather than an audux as the tourers is definitely hard work at times.

Tyres! They make more difference than all the other differences between bicycles put together. If a tourer feels significantly slower than an audax-style bicycle, the bulk of that difference will be in the tyres. Likewise the difference between an audax machine and a pure road bike.

I’d be curious to know what tyres (and tubes) mnichols has on his two bicycles.

The RD-6800-GS officially accepts a low sprocket no larger than 32T. Which probably means you’d get away with a 34T at a push. However, as iandriver says, it won’t make much difference to the gearing.
whoof
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by whoof »

In a couple of weeks I will be riding what many consider the lumpiest section of LEJOG (Bristol to West Cornwall) with a similar set up of bag/saddlebag on a slightly heavier bike than yours, a Kinesis T2 Racelight. My gearing will also be similar to yours 30/28 = 28.3" as opposed to 34/32 = 28.0 for a 25 mm tyre. I've done this and other hilly tours such as Lon Las Cymru packed light for B & Bs before with the same gearing and don't envisage and problems.

But we are all differnent and if you want to keep with your Cannondale and go to lower gearing I would agree with iandriver that the change from 32 to 34 cassette is not worth the bother. However, I would go the route suggested by old windbag. Your frame doesn't have a threaded bb shell. Therefore to fit the Spa supercompact you would need the chainset, square tapered BB and an adaptor shell for the frame. You would also need to have this adaptor press fitting into the frame.

I've not used the Wolftooth Roadlink but it does appear to be an easier and cheaper thing to fit.

Here's a UK supplier link.

https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Wolf- ... lsrc=aw.ds

And it does say it's compatible with a 6800 rear mech and double chainset.

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/roadlink
tim_f
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by tim_f »

Not seen a 11 speed 11-34 cassette for sale from Shimano or SRAM.

RE Woolftooth road link this does not increase capacity of rear mech just makes it sit further down to clear a bigger cassette.

Therefore unless reduce tooth difference between from front rings may not have enough capacity. But if put on smaller big ring may have difficulties with big ring.

(but I have wondered myself if a 34 cassette would work in this situation - how conservative are Shimanio)

Best solution to to take less stuff in your luggage .... :-)
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robgul
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by robgul »

There IS a SRAM 11-36 cassette ( 11,12,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36) - we've just fitted one at the shop and despite SRAM saying it only works with a SRAM mech it does work with a Shimano 105 mech (you need the B screw right in to push the mech length out)

So far the customer seems pleased with his new mountain goat capability.

For all that a 32 or 34 with narrower/harder tyres will make it easier to climb anyway.

Rob
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whoof
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by whoof »

tim_f wrote:Not seen a 11 speed 11-34 cassette for sale from Shimano or SRAM.

-)


Certainly not cheap but do exist.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Shimano-CS-HG8 ... m8EALw_wcB
mnichols
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Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by mnichols »

hondated wrote:
mnichols wrote:Last minute change of plan, decided to take my Cannonde Synapse on an LeJoG rather than my Enigma Etape due to the lightness, stiffness and ultimately speed. Switching away from traditional touring with panniers to Bike Packing all be it with a Carradice Saddle Bag has made it possible

Anyway, I would like a slightly easier gear. I'm currently running an Ultegra 6800 11 speed Compact with 32 Cassette at the back. Can I go 34 tooth?

I would like to stay Ultegra as I've tried mix and matching different makes/models and it's never as slick (IME)

That's interesting as I thought the Etape would of been made for what you are doing. I've always regretted getting a Roberts Tourer rather than an audux as the tourers is definitely hard work at times.


The Etape is a great bike, I love it and I've done a lot of credit card touring on it (Bath to Italy, Bath to Spain, LeJoG 14 day, LeJoG 5 day, E2E Italy, E2E Spain, Raid Alps, Raid Pyrenees, E2E Japanese Alps, Cananda to Mexico, Lap of Wales, Lap of Scotland, etc to name a few) so I'm very familiar with it as a touring and climbing bike.

This LeJoG will be faster than I normally tour. It's not that I'm slow, I've done many days at over 20mph with luggage and my best touring century was 4:07, but these guys are faster than me especially on the hills. I failed to hold the wheel on a recent hilly 120 mile training ride, I got dropped going over the Mendips at about 100 miles despite having an average speed of 19mph on a hilly route in strong winds. I had to ride home on my own - the ride of shame.

The thing was, I was on my Etape, and I know that I'm faster on the Synapse (same tyres). I've done my regular training rides on both bikes and the Synapse and is worth about 2mph. I was concerned about using it for distance, but I did a 200 mile test ride a couple of weeks ago and it was very comfortable. But I'm a spinner not a grinder. The Etape currently has a custom triple with the smallest front chain ring of 26 and a 32 rear cassette. On my Gravel Bike I have a 26 at the front and 42 at the back. The Synapse currently has a 36 at the front and 32 at the back, and when they stand and sprint on the steep gradients I don't have the leg power, so I need more gears.

The Synapse is lighter, stiffer and faster, but I need more gears for the steepest inclines. Havingspoken to my LBS I'm thinking of put the new Ultegra Rear Mech (7000) on and a 11-34 at the back. I'd still like more gears but I think that's as much as I can do
tim_f
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Joined: 12 Oct 2009, 10:37pm

Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by tim_f »

re
. Havingspoken to my LBS I'm thinking of put the new Ultegra Rear Mech (7000)
do they mean R8000?

The new https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/RD-R8000-11-speed-Ultegra-Shadow-Rear-Derailleur-p58024/ ultegra rear mech and new 11 -34 cassette look like they were designed for you :-)

Capacity of 39. So can match 50 34 with 11 to 34

Combing that with a sub compact chain set with 48 32 like this http://road.cc/content/review/219120-praxis-works-alba-m30-4832-chainset would give a sensible range.
mnichols
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by mnichols »

tim_f wrote:re
. Havingspoken to my LBS I'm thinking of put the new Ultegra Rear Mech (7000)
do they mean R8000?

The new https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/RD-R8000-11-speed-Ultegra-Shadow-Rear-Derailleur-p58024/ ultegra rear mech and new 11 -34 cassette look like they were designed for you :-)

Capacity of 39. So can match 50 34 with 11 to 34

Combing that with a sub compact chain set with 48 32 like this http://road.cc/content/review/219120-praxis-works-alba-m30-4832-chainset would give a sensible range.


Yes, I did mean the 8000. I new they had skipped some numbers

I understand the idea of the Praxis, but I've turned my Etape into a Frankenstein's monster of mix matched, 'should work' components and although it works most of the time, it has let me down a few times at inconvenient times including once when I was a few days from a bike shop. It's stopped being a pleasure to ride and now I've lost my faith in it. So much so that I think I'm going to start again and buy a whole new Groupset
roubaixtuesday
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Re: What is the biggest cassette I can have?

Post by roubaixtuesday »

robgul wrote:There IS a SRAM 11-36 cassette ( 11,12,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36) - we've just fitted one at the shop and despite SRAM saying it only works with a SRAM mech it does work with a Shimano 105 mech (you need the B screw right in to push the mech length out)


I tried this and found the 36 cog fouled the derailleur, albeit only a tiny amount. It probably would have been ok, just, but the wolftooth solved it completely. I think the exact configuration of frame and hanger dictates whether it works without the extra gizmo. My experience:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=113182
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