Changing cassette, can I change ratios
6 min read
Asked by: Sam Grudier
Can I change cassette ratio?
Cassette Ratio
The only part to change when increasing the ratio is the rear-derailleur. You can adjust the derailleur to shift to the big cog of the cassette by using a derailleur extender like this, it will allow the derailleur to ability to access and shift the big cogs.
Does derailleur need to match cassette?
The rear derailleur must be matched to the size of the largest rear sprocket. This capacity, which is expressed in terms of teeth, accounts for both the difference in size between both chainrings (e.g. 14T for a 53/39T crankset) and the largest and smallest sprockets on the bike (e.g. 17T for an 11-28T cassette).
Can you change gear ratios on bike?
For those of you looking to alter your gear ratio, you can do so by changing the rear cog, which will affect the denominator of the ratio. You can also change the number of teeth in the chainring – or you can do both!
Can I change cassette without changing chain?
It’s also a good idea to replace your chain when you change your cassette. (Chains wear faster than your cassette, so it’s likely you’ll go through a couple chains before you need to replace your cassette.) Cassettes and chains need to be compatible with each other.
Is an 11 34 cassette good for climbing?
All other things being equal, the 34T sprocket on the 11-34T cassette is going to give you the easiest gear. If your bike is currently fitted with an 11-28T cassette, switching to an 11-34T cassette will make climbing less of a struggle.
Can 9 speed cassette change to 10?
You can put a new 10 or 11 speed cassette on any of the older 9 speed hubs. So, regardless of brand, feel free to buy your wheels a nicely upgraded new steed.
Do I need a new derailleur if I get a bigger cassette?
Derailleur Adjustments
When putting a big cassette, the derailleur jockey wheel it may not be able to be under that big cogs, therefore the shift can’t be made. For that, it requires to use a specific rear derailleur compatible with these big ratios and this can be expensive upgrade.
Can I use 12 speed derailleur with 11 speed cassette?
So you can’t use a 12 speed derailleur on an 11 speed setup or vice versa but you can you an xtr 12/11 speed shifter on an 11 speed drivetrain.
Can I use a 7-speed derailleur on an 9 speed cassette?
It won’t work. On a 7-speed cassette, the cogs are 5.0 mm apart (center-to-center). On 9-speed, it’s 4.34 mm. This means that if you adjust the derailleur so it’s in the correct position on the 1st cog, then by the time it gets to the 7th cog, it’ll be 4.62 mm off from where it needs to be.
What cassette is best for climbing?
For hill climbing and mountainous terrain, we recommend a road cassette such as the 11-32T SRAM Red 22 XG1190 11 Speed Cassette (A2), or the 11-34T Shimano Ultegra R8000 11 Speed Cassette.
Does the number of teeth on a cassette matter?
A higher amount of teeth makes it easier to pedal than a low number and vice versa. Most road bikes come supplied with a 12–25T cassette, where the smallest sprocket has 12 teeth and the largest sprocked has 25 teeth.
What gear ratio is best for climbing?
The best mountain bike gear ratio for climbing is 46 to 49 on a chainring and 16 to 18 on a cassette. For more diverse rides, mountain bike gears of ratios 46/17 to 42/17 are what work for flatter terrain or occasional hills. However, with that being said, the perfect ratio usually depends on the terrain you’re riding.
Which is better 11 32t or 11 34t?
depends on your front rings and if you like to climb etc. assuming you are running a standard triple the 11-34 will give you lower gears (easier to pedal) but you may run out of spin, the 11-32 wont climb quite as well but you will be less likely to run out of gears going down hill.
What is the difference between 11 28 and 11 30 cassette?
The difference is pretty easy to quantify mathematically. Going from a 28 to a 30T sprocket gives a 2/28th reduction in gearing – so about 7%. What that means is that if you’re going up a hill on your current 28T spinning at 100RPM, you’d need to pedal at 107RPM for the same speed.
What size cassette do pros use?
Pros often use a 55×11-tooth high gear for time trials. On flat or rolling stages they might have 53/39T chainrings with an 11-21T cassette. In moderate mountains they switch to a large cog of 23T or 25T. These days, they’ve joined the big-gear revolution like many recreational riders.
Can you change road bike cassette size?
Quote from video: If you've already got a 28 then you can also fit a 32 tooth cassette. And they're readily available in most bike shops.
Do I need to lengthen my chain for a bigger cassette?
You need a bit longer chain for a larger cassette. All things remaining the same, if your chain was the correct length before, adding the 34t gear increases the diameter of the low gear. That increases the total gear length, so you would have to have more chain to keep the adjustment correct.
What gear ratio is best for climbing?
The best mountain bike gear ratio for climbing is 46 to 49 on a chainring and 16 to 18 on a cassette. For more diverse rides, mountain bike gears of ratios 46/17 to 42/17 are what work for flatter terrain or occasional hills. However, with that being said, the perfect ratio usually depends on the terrain you’re riding.
Can I put a bigger cassette on my mountain bike?
Yes, almost any bike is compatible with bigger cassettes, bike drivetrain is groupset of components that works in perfect harmony, any miss reconfiguring can break the perfect functionality of the system, parts that need to be changed and reconfigured when putting bigger cassette which is long-chain, wide cage
What cassette do pro cyclists use?
The most common cassette size used in the peloton is an 11-28t. That is positively humongous compared to the 11-21t cassette that was common a few decades ago when you’d be lucky if you got an 11-23t for the mountains. Since Shimano went to 11-speed though, the 11-28t cassette has become popular.
Can I use any cassette with any derailleur?
As a general rule of thumb, it’s best not to mix and match drivetrain components from different brands. While things such as cranks, chains and cassettes are mostly inter-compatible between brands, generally speaking, shifters and derailleurs aren’t.