8/9 speed mixture

CandT said:

Now I know a 9 speed cassette would be preferable, and matching shifters too - but I've already
spent the budget on these other parts, and I thought that a 9 speed cassette is the same high to
low width than 8 speed, its just the spacing which is different. So - the only thing I can think
of is that the chain is too thick...

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed chain help? Is it indeed
thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent the rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work
with an 8-speed cassette?

You've just answered your own question. 9sp chains are thinner than 8sp. A new 9sp chain should work
with a 8sp cassette (I think I've got that the right way round).

--
a.m-b FAQ: t-online.deambfaq.htmOpen ↗

b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htmOpen ↗

CandT said:

Without wanting to incur the wrath of the newsgroup purists (you know who you are), I need to ask
a technical question, but one specific to MTB's, so I'm asking here rather than
rec.bicycles.tech...

I had an 8 speed bike... STX 8 speed shifters, 8 speed cassette... I was recently talked into
buying an XT front mech by my wife (her brother was working in the shop, and told me I had to buy
something to make him look good - how cool is that!!)

Now, because the XT mech was incompatible with my crappy chainrings (24-34-42),

Who told you that? If by "mech" you mean front d, the XT should work fine with 24-34-42. Front ders
can cover a set number of tooth difference. Your difference is 18 teeth, easily done by an XT. A
standard XT crank has a larger tooth difference than yours.

Quoted message said:

Now, I'm quite good at setting up gearing, and I bought a new BB to improve the chainline which
was too wide at the front with the lower profile cranks, and am basically there, all gears can be
shifted into. The trouble is - the chain just about rubs on the front derailleur on one side of
the other. ie Lets say your in the middle chainring, if the chain is just touching one side on the
1st cassette cog, I can tighten the cable so its not, but then it will touch on the 8th cog...

Try adjusting the angle of the der in relation to the chain rings. You can also SLIGHTLY bend the
nose or tail of the der. Also, double check the height of the cage over the rings. You should be
1-3mm over the big ring.

Quoted message said:

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed chain help? Is it indeed
thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent the rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work
with an 8-speed cassette?

A 9 speed chain may cause rear shifting problems on an 8 speed cassette. It is thinner, including
BETWEEN the plates.

I think your brother-in-law needs to fix your bike. That would make him look really good!

Barry

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 12:00:40 GMT, "B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup

@thankyou.com said:

CandT said:

Without wanting to incur the wrath of the newsgroup purists (you know who you are), I need to ask
a technical question, but one specific to MTB's, so I'm asking here rather than
rec.bicycles.tech...

I had an 8 speed bike... STX 8 speed shifters, 8 speed cassette... I was recently talked into
buying an XT front mech by my wife (her brother was working in the shop, and told me I had to buy
something to make him look good - how cool is that!!)

Now, because the XT mech was incompatible with my crappy chainrings (24-34-42),

Who told you that? If by "mech" you mean front d, the XT should work fine with 24-34-42. Front ders
can cover a set number of tooth difference. Your difference is 18 teeth, easily done by an XT. A
standard XT crank has a larger tooth difference than yours.

Quoted message said:

Now, I'm quite good at setting up gearing, and I bought a new BB to improve the chainline
which was too wide at the front with the lower profile cranks, and am basically there, all
gears can be shifted into. The trouble is - the chain just about rubs on the front derailleur
on one side of the other. ie Lets say your in the middle chainring, if the chain is just
touching one side on the 1st cassette cog, I can tighten the cable so its not, but then it
will touch on the 8th cog...

Try adjusting the angle of the der in relation to the chain rings. You can also SLIGHTLY bend the
nose or tail of the der. Also, double check the height of the cage over the rings. You should be
1-3mm over the big ring.

Quoted message said:

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed chain help? Is it indeed
thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent the rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work
with an 8-speed cassette?

A 9 speed chain may cause rear shifting problems on an 8 speed cassette. It is thinner, including
BETWEEN the plates.

I think your brother-in-law needs to fix your bike. That would make him look really good!

Barry

Thanks for the response, a couple of points to reply to really, but with regards the chainring sizes
- the problem with the XT mech, and indeed an LX one I got cheap a few months ago (which my brother
in law now has since it didnt fit my bike!), is that because the old large chainring is smaller than
the new deore set and the middle chainring is bigger than the new set - the difference in diameter
between the middle and large is less - which mean that to allow the inside wall of the front d to
pass over the middle chainring when shifting to the big ring, the outer wall needed at least 1cm
clearance over the big ring - which obviously is not right...

Now there is a 12 tooth difference, instead of 8 between middle and large, the outer wall passes 1mm
above the big ring and also the inner wall misses the middle ring by about the same...

I will try bending the cage, and fiddling with the cage angle too - I'm sure its a tweaking issue
rather than the parts themselves

Cheers,

CandT

Quoted message said:

Now I know a 9 speed cassette would be preferable, and matching shifters too - but I've already
spent the budget on these other parts, and I thought that a 9 speed cassette is the same high to
low width than 8 speed, its just the spacing which is different. So - the only thing I can think
of is that the chain is too thick...

Yes.

Quoted message said:

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed chain help? Is it indeed
thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent the rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work
with an 8-speed cassette?

The 9 speed chain will not work that great on your cassette, the problem of course is that the new
front derailleur is narrower. You can put the old one back on, bend the cage on it or just live
with it. You're only a hop, skip and a few hours of overtime from getting a 9 spd. cassette and
shifters anyway.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

"CandT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Without wanting to incur the wrath of the newsgroup purists (you know

who you

Quoted message said:

are), I need to ask a technical question, but one specific to MTB's, so

I'm

Quoted message said:

asking here rather than rec.bicycles.tech...

I had an 8 speed bike... STX 8 speed shifters, 8 speed cassette... I

was

Quoted message said:

recently talked into buying an XT front mech by my wife (her brother

was working

Quoted message said:

in the shop, and told me I had to buy something to make him look good -

how cool

Quoted message said:

is that!!)

Now, because the XT mech was incompatible with my crappy chainrings

(24-34-42),

Quoted message said:

I bought a set of deore hollowtech 22-32-44 9-speed rings with cranks,

and of

Quoted message said:

course - the essential XT rear mech too.... (This shop had 35% off a

bunch of

Quoted message said:

shimano stuff - so it was a great price)

Now, I'm quite good at setting up gearing, and I bought a new BB to

improve the

Quoted message said:

chainline which was too wide at the front with the lower profile

cranks, and am

Quoted message said:

basically there, all gears can be shifted into. The trouble is - the

chain just

Quoted message said:

about rubs on the front derailleur on one side of the other. ie Lets

say your in

Quoted message said:

the middle chainring, if the chain is just touching one side on the 1st

cassette

Quoted message said:

cog, I can tighten the cable so its not, but then it will touch on the

8th

Quoted message said:

cog...

Now I know a 9 speed cassette would be preferable, and matching

shifters too -

Quoted message said:

but I've already spent the budget on these other parts, and I thought

that a 9

Quoted message said:

speed cassette is the same high to low width than 8 speed, its just the

spacing

Quoted message said:

which is different. So - the only thing I can think of is that the

chain is too

Quoted message said:

thick...

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed

chain

Quoted message said:

help? Is it indeed thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent

the

Quoted message said:

rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work with an 8-speed cassette?

Cheers then

CandT

I've been all the way down the road you're on. I couldn't find anybody with strong feelings about
which chain to use - just a slight leaning towards 9sp. I've used both and settled on 9sp without
any problems because that because it gives better shifting on the front without any deterioration at
the rear. The chain rubs on the front cage (XTR) each side in middle ring on small and big sprocket
because... "it just does, and you're not supposed to use those combinations anyway".

You have my sympathy with the problem. I have a short cage rear mech that won't accommodate a 9sp
cassette. If I could only trash the shifters mech and cassette all at once.....

Peter

Yes a 9 speed chain will work with 8 speed clog.

Fire up MTB 03

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Yes a 9 speed chain will work with 8 speed clog.

Fire up MTB 03

Interesting and appropriate choice of words.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

I use XT or XTR 9 speed front derrailers wiht 8 speed chains, rear derrailers and cassettes, no
problems what-so-ever. (currently 5 bikes in the household are set up like this.)

Peter Wallace said:

"CandT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Without wanting to incur the wrath of the newsgroup purists (you know

who you

Quoted message said:

are), I need to ask a technical question, but one specific to MTB's, so

I'm

Quoted message said:

asking here rather than rec.bicycles.tech...

I had an 8 speed bike... STX 8 speed shifters, 8 speed cassette... I

was

Quoted message said:

recently talked into buying an XT front mech by my wife (her brother

was working

Quoted message said:

in the shop, and told me I had to buy something to make him look good -

how cool

Quoted message said:

is that!!)

Now, because the XT mech was incompatible with my crappy chainrings

(24-34-42),

Quoted message said:

I bought a set of deore hollowtech 22-32-44 9-speed rings with cranks,

and of

Quoted message said:

course - the essential XT rear mech too.... (This shop had 35% off a

bunch of

Quoted message said:

shimano stuff - so it was a great price)

Now, I'm quite good at setting up gearing, and I bought a new BB to

improve the

Quoted message said:

chainline which was too wide at the front with the lower profile

cranks, and am

Quoted message said:

basically there, all gears can be shifted into. The trouble is - the

chain just

Quoted message said:

about rubs on the front derailleur on one side of the other. ie Lets

say your in

Quoted message said:

the middle chainring, if the chain is just touching one side on the 1st

cassette

Quoted message said:

cog, I can tighten the cable so its not, but then it will touch on the

8th

Quoted message said:

cog...

Now I know a 9 speed cassette would be preferable, and matching

shifters too -

Quoted message said:

but I've already spent the budget on these other parts, and I thought

that a 9

Quoted message said:

speed cassette is the same high to low width than 8 speed, its just the

spacing

Quoted message said:

which is different. So - the only thing I can think of is that the

chain is too

Quoted message said:

thick...

So in my usual round about way - all I need to know is - will a 9-speed

chain

Quoted message said:

help? Is it indeed thinner, as I only need to save about 1mm to prevent

the

Quoted message said:

rubbing? and will a 9-speed chain work with an 8-speed cassette?

Cheers then

CandT

I've been all the way down the road you're on. I couldn't find anybody with strong feelings about
which chain to use - just a slight leaning towards 9sp. I've used both and settled on 9sp without
any problems because that because it gives better shifting on the front without any deterioration
at the rear. The chain rubs on the front cage (XTR) each side in middle ring on small and big
sprocket because... "it just does, and you're not supposed to use those combinations anyway".

You have my sympathy with the problem. I have a short cage rear mech that won't accommodate a 9sp
cassette. If I could only trash the shifters mech and cassette all at once.....

Peter

Interestingly - I've got the short cage XT variant too... I didnt know it is restricted to 8 speed?
I thought it had a Mega-9 compatible sticker on it???

Cheers

CandT

"CandT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:54:47 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You have my sympathy with the problem. I have a short cage rear mech that won't accommodate a 9sp
cassette. If I could only trash the shifters mech and cassette all at once.....

Peter

Interestingly - I've got the short cage XT variant too... I didnt know

it is

Quoted message said:

restricted to 8 speed? I thought it had a Mega-9 compatible sticker on

it???

Quoted message said:

Cheers

CandT

It's a while since I did the research and, from memory, it's an XTR cassette problem. The sort cage
mech doesn't have the reach to deal with the larger big sprocket?

Peter

"Peter Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"CandT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:54:47 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You have my sympathy with the problem. I have a short cage rear mech that won't accommodate a
9sp cassette. If I could only trash the shifters mech and cassette all at once.....

Peter

Interestingly - I've got the short cage XT variant too... I didnt know

it is

Quoted message said:

restricted to 8 speed? I thought it had a Mega-9 compatible sticker on

it???

Quoted message said:

Cheers

CandT

It's a while since I did the research and, from memory, it's an XTR cassette problem. The sort
cage mech doesn't have the reach to deal with the larger big sprocket?

Peter

The trashing of all at once can be arranged - just let me know. While you're at it why not upgrade
those brakes and get a bouncy frame :-)

It's the large cog that's the problem - short cage mechs don't (theoretically) wrap enough chain to
cope with cogs bigger than 28, it happens at all levels from XTR down.

You can get away with it but you have to be very careful about gear selection aparently.

Russ

"russell pinder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Peter Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"CandT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:54:47 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

>
>You have my sympathy with the problem. I have a short cage rear

mech

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>that won't accommodate a 9sp cassette. If I could only trash the shifters mech and cassette
>all at once.....
>
>Peter
>
Interestingly - I've got the short cage XT variant too... I didnt

know

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it is

Quoted message said:

restricted to 8 speed? I thought it had a Mega-9 compatible sticker

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it???

Quoted message said:

Cheers

CandT

It's a while since I did the research and, from memory, it's an XTR cassette problem. The sort
cage mech doesn't have the reach to deal with the larger big sprocket?

Peter

The trashing of all at once can be arranged - just let me know. While

you're

Quoted message said:

at it why not upgrade those brakes and get a bouncy frame :-)

It's the large cog that's the problem - short cage mechs don't (theoretically) wrap enough chain
to cope with cogs bigger than 28, it happens at all levels from XTR down.

You can get away with it but you have to be very careful about gear selection aparently.

I'm indebted to you for your wisdom and advice. Now **** off. :-)

Peter-the-Luddite