what cassette?

davek said:

OK, so I got me some new wheels, with 105 cassette hub on
the rear. Question now is what cassette(s) to get...

Current range is 14-28 (with 52/42 chainrings). The 14t
doesn't see an awful lot of action, not with my knees, so
I'm not too concerned about the top end of the gearing
range. But I use the 28t a fair bit going up hills. And I
sometimes feel like I could do with an even smaller gear.

So, I'm pondering a few options.

Currently looking like an appealing possibility is the
SRAM Powerglide 5.0 cassette, which has 8 speeds in the
range 11-28 or 11-32. I presume this will fit on a
Shimano hub?

I don't mind too much the fact that with such a range, the
gears will be quite widely spaced - it's still an
improvement on my current five-speed set-up. But given
that I don't use my 14t sprocket that much, I'm hardly
likely to be wearing out the 11t in a hurry. Does anyone
know of any off-the-shelf alternatives that go up to a 28
or higher but start higher (say 13 or 14t) at the top end,
to a more useful range of closer spaced gears?

The other possibility is to change the chainrings for
smaller ones. The trouble with that idea is that the
chainset is an ancient Suntour job and won't fit the
'standard' sizes of chainrings currently available. So,
I'd need to get a whole new chainset, in which case I can
consider getting a proper roadie cassette (11-23) and a
triple. But I'm not all that keen on the idea of a triple
with non-indexed shifters.

I've also been hearing a lot about the FSA compact double
50/34 chainset, which sounds very appealing indeed, but I
understand they are very pricey, yes? Does anyone know of
any cheaper alternatives?

Another possibility is having more than one cassette so I
can switch according to the terrain. Are cassettes easy to
change? I almost ripped my arm out of its socket
unscrewing the freewheel the other day - someone please
tell me it's easier than that.

Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Any advice/comments
gratefully received. I'd be interested to know what sort
of set-up other people are running and how they feel about
it - particularly those of you who, like me, are towards
the lower end of the performance scale.

d.

cassettes are a piece of [censored] to change. you just need to
have a chain whp and the tool that fits in the locknut...

davek <[email hidden]> wrote:

: I've also been hearing a lot about the FSA compact double
: 50/34 chainset, which sounds very appealing indeed, but I
: understand they are very pricey, yes? Does anyone know of
: any cheaper alternatives?

THere's no really cheap alternatives, but you can get a TA
Zepher Light for £130. 34/48, 34/50 or 36/50. I'd suggest
that you could usefully just use the 48 big ring.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ "Technolibertarians make a
philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

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

Quoted message said:

OK, so I got me some new wheels, with 105 cassette hub on
the rear.

Question

Quoted message said:

now is what cassette(s) to get...

Current range is 14-28 (with 52/42 chainrings). The 14t
doesn't see an

awful

Quoted message said:

lot of action, not with my knees, so I'm not too concerned
about the top

end

Quoted message said:

of the gearing range. But I use the 28t a fair bit going
up hills. And I sometimes feel like I could do with an
even smaller gear.

So, I'm pondering a few options.

Currently looking like an appealing possibility is the
SRAM Powerglide 5.0 cassette, which has 8 speeds in the
range 11-28 or 11-32. I presume this will fit on a
Shimano hub?

Yup. Shimano do 11-28 in 8 too.

Quoted message said:

I don't mind too much the fact that with such a range, the
gears will be quite widely spaced - it's still an
improvement on my current five-speed set-up. But given
that I don't use my 14t sprocket that much, I'm hardly
likely to be wearing out the 11t in a hurry. Does anyone
know of any off-the-shelf alternatives that go up to a 28
or higher but start higher (say 13 or 14t) at the top end,
to a more useful range of closer spaced gears?

Shimano irritatingly don't do big -> big cassettes - I think
their reasoning is that if you want the big sprocket for
going up hills, you will want a little one for going down
them. You can always mix up a pair of cassettes (if you
stick to the cheaper ones which don't use spiders).

Quoted message said:

The other possibility is to change the chainrings for
smaller ones. The trouble with that idea is that the
chainset is an ancient Suntour job and won't fit the
'standard' sizes of chainrings currently available. So,
I'd need to get a whole new chainset, in which case I can
consider getting a proper roadie cassette (11-23) and a
triple. But I'm not all that keen on the idea of a triple
with non-indexed shifters.

Non-indexed shifters are perfect for a triple - loads less
hassle setting up, and it means you can trim while riding
much more easily. Something like a tiagra front (52/42/30)
with a 13-23 cassette in back would be great (and
coincidentally just what I've got!). (30/23 is equivalent to
42/32, and you've got the option of having more spread later
if you want with a cassette change).

Quoted message said:

I've also been hearing a lot about the FSA compact double
50/34 chainset, which sounds very appealing indeed, but I
understand they are very pricey, yes? Does anyone know of
any cheaper alternatives?

A non-compact drive (110mm pcd) MTB chainset with the
granny off?

Quoted message said:

Another possibility is having more than one cassette so I
can switch according to the terrain. Are cassettes easy to
change? I almost ripped my arm out of its socket
unscrewing the freewheel the other day - someone please
tell me it's easier than that.

The great advantage of cassettes - they don't tighten under
load unlike a freewheel.

cheers, clive

davek said:

OK, so I got me some new wheels, with 105 cassette hub on
the rear. Question now is what cassette(s) to get...

It doesn't matter what you get. Leave it in the glove box of
the car for long enough and it'll turn into Queen's
'Greatest Hits'.

..d

Arthur Clune:

Quoted message said:

THere's no really cheap alternatives, but you can get a TA
Zepher Light for £130.

Hmm. Still way out of my price range. I'm really trying to
do this completely on the cheap - ie, scouring ebay for
bargains (the wheels were £35).

Quoted message said:

I'd suggest that you could usefully just use the 48
big ring.

Yup. A 48*11 would still be a considerably bigger gear than
the biggest my current set-up gives (52*14). This is why I'd
be keen to find a cassette that starts with a 13 or 14t
smallest sprocket - I want to be able to use all my gears!

d.

Clive George:

Quoted message said:

Yup. Shimano do 11-28 in 8 too.

"No longer available" according to Wiggle. SRAM stuff seems
to have a good rep anyway.

Quoted message said:

You can always mix up a pair of cassettes (if you stick to
the cheaper ones which don't use spiders).

Good one. Hadn't thought of that. Although if I was going
down that route I think I'd probably get one of Sheldon
Brown's custom jobs to make sure the cogs were properly
compatible.

Quoted message said:

Non-indexed shifters are perfect for a triple - loads less
hassle setting up, and it means you can trim while riding
much more easily.

Really? I'd be worried about over-shifting. With just two
chainrings I know that shifting is just a case of putting
the lever as far up or as far down as it will go. Of course,
over-shifting on the rear is more likely, given the larger
number of gears, but there I'm assuming it's actually less
of a problem because of the smaller size differences
involved. I envisage getting into all sorts of trouble
accidentally shifting from a 30 chainring up to a 52 at an
inopportune moment. Still, if you say otherwise, I shall
take your word for it.

Quoted message said:

Something like a tiagra front (52/42/30) with a 13-23
cassette in back would be great

(and

Quoted message said:

coincidentally just what I've got!).

Righty ho! I'll be keeping my eyes on ebay for a cheap
triple. I'm really dseperately keen to keep this upgrade job
as cheap as possible. This bike is currently an all-purpose
(road/touring) job, but if I ever get around to buying
separate road and touring bikes, I've got this one earmarked
for conversion to a fixie, so it would be a waste to spend
lots of money on it.

Quoted message said:

A non-compact drive (110mm pcd) MTB chainset with the
granny off?

Yebbut... that sounds a bit perverse, if you don't mind
me saying.

Quoted message said:

The great advantage of cassettes - they don't tighten
under load unlike a freewheel.

I was hoping that was the case but didn't know for sure.

Thanks,

d.

David Martin:

Quoted message said:

It doesn't matter what you get. Leave it in the glove box
of the car for long enough and it'll turn into Queen's
'Greatest Hits'.

rofl.

d.

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

Quoted message said:

Clive George:

Quoted message said:

Yup. Shimano do 11-28 in 8 too.

"No longer available" according to Wiggle. SRAM stuff
seems to have a good rep anyway.

Hmm - suffering shimano shortage? It was a pretty standard
cassette - look at how many varieties settle sell. (whether
they can get them is a different matter).

(what about the HG60 and HG70?).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You can always mix up a pair of cassettes (if you stick
to the cheaper ones which don't use spiders).

Good one. Hadn't thought of that. Although if I was going
down that route

I

Quoted message said:

think I'd probably get one of Sheldon Brown's custom jobs
to make sure the cogs were properly compatible.

I'd look at how he does it, then do it myself, so I got to
keep the spare cogs :-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Non-indexed shifters are perfect for a triple - loads
less hassle

setting

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up, and it means you can trim while riding much more
easily.

Really? I'd be worried about over-shifting. With just two
chainrings I

know

Quoted message said:

that shifting is just a case of putting the lever as far
up or as far down as it will go. Of course, over-shifting
on the rear is more likely, given the larger number of
gears, but there I'm assuming it's actually less of a
problem because of the smaller size differences involved.
I envisage

getting

Quoted message said:

into all sorts of trouble accidentally shifting from a 30
chainring up to

a

Quoted message said:

52 at an inopportune moment.

Not a problem in practice. (downshift is where it would go
wrong, but it doesn't actually give grief)

Quoted message said:

Still, if you say otherwise, I shall take your word for
it.

Just IME :-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A non-compact drive (110mm pcd) MTB chainset with the
granny off?

Yebbut... that sounds a bit perverse, if you don't mind
me saying.

Yes :-) But it's potentially loads cheaper than a compact
road double - which will only come in flash varieties.

cheers, clive

Quoted message said:

It doesn't matter what you get. Leave it in the glove box
of the car for long enough and it'll turn into Queen's
'Greatest Hits'.

<Tony_Baron> Vat David Martin, he a BAD man </Tony_Baron>

--

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

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

Quoted message said:

On 20/5/04 11:50 am, in article
[email hidden], "davek"

Quoted message said:

OK, so I got me some new wheels, with 105 cassette hub
on the rear.

Question

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

now is what cassette(s) to get...

It doesn't matter what you get. Leave it in the glove box
of the car for long enough and it'll turn into Queen's
'Greatest Hits'.

..d

Some0ne else has read "Good Omens" by Niel Gaiman. And yes
it does feature bicycles..

Julia

In "]news:[email hidden],
JBB <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

On 20/5/04 11:50 am, in article
[email hidden], "davek"

Quoted message said:

OK, so I got me some new wheels, with 105 cassette hub
on the rear. Question now is what cassette(s) to get...

It doesn't matter what you get. Leave it in the glove box
of the car for long enough and it'll turn into Queen's
'Greatest Hits'.

..d

Some0ne else has read "Good Omens" by Niel Gaiman. And yes
it does feature bicycles..

You don't have to read it: it's on the first page, IIRC.
(I've not read past the first few pages. Not that I've
anything against it, just not had the chance.)

A