Cassette option

[Silverfox885]

I got back into cycling earlier this year after nearly forty years and bought a Giant Defy with an 8 speed Shimano Claris groupset which I am really enjoying. I'm not doing fantastic mileage, about 70 miles at the weekend, but I have found that sometimes I could really do with a couple of more gears within the range I have. It's hard to keep the cadence up when there is such a large jump between ratios on the cassette.
So, as I see it I have two options. I buy a Shimano 105 or Ultegra 10 or 11speed groupset and retro fit it to my current bike or wait till next year and trade in and get a new Defy with a 10 or 11 speed groupset already fitted.
Having spent many exhausting miles cycling up hills I really appreciate the 32 tooth cog on the cassette, but it seems that Giant don't offer that option on their 105 or Ultegra set ups even though Shimano do an 11-32 ultegra 11speed cassette.
So I could fit the ratios I want to my existing frame or buy a new bike and fit another cassette and maybe a longer rear deraileur. The main problem with upgrading my frame is, will I need to get a new rear wheel to fit a 10/11speed cassette?
Or.... Should I just man up, stop being a wuss and accept a smaller rear cassette or stick with what I've already got.

 

[Kies]

8 speed Simano - i would guess that Defy is pretty old. The cost of changing your existing bike to a 10 speed will run into hundreds, so i would buy a better bike and sell that old Defy, or keep it as your winter bike

 

[Silverfox885]

It's a 2014 model. The Claris groupset is Shimano's entry level with a 12-32 cassette and double chain rings.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Kies Claris is pretty new.
@Silverfox885 this is an option you can get a claris triple left shifter for £49
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimano-ST-2403-Claris-TRIPLE-ST-2400/dp/B00HYHAQB0
You will need a triple FD and a triple chainset spacycles do this for £35 its 110/74bcd s 48-38-28 couple this with a 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23 cassette and you have 32-105" with single tooth stepping from 12 to 17 and then 2tooth from 17-23, I ran something like this the first year I was cycling but I split the cassette by removing the pins holding the cogs together and actually ran a 12-24 giving 30.68-105" (but this was on a 7sp so I probably didn't have the 16th sprocket) and it worked pretty well, most modern FD's only have a 20th range (though they may do 22th) but if you get hold of a Sora FD3300 these are 22th so you could fit your 50th outer ring or get a 26th inner ring so on the 26-38-48 and 12-24 you would have 28.49-105.2".
opposed to a compact double 50-34 and to get the above range you need an 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30 giving 29.81-119.55" but you could change the 11th locking to a 12th locking giving 29.81-109.58" .

Its just a thought to get a good range with good stepping in cadence.

PM if its something you are interested and I haven't explained it well.

and