Changing Cassettes

[Globalti]

Oh... er.. thanks, I put the photo in the Gallery section and got similar comments. The frame was built in Birmingham in April 1990 as shop stock for Harry Hall's in Manchester. The tubing is Columbus SLX, which was the best tubing around at the time. It was equipped with a mish-mash of Campagnolo and old Shimano which didn't work together and I have changed everything except the seatpost and seat. Yesterday I rode it for the first time with the new wheels, which are Mavic Open Sport rims on Tiagra hubs with butted spokes as befitting a bike of that quality. It rides like a dream, corners like on rails and is lightning quick in changes of course, as well as being very comfortable even on rough country roads.

The wheelbase is extremely short, so short that the rear wheel with those deep tyres won't even drop out unless you deflate the tyre!

The frame alone cost around £300 in 1990 and I bought the bike in a neglected but little-used condition for £150! If you deduct what I got for the sale of my old bike, the whole lot has cost me around £360!

 

[bonj2]

sorry, but road bikes should NOT have 11-32 or -34 cassettes. That is strictly a mtb cassette. Part of the efficiency, finesse and subtlety of riding a road bike comes from the close ratio gears. You can't hope to maintain cadence properly with a mtb cassette. GET A TRIPLE!

 

[Globalti]

Gosh, I didn't realise there were RULES in cycling! Maybe some beginners feel they need a wider range of gears until they toughen up their legs?

The whole idea of mountain bike gearing is that you don't mash your knees, you select an easy gear and sit and spin. Okay so maybe on a road bike this means you might be missing out on a couple of mph of speed but I'd rather save my knees than get up that hill 2 minutes earlier.

 

[Steve Austin]

I have used medium length dérailleurs on MTBs for at least 15 years with no adverse affects, so all this mumbo about needing a long cage mech makes me laugh.

Mechs come in 3 sizes. Most MTB mechs will be long cage. most road mechs will be medium cage.
the tiagra mech you have will probably be medium cage, and will work very well with any cassette up to 32 teeth. It may be a struggle to run big ring/big ring as you will need to use less chain to get tension on the smaller gears. But you won't be running cross gears will you ?!

tbh i would leave the cassette as it is and put a 34 front ring on there. if you must change the cassette a 28 rear sprocket will give a you bit more, pair that with a 34 up front and you'll get a good gear for most hills* you can find




*i expect the neysayers will be along in a minute to say that no-one can ride up their local hill with such a ridiculous gear, but its what i ride on my Cyclocross bike and it works for me

 

[Steve Austin]

notes date

 

[Globalti]

Some good advice there Steve. My setup is working fine with the original 105 mech. Obviously I don't stretch it big to big.