changing gearing

[wgf45]

thanks for the info guys. great help

 

[mjr]

Go into a Halfords and ask for a Dura Ace 9 speed cassette with 11-32, for a road bike. Do come back and tell us how you get on.

Halfords are rather poor in their range selection. I used to buy parts in the tiny little Motor-World that the big box Halfords didn't stock. If you'll only use what Half-odds have on their shelves, you're probably going to have a crap time cycling.

Good for you. But I wasn't talking about used parts, and you won't get the latest greatest lightweight high end cassettes (Dura Ace for example) with 9 speed spacing, and a wide range, in an emergency, from a high street retailer, off the shelf.

Half-odds are rarely on high streets any more! They're more often on retail parks by some godawful-for-cycling ring road. I suspect an actual high-street retail chain cycle shop will have the boxed Shimano 9-speed Sora cassettes in 12-27t and 11-30t variants - possibly even the 11-34t in hilly places.

 

[S-Express]

Go into a Halfords and ask for a Dura Ace 9 speed cassette with 11-32, for a road bike. Do come back and tell us how you get on.

I'll be glad to do that - if you can explain why it's relevant.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I'll be glad to do that - if you can explain why it's relevant.

It's relavent to show that despite what you ( wrongly ) believe, one limitation of a 9 speed set up, is the ease of availability, of better quality / high end, wide range, cassettes, with a choice of ratios typically found on a road cassette, on spec ( walking in off of the street, and picking it off if the shelf there and then ) is less at a typical high street type retailer) than can be expected from a 10 / 11 speed set up.

 

[mjr]

a typical high street type retailer

So how is that shown by visiting one that's worse than typical and usually not on high streets, then?

 

[S-Express]

It's relavent to show that despite what you ( wrongly ) believe, one limitation of a 9 speed set up, is the ease of availability, of better quality / high end, wide range, cassettes, with a choice of ratios typically found on a road cassette, on spec ( walking in off of the street, and picking it off if the shelf there and then ) is less at a typical high street type retailer) than can be expected from a 10 / 11 speed set up.

Not sure why you are so hung up on being able to 'walk in off the street' and buy such an item. Either way, 9spd cassettes in a shimano pattern are widely available. DA has never been available in a 32t option, but in terms of 'high end' kit, both XT and XTR go up to 34 and are still available in 9spd, so it seems to me you don't know what you are talking about.

Would have been easier if you had just taken the correction and moved on, but as usual you seem to be taking the most awkward and embarrassing option which does you the least amount of favours

 

[Ajax Bay]

So one very good argument for going to 10 or 11 speed, rather than 9 speed, is the increased flexibility / choice / range of sprocket sizes available, off the shelf. The same argument can be made for size / range / flexibility / choice of the chainrings.

RR you keep changing the goalposts in an attempt to bolster your flawed proposition above. Bonus question: Can you elaborate on the "same argument" for getting 10sp chainrings (as opposed to 9sp)?
Starting position:

it's rare to find an 'off the shelf' 9 speed cassette with a big sprocket with more than 27 teeth

Then, when people point out there are plenty of 9sp cassettes with more than 27t, you insert 'road' before 'cassette'.

you won't get the latest greatest lightweight high end cassettes (Dura Ace for example) with 9 speed spacing, and a wide range, in an emergency, from a high street retailer, off the shelf.

Then you introduce the idea of 'Dura Ace' "high end" cassettes. The OP's bike is a Oz300$ bike with Sora triple on (I'm guessing). Why would he/she want a DA level cassette? And of course the reason you can't get those is because DA moved to 10sp ?13 odd years? ago. But suitable 9sp cassettes are readily available, even from HF.

If someone wanted the latest greatest Dura Ace lightweight gear, with a wide range, and 9 speed spacing, I wouldn't fancy their chances, of being able to source it easily.

Then you introduce 'wide-range' (not something the OP mentioned and by implication has no need of (looking to increase the chainring from 30t to 34t). So the points I made above remain valid. Of course you won't find DA around because that level is 11sp this decade.

a road cassette, on spec ( walking in off of the street, and picking it off if the shelf there and then ) is less at a typical high street type retailer)

Then you suggest that cyclists rush off the street and "on spec" buy a cassette. Really?? And why focus on the 'high street retailer'. I'd hope that, if not online, your LBS was the best place to sell you a cassette, and for those not able, to fit it.
A range of 9sp cassettes are available, readily available, to fit a road bike - so the suggestion that they are not makes (your words) "very good argument for going to 10 or 11 speed, rather than 9 speed" flawed. NB: see bonus question in Line 1!

 

[Racing roadkill]

thanks for the info guys. great help

Happy to help

 

[Shaun]

I've removed a bunch of posts that weren't relevant to the OP's question (which has already been answered - thanks to those who did).

Please give the knowledge-jockeying a rest.

Thanks,
Shaun

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've removed a bunch of posts that weren't

And left all the troll posts that were aimed at me.

 

[boydj]

And left all the troll posts that were aimed at me.

I think these posts are correcting misinformation.