rear cassette choice

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

andrewsdad

Well-Known Member
Location
carrickfergus
Hi being a novice, though I've cycled for yrs not taking the mechanics into consideration, and having a couple of bad experiances with so called "bike technicians" ive decided if its worth doing, do it yourself. I was wondering would an 8speed 11/34 make a difference over say a 10/30
 

mrbikerboy73

Über Member
Location
Worthing, UK
The high gear won't feel much different but the low gear will be far more noticeable. Bear in mind that with an 8 speed cassette and such high and low gears, there will be a big step from one gear to another. It may feel like you are never in quite the right gear.
 

Turbo Rider

Just can't reMember
^^^ I have 8 speed and went from 11-32 to 11-28...Tredz sell it in that size...next time round though, I might try a 12-23...the difference is noticeable and I barely use my low gears, so I'm after crispness...here's some links to Shimano's offering...wiggle and chainreaction sell the same cassette for cheaper, but the size range isn't the same...wiggle will probably get you the speediest delivery time...if that effects your choice...

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Shimano-CS-HG50-8-Speed-Road-Cassette_33610.htm

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-hg50-8-speed-cassette-road/

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-sora-hg50-8-speed-road-cassette/rp-prod1864
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
It really depends on the type of roads you ride on. If you have lots of really steep climbs (and I'm talking about15+%) then you may find some value in the 11-34 over the 10-30. It would give you a gear that should be able to get up just about anything (although you don't say what the front gearing is, I assume it is something quite forgiving)
If you don't live in real mountain goat territory I would stick with the 10-30 as the steps between each gear will be smaller and thus feel more comfortable when you are changing gear
 

Hugh Manatee

Veteran
I am old and fat and ride 50/38 at the front and 13/26 cassette at the rear. On my regular routes around here, I can do all the climbs, such as they are, in no lower than fourth gear. On of my other bikes has 39/53 with a 12-23 cassette both on 9 gears. I tend not to need first but find I spend more time on the small chain ring.

I have naturally quite a fast cadence and I would find the big jumps between gears a pain. I live in the flatlands though. A ride of 25 miles with more than 500m of climbing is hard to find. If it was hilly I suppose it would be nice to know I had a dinner plate option.

You don't say what sort of bike you have. Make sure the rear mech has the capacity to take the change.
 

bpsmith

Veteran
It really depends on the type of roads you ride on. If you have lots of really steep climbs (and I'm talking about15+%) then you may find some value in the 11-34 over the 10-30. It would give you a gear that should be able to get up just about anything (although you don't say what the front gearing is, I assume it is something quite forgiving)
If you don't live in real mountain goat territory I would stick with the 10-30 as the steps between each gear will be smaller and thus feel more comfortable when you are changing gear
I can't find the 10-30 8 speed cassette anywhere online.

Comparing the 11-30 and 11-34, the only difference in cogs is the largest one. The rest of the cassette has the same exact ratios.
 

Citius

Guest
Hi being a novice, though I've cycled for yrs not taking the mechanics into consideration, and having a couple of bad experiances with so called "bike technicians" ive decided if its worth doing, do it yourself. I was wondering would an 8speed 11/34 make a difference over say a 10/30

10/30? Not sure that exists.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
If the OP is very unfit and in a very hilly area then the 34 could be a decent bail out gear. Otherwise I'd go for the 30. Even if very unfit I wouldn't recommend a 34 unless the hills are 20%+. Use a 30 and after a couple of months it'll feel like plenty of gear
 

JMAG

Über Member
Location
Windsor
I have an 11-32 cassette and find the jump from 15t to 18t too much. I wasn't sure if I could live without the 32t sprocket so rode for a while without using it and was able to confirm it wasn't required. As the next sprocket is 28t on my current cassette, I went for an 11-28t.
 

RhythMick

Über Member
Location
Barnsley
Bear in mind that rear mech cage would need to be big enough to accommodate the range of gears you're looking for. Don't go and buy a cassette with a big gear without thinking about whether you may have to change your rear mech to accommodate it.

To be honest, I wouldn't worry too much. When I took up biking 4 years ago I was fat, very unfit and asthmatic - I was terrified of the smallest hills and could never imagine myself getting up the big or steep ones. I went for 11-28. Just keep tackling them, slowly as you have to, and you'll find your ability quickly improves. Now I'm still overweight but did a very hilly 44 miles yesterday without feeling knackered at the end of it. Most amazingly my breathing is way better than it ever was, no wheezing or gasping. I recommend cycling to all asthmatics. I'm doing London to Paris in June, over 3 days !

By the way I applaud your wish to be able to maintain your own bike. I like to support my LBS, but there's very little on the bike I couldn't do now when needed.
 
Location
Pontefract
@andrewsdad you didn't mention if its a front triple or double, I ride a triple with a front 50/38/28 and a rear 12-23 (12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23), my low gear is 28x23 is as low as a compact double with a 34 inner ring and a 28 rear (32") and like @JMAG pointed out big gaps in the rear ratios leads to the occasion of not being able to find the right gear, 90& of my riding is covered by the 38th front and the middle of the rear 15-19 so you can see I always have the right gear ( a thing not pointed out to people when being told compact doubles are the way to go) I get round most the roads around here on no less than the 38x23 be that on the 38th fron or the same gear on the 28th front which would be 28x17. Not much you can do with doubles to get both a low gear and a decent set of ratios, I did once have a set up of 26/38/48 on a 12-24 8sp it went I think 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24, 48x12 is the same as a 52x13 about 105" and the low gear 26x24 is 28" or the same as 34x32, Most people won't push an 11th on any front ring of say 50 or 52 at any sort of decent cadence as it a massive 120" on a 50x11 and 125" on a 52x11 So I would drop it in favour of starting at 12 and have another gear somewhere in the middle.
Its easy enough to make up your own ratios, so if you get a couple of cassettes (8sp are pretty cheap) get something like a HG50 12-XX for the the starting 12th, than say a HG51 with a 11-28 to make up a 12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28 (other options are available) you could also drop the 28 and use the first 3 from the HG50 say from a 12-23 (12-13-14-15-17-191-21-23) to make a 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24 leaving out the low 28th, to make up your own its simple, just remove the rivets holding the cogs together and separate them, as I said 8sp are cheap enough to do this.
 

ayceejay

Guru
Location
Rural Quebec
If this is you furst attempt at mechanics I suggest you keep it simple and get a cassette that will be a simple replacement and then all you have to worry about is the torque to tighten the cassette down, As for ratio look into this a bit more as suggested above but as a 10 tooth sprocket is experimental and only available from Hope Industries, as far as I know, I would drop that idea. View the drive train as a whole to see if you can rearrange things to get the ideal ratios and remember walking alongside your bike will give the lowest gear and you may raerely need it.
 

S.Giles

Guest
I'm thinking of trying a Sunrace 11-23 cassette because I also never use the lower gears and closer ratios would be nice. I don't know why, but an 11-23 (or similar) cassette took some finding.

I just wish my present cassette would hurry-up and wear out!
 
Location
Pontefract
@ayceejay it is that simple I have been doing since I started cycling.
@S.Giles close grouped cassettes are usually used to keep cadence in a certain range, which is why most start at 12th as it will have closer ratios e.g. HG50 8sp 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23, the only two missing over my 10sp are the 16 and 18th cogs, and having used them on my current set up, the addition of that 18th is brilliant. I had a 105 12-27 (12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27), the only other option on a 105 was the 12-25 only the lower gears were different at 23-25 the rest being the same, so I had to get a Ultegra 12-23, I have since found out I can split a Tiagra cassette, I can't split the low three gears on 105/Ultegra as they are on a spider, so I could take the low three gears from the Tiagra 12-30 and use the 19-21-24, the 24 being the one thats different as this would give that little extra, and the jump from 21-24 whilst not brilliant isn't very bad either, but i really noticed the gap between 17-19, this why i have gone down the route i have and stuck with the triple as I have so many options, I constantly hear about people with compacts wanting a lower gear ect.... but not very often how to get closer grouped ratios, maybe I am doing something wrong in my cycling.
 
OP
OP
andrewsdad

andrewsdad

Well-Known Member
Location
carrickfergus
The high gear won't feel much different but the low gear will be far more noticeable. Bear in mind that with an 8 speed cassette and such high and low gears, there will be a big step from one gear to another. It may feel like you are never in quite the right gear.
Im experiancing that atm. So wasn't sure what the answer was, having looked at a few on ebay, there seem a bit of variation on ratios, thanks for your reply, I appreciate you taking the time.
 
Top Bottom