Upgrading From 9 gears to 11

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On my Btwin triban 3. I started out with an 8 speed cassette Then changed it for a 9 speed and thats what I'm running with now Though am wondering if I can change to an 11 speed cassette as there is a quite big spacer on the opposite side (between the frame and wheel) Is there any way I can work this out with going and spending lots of money Anybody got any thoughts on this on how to go about it BTW I have someone with a lathe who could reduce the size of the bush/spacer Many thanks
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
You're going to need 11 speed shifters. Also a new rear derailleur. Maybe a new crankset if you're still running the old one.

The wheels may take an 11 speed cassette, which you'll also need, or may not be capable of it.

But why? The Triban's a fairly basic bike. And 9 to 11 speed won't make much difference to be honest for quite an outlay - you'd get an 11-speed bike for not much more.
 
Ok Yes Your all right of couse looking at the prices of the bits required Perhaps I will sell the triiban and upgrade the whole thing by looking into the the possibility of a cyclo cross or just another upgrade road bike so thanks to you all
 
On my Btwin triban 3. I started out with an 8 speed cassette Then changed it for a 9 speed and thats what I'm running with now Though am wondering if I can change to an 11 speed cassette as there is a quite big spacer on the opposite side (between the frame and wheel) Is there any way I can work this out with going and spending lots of money Anybody got any thoughts on this on how to go about it BTW I have someone with a lathe who could reduce the size of the bush/spacer Many thanks
I recently upgraded a Triban 520 from 9 speed Sora, to 11 speed R7000 105. The Triban 3 was (pretty much) the fore runner to the 520. You will need 11 speed brifters, and a new rear mech, as the pull ratios are different when you get to 11 speed, and you’ll need an 11 speed chain too. It is perfectly do-able, as long as your freehub is long enough for the 11 speed cassette.
 
You're going to need 11 speed shifters. Also a new rear derailleur. Maybe a new crankset if you're still running the old one.
yes, agreed.

The wheels may take an 11 speed cassette, which you'll also need, or may not be capable of it.
True.

But why? The Triban's a fairly basic bike.
It’s actually a superb bit of kit, with an 11 speed upgrade, it would be the measure of a lot of bikes that cost several thousand pounds.

And 9 to 11 speed won't make much difference to be honest for quite an outlay - you'd get an 11-speed bike for not much more.
Absolutely not true. The difference with the 11 speed set up, is night and day. If you shop around, particularly the second hand market, you can get all the components you need for a couple of hundred quid, and you get the satisfaction of having done the upgrade.
 
Well Perhaps I will look in to it a bit more as at the moment I'm pretty well stuck at home being head cook and bottle washer and between all that I've time to look around, though I didn't think that i would have stirred up such differing views
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Just shows there are two sides to upgrades. The considerations are mostly financial but I'm sure the OP is able to weigh things up and come to his own decision based on the above comments.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
It sounds like a fun project and I'd never discourage that. But whether you can do it without spending a lot of money really depends on how much you have budgeted.

What I do for things like this is to make a planning list of parts required, or possibly/probably required. Most expensive down to least. You'll soon get an idea of whether your budget fits.

Probably you will find that the shifters are top of the list.

Then the chainset/chainrings if you need to. As far as I understand (and I could be wrong) the inner dimensions of an 11s chain are the same as a 10s chain so if your chain rings are not worn out you don't necessarily need to replace them. But if they are worn and you're fitting a new cassette and chain and starting afresh with new shiny stuff then replacement rings at least - maybe a whole crankset - may be on the cards. Price up all the options.

Next things on the list will be mech(s), cassette and possible freehub/wheel costs.

Don't forget cables, bar tape, chain and any new special tools that you might need.

I fitted (well, actually I paid the LBS to do it) new R7000 11 speed last year. This was a replacement rather than an upgrade as my existing drivetrain was completely shot - many broken and worn out bits. I chose R7000 for various reasons, but the fact that it has an extra gear was incidental, it wasn't really a factor.

The result was (and is) excellent but the fact that it has an extra gear is neither here nor there. If you were to use sneaky magic to revert the number of gears to the 10 I had before, but leaving everything else the same, I doubt if I'd notice.
 
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Vantage

Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
Absolutely not true. The difference with the 11 speed set up, is night and day. If you shop around, particularly the second hand market, you can get all the components you need for a couple of hundred quid, and you get the satisfaction of having done the upgrade.

The top and bottom gears will be just the same. There will be more gears in between which might aid cadence but that's as far as it goes. Increased wear due to thinner chains and sprockets and increased cost due to the fact that it's just more expensive and replacing more often due to said increased wear.
 
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The top and bottom gears will be just the same. There will be more gears in between which might aid cadence but that's as far as it goes. Increased wear due to thinner chains and sprockets and increased cost due to the fact that it's just more expensive and replacing more often due to said increased wear.

Have you actually got the two set ups to compare, I have. From what you say I doubt you have, and the difference is quite marked.
 
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