Swapping a road for a mountain cassette?

[bluebug32]

Has anyone does this? I was using a compact double (can't remember the exact gearing off the top of my head), but really struggling when the hill grades went above 10%. I have some long hilly events coming up soon, so I swapped the rear cassette for a 34 tooth mtb cassette. I'm just curious if anyone else has done this and if he/she liked it? There definitely is a larger gap between each gear, so that's been the only thing to adjust to so far.

[SadieKate]

Inumerable people have done this.

You can always swap back for riding flatter terrain.

[redrhodie]

I did it. I love it! I have an IRD 11-32 cassette with an Ultegra compact double. Climbing is so much more fun.

[bluebug32]

I did it. I love it! I have an IRD 11-32 cassette with an Ultegra compact double. Climbing is so much more fun.

Do you find that it's hard to find the right gear sometimes? I was spinning between a gear that was too hard and then shifting to the next one that was too easy a few times on my ride. Is there an adjustment period?

[SadieKate]

That's just a factor of the wide gaps (spacing). You just have to increase or slow your cadence to match the chosen/available gears.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Do you find that it's hard to find the right gear sometimes? I was spinning between a gear that was too hard and then shifting to the next one that was too easy a few times on my ride. Is there an adjustment period?

Yes, you will get used to it and adjust just fine I suspect.
I love love love my mountain gearing....don't know what I'd do without it! :p

[violette]

I changed to mountain cassette and never looked back. I had a double comp and couldn't make it up hills, it all changed with the new cassette.

[alpinerabbit]

erm...

no changing derailleurs? No issues going from 10- to 9-speed? Do tell me about the technical details (I can climb over 10 percenters with an 11-27 but I'm still interested)

[redrhodie]

erm...

no changing derailleurs? No issues going from 10- to 9-speed? Do tell me about the technical details (I can climb over 10 percenters with an 11-27 but I'm still interested)

I had a triple front derailleur (which I had put on in case I decided to do that tour of your 'hood some day ;)), so I didn't need to change anything but the cassette. If you have a double up front, I think you need to change the rear to a mtb derailleur for it to work. My IRD cassette is 10 speed, so there were no issues there. I'm not technically savvy, so check with a pro before you give it a try.

It shifts great. There may have been some minor adjustments at first, I don't even remember now, it's been a while.

[bluebug32]

Yes, forgot to mention that I also swapped the derailer for an XTR. For once, all my piles of extra mtb components are paying off!

A road derailer isn't fond of 34 teeth and it tends to sandwich the chain in between derailer and cassette.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes, I got an XTR rear derailleur as well.

[bluebug32]

Bleecker,

Part of the reasoning behind this gear switch was that I tried to bike up Mountain Rest Road to Mohonk in New Paltz last weekend. Holy crap was this a challenge. I nearly fell over midway up just after hitting my max HR and seeing my Garmin flash a 24% grade. :eek:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Bleecker,

Part of the reasoning behind this gear switch was that I tried to bike up Mountain Rest Road to Mohonk in New Paltz last weekend. Holy crap was this a challenge. I nearly fell over midway up just after hitting my max HR and seeing my Garmin flash a 24% grade. :eek:

I don't blame you! That's just evil. I'm not even on a mountain here but hills are pretty much surrounding me in every direction.
My massive gear range enables me to tackle all the hills I encounter...and many are hard even in my lowest gear still. I get plenty of workout. But if I had typical road bike gearing I would be either avoiding many of the hilly rides or just staying home altogether.
My major gears get me tackling everything that comes my way. :p
Both my road bikes are 9 speed, by the way. I like 'em like that and in fact had my new road bike purposely built up as a 9 speed a few months ago...with my favorite mountain gearing setup of course. :D

[pardes]

Bleecker,

Part of the reasoning behind this gear switch was that I tried to bike up Mountain Rest Road to Mohonk in New Paltz last weekend. Holy crap was this a challenge. I nearly fell over midway up just after hitting my max HR and seeing my Garmin flash a 24% grade. :eek:

Now a 24% grade flashing on a computer should come with a cardiac defibrillator that you are required by law to stow in your backpack. I'd be dead or in a padded room having nightmares. I'm still fighting 0.5% grades in flat Delaware. But I'm winning some of them.

[grey]

How much does this switch tend to cost?

And for an idiot newbie like me, you're talking about taking out the 9-10 gears in the back and switching them out for MTB gears? Do you need to get a new derailleur too? Will it play nice with a compact double up front? :confused:

[bluebug32]

How much does this switch tend to cost?

And for an idiot newbie like me, you're talking about taking out the 9-10 gears in the back and switching them out for MTB gears? Do you need to get a new derailleur too? Will it play nice with a compact double up front? :confused:

Ok, I'm not technically minded, but basically you're giving yourself the benefit of (or really close to) of a triple crank by only switching out the cassette (you can save your compact double crank). I tried this first because I'm a mtber for the most part and already had the parts and it's way cheaper than buying a new crankset (to add the granny gear). Most road derailers weren't made to accomodate a 32 or 34 tooth cassette, but mtb derailers are, so hence the new derrailer.

In terms of price, you'd be looking for a mtb cassette and a derailer (LX or XT would be fine).