Swapping a road for a mountain 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.

[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.

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.
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.

[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.

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?