Different Cassette?

[Aggie_Ama]

Okay, I am going to try to ask my question without sounding too stupid. I currently have the stock set up on my Cannondale, 30/39/50 with 12-25 rear. I read about some of you running mountain or touring set ups on your bikes. I really like climbing rides but I am not strong and they often suck the life out of me after only a few miles. I do not anticipate ever having enough hours in the day to train to get better, so I need to make life a *little* easier.

What is needed to make an easier set up for the steep hill country? Do I have to change everything (shifters, deraileur, cassette) or can I just change the cassette? Also will I be giving up the ability to go fast on the descents, I already run out of gears?

And just in case I didn't get the information right, this is my bike:
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/c...el-7RWC3T.html

[SadieKate]

I assume this is a 9 spd bike? Because that what my answer assumes. . .

You need to know what kind of rear derailleur you have (short, med or long cage). Since you have a triple, you probably have a rear derailleur that can handle up to a 27 Shimano cassette or maybe a 28 SRAM 9 (about one more gear than you have now). If you swap the rear der to a Shimano XT, you can put on a Shimano or SRAM cassette with a large cog of 32 or 34 (about 3 to 4 gears lower than currently).

You will need a new chain to accomodate the larger cassette no matter what. So determine your rear derailleur's capacity and then choose a cassette to match, or budget in a new rear derailleur also.

Editing -- I'm taking almost everything back that I said above because the bike is a 10 spd. You can put on a 28 SRAM 10-spd cassette. I didn't look at the rear derailleur specs, but you need to be sure the cage will handle the larger cassette.

[SadieKate]

Since you're running a 50 as your large chain ring, you could also swap your granny for a 26 or 28. You'd want to do the same research (talk to your LBS) about whether than rear derailler can take up all the chain length.

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks SK, always a wealth of knowledge. My bike is about due for a new chain, so I will talk to the LBS about a different cassette first.

I think just one more gear would help, although if I ever want to get up Jester (.75 miles and 17%) I need more than one extra gear.

I am totally clueless, but swapping the granny would to a 26 or 28 would also make things easier? By that I mean I could in theory spin longer up the hills? Right now I am down to mashing on the pedals to barely pull myself up the big hills and I am completely dead at the top.

[SadieKate]

Anytime you can go both smaller on the front and larger on the back you are going to gain more low gears. Not knowing the capacity of your derailleurs but knowing that you're unwilling to change your chain yourself tells me that you should put this in the hands of your shop mechanic. You are stuck with the capacity of your front der, but you could possibly go as low as a 26 ring. The rear der could be swapped out for a mtb rear derailleur and then you can go as much as a 34.

Do you use the granny gear much? What type of terrain do you normally ride? A lot of flat with a scattering of hills? For that, I'd prefer the smaller granny and only the 28 cassette. Then you won't lose the close spacing of the cassette for the flatter portions of your rides. On flat terrain, the big jumps between gears on a large cassette drives me bonkers because I always want the gear inbetween.

[Triskeliongirl]

The simplist thing to do is swap the 12/25 for a 12/27 but I don't think that will get you low enough.

As SK recommended, I also recommend replacing the RD with an XT or XTR, and putting on an 11/34 casette. (These are mountain parts, but they'll work just fine). I ride the hill country and I use a 50/34 in front with an 11/34 in back. This too is assuming you are running 9spd, but I know that terry is spec'ing their new Isis sport with a 10 spd 11 or 12/34 casetted by SRAM so it must also be possible for 10 spd.

If you do this I don't think you need to mess with your front chain rings at all.

[Aggie_Ama]

Not knowing the capacity of your derailleurs but knowing that you're unwilling to change your chain yourself tells me that you should put this in the hands of your shop mechanic.

Yes, I am just not very mechanically inclined. Cleaning my chain is about as technical as I can get, sadly. I will definitely be letting someone else do this now that I know it may be possible. I will have to consider my options.

Do you use the granny gear much? What type of terrain do you normally ride? A lot of flat with a scattering of hills?

When I get to longer climbs I use the granny gear a lot. The area around my house is a lot of rollers, but west Austin is steep and I enjoy riding there too.The problem is aspire to do mountains when I can get out to them and more in the Texas Hill Country but right now rides over 30 miles are killing me because the climbs are taking too much out of me. Last weekend we went out to the mountains and I was spent after the first climb and felt miserable the back 50 miles.

Trisk- It is a 10 speed. I was hoping not to spend the money on a new deraileur yet, but that may be my best bet.

[SadieKate]

but I know that terry is spec'ing their new Isis sport with a 10 spd 11 or 12/34 casetted by SRAM so it must also be possible for 10 spd.

Huh, it's an IRD cassette, but it still needs a long cage mtb derailleur.

Talk to your LBS and compare the budgets for each. A 30 chainring x 34 cog gives you 23.82 gear inches just a tad lower than a 26 chainring x 28 cog which gives you 25.07.

The chain ring swap is probably cheaper. The risk is you may still want to swap the rear cassette to a 34 someday. A 26 x 34 combo would give you 20.65 which I adore for really, really steep grades but pay the sacrifice of having big jumps in the cassette spacing.

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks, I will talk to the LBS about options and pricing. Hopefully they will be as helpful and not try to stick me with the "norm". I find the shops sometimes do not want to think outside of the box, it is a shame.

I just want to climb easier, I am not trying to win any honors just complete 60-100 hilly miles and enjoy it. I like climbing rides, I am just not that good of a climber!