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Cassette Help

fredstaple

Speeding Up
Nov 1, 2009
198
1
I currently have two bikes, primary bike has a carbon frame with a compact double and an older steel road bike with a triple crank.

The compact double is a 34/50 and I have a 11-25 cassette. This is a pretty good set up and only have to get out of the saddle on long or steep climbs. I sometimes wish I had a 26 tooth, but would have to give up the 11 to do so.

On the steel bike I have a 30/42/53 and run a 12-25 cassette. Overall I don't notice that much difference between the two set ups in the low gears. The 30-25 is a lower gear than the 34-25, but maybe the heavier bike equalizes the difference.

I am thinking about changing the cassette on the steel bike and increasing the climbing gears a little. With Campy my choices are a 13-26 or a 13-29. The 13-26 is not really going to have a significant impact, but the 13-29 would give me a 30-29 in the lowest gear. This is almost 1 to 1. Anyone think this would be overkill? thanks for your thoughts.
 
I'm not a Campy guy so I'm talking about my Shimano experience.

The main issue in using a 13-29 will be your RD capacity. If you use an inappropriate cassette you might have problems shifting. If your RD is spec'd to handle a 29 cog then it should be OK.
 
Long Cage

The bike with the triple has a long cage RD so it is OK with the 29. Other bike is a short cage and has a 26 tooth max.
 
Very Interesting...

I have the same type of campy love at my house,

Steel with Campy Record triple

Carbon with Campy Centaur compact double

I have 4 wheelsets with 12-25 alloy box rim tubular, 12-26 tubeless, 11-23 carbon tubular, 12-25 clincher.
I too think the triple steel with the 12 25 feels just like the compact carbon with the 12 26.

I would get the 29 if I were you the 26 really is not much different than the 25. Even if you only use it one time, you would be happy you had it. With the mountains we have in Japan, I can almost say you will love it!

But maybe the 26 is the way to go so you can use it on your carbon bike too, I really feel I would never need more than the 34-26 combo and was really happy I had it for the shrabiso hill climb last year on my carbon bike. Sorry to say but get record if you can, even if used (YUP). I have used all of campys cogs from dirt bottom to Super top and notice a clear difference in shifting not to mention the weight savings of 100+ grams. Not that that is alot, but when its on your rear wheel it makes a difference. There is a reason why it is so expensive, because it works! I sometimes use my record cassette on my veloce gruppo and it shifts clearly better. I really dont think there is much of a difference in the shifters besides the material of the springs and levers and weight and really derailleurs are "stupid" and do whatever the shifter and cassette tell them to do. If you look at an exploded diagram of the shifters you will see no difference, even from 11 to 10 speed, 10 to 9...
 
APEX

I just read a review of SRAM's Apex groupo. I love Campy, but the options that Apex has with the 50/34 compact double is amazing. 11-23, 11-25, 11-26, 11-28, 11-32, 12-25, 12-26, 12-28, and 12-32. All that pus a bit lighter with the double chain ring. Just can't justify switching out an entire groupo when my current one is fine.
 
The latest Shimano groups allow you 11-28 which I have on my compact. I would have struggled without the 28 but wouldn`t want to be without the 11 either, so works fine for me.
 
I just read a review of SRAM's Apex groupo. I love Campy, but the options that Apex has with the 50/34 compact double is amazing. 11-23, 11-25, 11-26, 11-28, 11-32....

*Cough, Splutter* WTF is "11-32"? on a COMPACT???

Is it April 1st already, or is this someone's mountain-top wet-dream?:eek:
 
How do you think the sprinters get over the mountain stages in the Tour?
 
*Cough, Splutter* WTF is "11-32"? on a COMPACT???

Is it April 1st already, or is this someone's mountain-top wet-dream?:eek:

That's nowt. My MTB has 22/32 as the lowest gear & I could go lower.
Bwaa haaa haaa haaa haaa!

Oh yes, and it does get used.

But seriously, I think this is a shrewd move by Sram for their lower end groupset. Not everyone has the legs to turn the same gears that the professionals do, so why Force people to struggle up hills to the Apex, puffing until their face turns Red. They could probably beat their Rivals using a lower gear such as this setup.
As long as they can put up with the larger gaps between gears, there's no disadvantage. And there are plenty of other options to choose.
Nothing wrong with giving people more choice.
 
I was just reading that Shimano are bringing out an 12-30 cassette for the new Tiagra 4600 groupset and there will also be a 105 12-30 cassette - 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,24,27,30. Obviously, to counteract Apex.
 
Fred,
Your current gearing seems fine to me. Maybe you should spend more time standing, out of the saddle. I spent about 15 minutes at a time doing this up Tsukiyomiyama a couple of days ago using 42 x 26. Not fast, but steady.
It seems to me that many people have their favorite cadence and then switch gears to maintain it, when it might be better to get comfortable with a broader range of pedal speed. Standing the pedals is one way to do this, or try some fixed riding, where you`ll have no choice but to change pedal speed depending on terrain/road speed.
 
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