Rear Casette

godtabh

My set of Zondas came through and looking to get a rear cassette for them.

I currently have a compact with a 11-32 ratio on it. From what I gather this is more of a mountain bike ratio.

What ratio should I be going for a "standard" compact setup? I've had no major issues climbing with it but would probably like to get more speed out of it

browsing

An 11 is the smallest on the back so you won't be going faster with anything else, you'll just find the jumps between ratios a bit smaller. you could go for a 12-28 or something if you wanted to and the transitions between gears might be a bit smoother.

quozl

As browsing says, the 11 is the smallest (fastest) gear you're going to get. You may need to work on your cadence. I usually do my club spins in a max of a 34/12 (36 KPH at 100rpm) and only shift to the 50 for decent descents. If I was a better cyclist then 36kph on the flat mightn't be good enough but an 11 raises that to almost 40KPH at 100rpm and going downhill I can spin 120rpm comfortably.

Would you care if your lowest (climbing) gear was removed or would you miss it?
How about your second lowest (probably a 28)?

If you wouldn't miss the first then you could change to a 11-28 or 12-28 and get slightly smaller gaps between gears. You'd probably be gaining a 14 tooth, which I bet you currently don't have. So that would only mean a much smaller gap between your 3rd and 4th gear. As you can't have a fraction of a tooth reducing the spread of a cassette often means big changes at specific gaps and little or no change at others.

If you wouldn't miss the 2nd then you could change to a 11-25 and get really small gaps between gears. Coming from a 32 that's some change though so you'd really want to be sure that you wouldn't ever miss either of your current 2 lowest gears.

I'm assuming you're on 10 speed. Here's my list of random 10 speed affordable cassettes and their teeth. So you can see some of options that are available to you. There are more - you can see from my list that I'm a spinner and I like big sprockets I use a 12-32 for what it's worth.

pg 1070
11-12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28
11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32
12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28-32

tiagra CS-4600
12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25-28
12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30
11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25

105
12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25
12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27

BadCharlie

I have 11-28 & 11-23 for my Zonda's. I use the 11-28 mostly (10 speed)

godtabh

BadCharlie wrote: »

I have 11-28 & 11-23 for my Zonda's. I use the 11-28 mostly (10 speed)

I think I'd be going for a 11-28. Just have to find one. CRC is out of them. Looking at wiggle now

Out of interest do you use rim tape on your zondas?

Slo_Rida

godtabh wrote: »

I think I'd be going for a 11-28. Just have to find one. CRC is out of them. Looking at wiggle now

Out of interest do you use rim tape on your zondas?

I've a 10 speed 28-11 Ultegra 6700 on my racing bike, only a few hundred km's on it if you're interested. I'll be looking for a 25-12 to replace it - new or nearly new.
I hadn't decided yet but when I saw your post I said I'd mention it.
Slo

StaggerLee

I've an ultegra 12-25, very little wear on it, I havent actually used it, but came with a second hand wheelset I bought. I'd sell on if interested. I use 11-28, need thos extra teeth to get me up the hills :rolleyes:

Photo attached

doozerie

You can work out your the gear ratios/inches of your current cassette on paper (e.g. here or here), compare it to the corresponding figures for the new cassettes you are considering, and choose based on that info by determining/guessing what might work for you.

I find that a bit too abstract for me though so I prefer to figure out on the road what gearing range really suits me - pick the toughest local climb you are likely to ride with any frequency, ride up it and decide what is the lowest gear you really need for it and this might be a good choice of lowest gear on your new cassette (or alternatively you could leave one lower gear on the new cassette to fall back on when you need it). I'd choose my top gear based on riding a flat road, or a gradual descent, rather than based on riding a steep descent.

That wouldn't be the whole picture though as you probably have 2 or 3 gears that you tend to use most. Check what those are on your current cassette and using a gear ratio calculator figure out where those gears lie in your now narrowed down choice of new cassettes. If you find that moving between those 2 or 3 gears would have you changing between the front chainrings a lot with a new cassette, then depending on your views on having to do that (personally I'd avoid it where possible) that might be good reason to go for a different cassette instead even if it meant ending up with different high and low gears.

Well, that's one subjective approach anyway. I can't say I've done it every time I've changed to a new cassette, but I find it a useful routine to do every now and again.

Slo_Rida

StaggerLee wrote: »

I've an ultegra 12-25, very little wear on it, I havent actually used it, but came with a second hand wheelset I bought. I'd sell on if interested. I use 11-28, need thos extra teeth to get me up the hills :rolleyes:

Photo attached

Yeah I'm touch and go at times on the hills at times too!!
What make is it? I presume Shimano but which model?

StaggerLee

Its shimano yes, Ultegra 10spd. Not sure about model, I'd have to look, possibly 6700?

Slo_Rida

StaggerLee wrote: »

Its shimano yes, Ultegra 10spd. Not sure about model, I'd have to look, possibly 6700?

Meh the number don't mean much to me!!
How much for it? Godtabh may be interested in mine so can we all agree on a similar price as it seems they are both in the same condition?
Mine has probably 200-250km's MAX on it.

Slo_Rida

The 6700's are €43.49 on CRC.
I propose/offer/accept €30 and the buyer pays postage.
How does that suit ye? I'm not much of a buy and sell man!!

BadCharlie

godtabh wrote: »

I think I'd be going for a 11-28. Just have to find one. CRC is out of them. Looking at wiggle now

Out of interest do you use rim tape on your zondas?

Its the newer 11 speed zondas. And no i have not put tape on it, im sure i read when buying it that the wheels do not require tape.

godtabh

BadCharlie wrote: »

Its the newer 11 speed zondas. And no i have not put tape on it, im sure i read when buying it that the wheels do not require tape.

Mine are the older 10 speed but I haven't seen an nipple wholes (random sentence!)

BadCharlie

I bought it from bike-discount.
Here is what it says.

Specifications
•For clincher
•Freewheel body for Shimano 8/9/10/11 speed
•Hub with aluminum body and oversized flange at the rear wheel
•Steel spokes with aerodynamic shape and aluminum nipples
•16 radial spokes on the front wheel
•21 spokes on the rear wheel, 14 double crossed at the driveside, seven on the left side
•Bundling of three spokes
•Rim without holes and special milling
•Rim height 24mm on the front wheel and 30mm on the rear wheel
•Weight front: 670 gr (approx.)
•Weight rear: 924 gr (approx.)

This wheelset does not need rim tape !