Please Help, Best way to get an easier Gear on 11 speed Campy

[jtakeda]

Options for your consideration:

Campy 11 with 46/30 chain rings and 11-34 cassette


Campy 11 with 46/30 chainrings and 11-40 cassette and Deore RD

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by UKBROOKLYN

What rear Derailleur do you use ??

On one bike I use the Chorus medium cage derailleur and on another, the centaur derailleur.

I use a Shimano free hub and 11-34 Ultegra cassettes.

These are on post 2015 11 speed systems.

[Flinch]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

An Athena long cage derailleur is spec.ed for 32 max. sprocket and a 40 tooth capacity. It can often be stretched to 34 teeth, but possible won't reach a 36 tooth sprocket. However, if should have plenty of capacity.

FYI: I'm running an Athena triple long cage rear D with Shimano 11-36t cassette, pre 2015 11 speed campy, Works. Might be able to go to a 38, but I don't need that (yet!). Cog-pulley clearance is OK, and chain wrap on big-big and small-small won't make you gag.

[slowpoke]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

Campy 11 with 46/30 chainrings and 11-40 cassette and Deore RD

Can you share a link to the shiftmate or whatever device you're using for this?

[Gummee]

The old math still applies: 1 tooth in the back is 3 teeth in the front.

If you're looking for lower gearing, a bigger cassette is the best option.

Having said that, all that'll happen is you end up pedaling with the same force, just going slower doing it. AMHIK

M

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Gummee

The old math still applies: 1 tooth in the back is 3 teeth in the front.

That math only applies for cruising gears. Since this thread is about very low climbing gears with roughly a 1:1 ratio of chainring size to rear sprocket size, 1 tooth in the back is worth pretty close 1 tooth in the front.

A bigger cassette in the back works only up to a point, because most road derailleurs will have a maximum sprocket size (and Campagnolo road derailleurs typically have a more limited maximum size than the S groups). Another disadvantage of larger cassettes is that they require a derailleur with a larger capacity (i.e. longer cage), whereas reducing chainring size generally doesn't require the derailleur capacity to increase. It should also be noted that larger cassette also usually means bigger jumps between gear sizes.

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by slowpoke

Can you share a link to the shiftmate or whatever device you're using for this?

www.jtekengineering.com/shiftmate/shiftmate-7/

[Johnny P]

I would replace the crankset to get lower gears.

[Wunder]

I don't run Campy but I'd echo the opinion of some others on this. If you're going to do this it's worth going all in and getting smaller chainrings. The difference from 34/32 to 34/34 just isn't enough to be worth that hassle.

Not sure how they work with Campy but the Sugino OX-901s are nice with Shimano/SRAM and come 46/30 with options to go lower. The Shimano 11-34 cassette is also nice as well as it's basically an overdrive cassette that goes 11-13-15 at the top rather than 11-12-13-14-15 so you get good spacing in cruising/climbing gears.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

That math only applies for cruising gears. Since this thread is about very low climbing gears with roughly a 1:1 ratio of chainring size to rear sprocket size, 1 tooth in the back is worth pretty close 1 tooth in the front.

A bigger cassette in the back works only up to a point, because most road derailleurs will have a maximum sprocket size (and Campagnolo road derailleurs typically have a more limited maximum size than the S groups). Another disadvantage of larger cassettes is that they require a derailleur with a larger capacity (i.e. longer cage), whereas reducing chainring size generally doesn't require the derailleur capacity to increase. It should also be noted that larger cassette also usually means bigger jumps between gear sizes.

I was sorta wrong. It's only 2ish teeth when you get to bigger cogs
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qrA8K7vqNR0/maxresdefault.jpg

The fact still remains that it's easier and cheaper to run bigger cogs than swap out cranksets *in most cases.*

M

[UKBROOKLYN]

Well all fantastic info from everyone.. just by the by on mixing pre and post 2015 shifters and deraileurs.. Oldpotatoe has stated that the pre 2015 shifters work fine with post 2015 rears..

Anyway.. With my current setup 50/34 on the front I am going to switch my freehub and get a Sram 11-36 (want to keep my top end..) then test with a roadlink.. when I have proven to myself that I want to be able to cross chain withoput breaking anything I will source an Athena rear der.. for the long cage and be done with it.

Anyone have any experience using later Rear Derailleurs.. viz Centaur..

[Old School]

Originally Posted by Gummee

I was sorta wrong. It's only 2ish teeth when you get to bigger cogs
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qrA8K7vqNR0/maxresdefault.jpg

The fact still remains that it's easier and cheaper to run bigger cogs than swap out cranksets *in most cases.*

M

That gear chart doesn't go to 32 in the rear, let alone 34 or more.

34 front and 32 rear, going to 34/34 is LITERALLY 1tooth:1tooth ratio.

[Old School]

All of these adapters, doglinks, extenders, freehub swaps, etc. are GREAT on youtube videos.

But the Original Poster obviously likes Campagnolo, so why try to reinvent 3 different wheels? Buy a new (or used) Campagnolo crankset and save all of the headaches (that you WILL have)

One other option: