Road link question

[vav]

Question for you guys that have tried the road link (https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/roadlink)

On my Zanc, I am running a 48-36 front and 10 spd 11-32 rear. According the the website, with the road link, I could go as high as a 11-36 cassette. My question is: do I have to get a new/longer chain or is it just plug and play?

Thanks in adavnce of course.

edit: answer is right in front of me on their website as well...duh!

[kevinvc]

I'm using this and I've been pretty happy with it overall. I needed a new chain at the time anyways, so that wasn't an unexpected expense. I've used it on some really rough terrain and haven't had any shifting problems. There are a couple of gears that don't work really well. It's not exactly slipping or slapping, but it sounds like it's not quite settled in. This isn't while cross-chaining either. Overall though, it was a very simple and effective way to add some lower gearing for my touring bike.

[NeauDL]

I added the Road Link to my Domane to allow use of mountain cassettes. It sets the rear derailleur far enough from the derailleur hanger that I can use an 11-40 cassette. Pretty low gear for a road bike, with 50-34 up front. But I can't effectively use the original 11-28 without removing the Road Link. The rear derailleur simply sits too far away from the large cogs to work well on the smaller cassette.

[teleguy57]

are you all running standard rear derailleurs with wide-range cassettes and getting enough chain wrap? I get that it moves the pulleys further away from the cassette but still trying to get my head around how the road link allow more range in the cassette.

[pinkshogun]

If you use my 34t ring and change to an 11-34 10 speed cassette, if indeed it exists, you affectively gain 3 teeth in back without resorting to using that gimzo...which seems to have some limitations

[NeauDL]

I have used a 10-speed 11-36 cassette with a 9-speed XT rear derailleur and a compact crankset on one road bike without the Road Link, and it worked perfectly. I had the Dura Ace 11-speed RD on my Domane modified by K-Edge with a longer cage, which worked fine with a compact crankset and 11-36 cassette, but needed the Road Link with the 11-40 cassette.