Ultegra R8000: Mega-ranging

[Look585]

Anyone pushing the R8000 R.Mech well beyond its stated 11-34 limit? My GX bike would love some 40t cassette for Marin's 20+pct fireroads.

If possibe, please share details:
Front chainrings
Rear cassette
Chainstay length
R.Hanger drop

I'm currently running 6800GS with:
46/34 rings
11-36 cassette
42.5cm stays
35mm hanger (I think, Paragon long drop)

[Clean39T]

It'd be safer to run an FSA 32/46, no?

Barring that, maybe check into the Wolf roadlink or some such..

[jtbadge]

I'd go with a crank with smaller rings - like the White VBC or the aforementioned FSA subcompact. Your gearing jumps are already huge with an 11-36 cassette.

[DRZRM]

Wolftooth claims that the roadlink will not work with the RD-8000, is that true or has it just not been tested yet? Anyone try?

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0230/9291/products/DA_Goatlink_table_1024x1024.JPG?v=1515346846

Seems like that would build a lot of value into the NOS 6800s that are being sold cheap now, ability to run 11-40 is nice, though I think they recommend the 36-46 rings for that cassette to work.

[fa63]

Personally, I would look into a 46/30 sub-compact crankset instead.

Also, I have successfully run a 11-40 cassette using a Wolftooth Roadlink and 6800 GS RD. Worked fine with both 46/34 and 50/34 chainrings.

[Look585]

Personally, I would look into a 46/30 sub-compact crankset instead.


Tried this, I found the shifting to be unacceptable. I'd rather have big cassette jumps than poor front shifting.

[fa63]

Which crankset, out of curiosity?

Tried this, I found the shifting to be unacceptable. I'd rather have big cassette jumps than poor front shifting.

[Look585]

Which crankset, out of curiosity?

Middleburn R02 (very expensive experiment) with 6870 FD. I may try again in an analogue system with a CX70 FD.

[yetitotheheady]

I wonder if a GoatLink instead of a RoadLink from wolftooth would work. Due to the fact that the new r8000 has a road shadow design. Or maybe wolf tooth will make a compatible "RoatLink" piece eventually. You know essentially something that makes the b link long enough to handle huge cassettes with the new shimano road rear derailleurs.

[bigbill]

There are a bunch of youtube videos showing a 6800 setup with a 40 tooth.

[R3awak3n]

my white industries VBC always shifted fine. Its not as good as a campy crank but its fine. I bet that the praxis 48/32 crank shifts fantastic just like praxis rings on any crank do.

[fogrider]

a buddy is running a 42 in rear but is using a xt rear mech...it already caught a branch and he had to re-align it.

[Lovetoclimb]

I've been using XT rear der and 11-40 cassette for over a year on my 5800 shifters, with the Tanpan cable pull equalizer. Almost exclusively for off road riding, plenty of abuse and foul conditions. Never given it a 2nd thought. Only switch I would make is upgrading the whole thing to di2 eventually.

[NHAero]

I'm using an XT derailleur also, I believe it is a Shadow 10 speed, but it is not the clutch version. It's shifting an 11-40 Sunrace cassette, B screw reversed if I recall correctly, and shifted with a Ultegra 6600 STI. Works fine.

[John H.]

SS will go 11-36.
GS will go 11-40- without a road link!
I am running 34/50 ad 11-40 with an 8070 GS rear-

Scott Addict CX (cross/gravel)
422 chain stays.
No idea on rear hanger, it is pretty standard- not a "long" hanger.

I know of another rider with same setup on a Landshark cross bike, a 3rd with a Specialized Crux.

Marin Fire roads are my home turf.


Anyone pushing the R8000 R.Mech well beyond its stated 11-34 limit? My GX bike would love some 40t cassette for Marin's 20+pct fireroads.

If possibe, please share details:
Front chainrings
Rear cassette
Chainstay length
R.Hanger drop

I'm currently running 6800GS with:
46/34 rings
11-36 cassette
42.5cm stays
35mm hanger (I think, Paragon long drop)

[Lovetoclimb]

Do the 8070 derailleurs have a clutch built in similar to the XT M8000 derailleur?

[John H.]

No clutch on 8000.

Do the 8070 derailleurs have a clutch built in similar to the XT M8000 derailleur?

[Clancy]

my white industries VBC always shifted fine. Its not as good as a campy crank but its fine. I bet that the praxis 48/32 crank shifts fantastic just like praxis rings on any crank do.

I have the W.I. VBC in a 30/46 with a 11-32 11 speed cassette on my gravel bike, it is great, simply great, wonderful. I used a gear calculator and this combination has the fewest overlaps with a pretty big range. I was running 50/34 and a 11-36, more overlap and bigger gaps. I like it so much thinking of going 48/32 on my road bike.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the new sub compact cranks are the key when trying to expand the range, cassettes are getting too big, too extreme. I didn’t like the options a 1X gave me and I didn’t want to fool with the derailleur adapters like Wolftooth.

[weisan]

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Mountain-Bike-Bicycle-Derailleur-Tail-Rear-Hook-Adapter-Wolftooth-Roadlink-MTB-w-/222781498728

[pakora]

Excellent to know the 40t works out of the box for the GS rear.

Man gearing that low the challenge will be keeping the wheel down.

[Lovetoclimb]

My concern would be the amount of chain slap and general movement you would get without a clutch rear derailleur. Having those big gaps and a large chain to accommodate them seems like a clutch mountain bike rear der. would be best.