Wide range cassette question (11-42)

[Wayne77]

Is it possible to use a wide range cassette (11-42 or 10-42 XD) with a 50/34 crankset? Would the 50T ring/42T cog combo present some problems?

Asking for a friend just getting into gravel biking. She wants an ultra low gear to climb some of the super steep gravel roads around here. I know there are other gearing possibilities, but we have a wheel on hand with an XD freehub but her bike has a 50/34 crank.

Also, does anyone make an XD compatible 11-36 cassette? I don't see one on Sram's site.

[eBAUMANN]

XD (as far as i know) is ONLY 10-42t.

you might be able to use a 50/34 with a long cage rd, but I cant say for sure.

i set up my girlfriends bike with a 38t front ring, med cage rd, and 11-42 cassette...it BARELY worked, had issues keeping the top pulley engaged with the chain in the 42t. would pop out of its narrow-wide sync with the chain and make all sorts of unpleasant noises when you downshifted to the 38t cog. swapped for a 11-40t cassette and everything works great now.

[John H.]

It does work but it works best with a newer style Shimano derailleur- like an 8000 long cage- with a Wolftooth Goat link to replace the link piece that comes on the 8000 derailleur.
The Wolftooth piece places the derailleur slightly further away from the 42 tooth.

[ColonelJLloyd]

The Wolftooth piece places the derailleur slightly further away from the 42 tooth.

And the 10t cog, which can't be a positive for shifting.

[sitzmark]

XD 10-42 works with SRAM red wifli RD (cable - no exp with XD and eTap)

Will need wolftooth raodlink and a good amount of chain to make sure you don’t snap der in 50/42 by mistake. B screw adjustments too.

[Mzilliox]

what kind of wheels? If DT swiss, and you have an XD freehub and 10-42 (not 11-42) i will trade you those for a shimano FH and 11-36 brand new cassette.

otherwise, im not sure, i run 42 single front with 10-42 and its fine... but then to be able to get tension on the chain in the 34-10 might be tricky.

thats a lot of range

[icepick_trotsky]

Do you really even want the 50/10 combo? Assuming 170mm cranks and 35c tires, thats 135 gear inches on gravel.

Gear chart using Gear Inches
For 700 X 35 / 35-622 tire with 170 mm cranks
With custom sprocket(s)
50 34

10 135.9 92.4

12 113.2 77.0

14 97.0 66.0

16 84.9 57.7

18 75.5 51.3

21 64.7 44.0

24 56.6 38.5

28 48.5 33.0

32 42.5 28.9

36 37.7 25.7

42 32.3 22.0

[Ken Robb]

I love low gears and so have had triples on most of my bikes for years. I find it difficult to spin fast enough to maintain enoughy speed for balancing the bike when my gearing is much lower than one-to-one like 30 ring and 30 cog. OTOH I have never been a good spinner so I know there are plenty of riders who can use ultra-low gears better than I can.

[sparky33]

XD (as far as i know) is ONLY 10-42t.

you might be able to use a 50/34 with a long cage rd, but I cant say for sure.

i set up my girlfriends bike with a 38t front ring, med cage rd, and 11-42 cassette...it BARELY worked, had issues keeping the top pulley engaged with the chain in the 42t. would pop out of its narrow-wide sync with the chain and make all sorts of unpleasant noises when you downshifted to the 38t cog. swapped for a 11-40t cassette and everything works great now.

Great summary. Is the med cage rd a Force 1 or CX 1 unit?
I've considered swapping in an 11-40 XT 11s cassette for special rides...would be great if it played nice the Force 1 med cage that I have.

[jdp211]

I got a 48 front to work with an 11-42 cassette on a Force cx-1 with a wolf tooth tail hook lengthener. By all accounts, it should not have worked, but it did. I dunno how, though.

[Wheever]

I've got an 11-40 (XT CS-M8000) working (sorta) with a 50/34 using a roadlink on an Ultegra 6800 GS RD(Medium cage).

I say "sorta" because I didn't bother adding length to the chain, So at some point when running the big ring, the RD just won't shift any higher without everything breaking--Which is fine for me since it's so hilly around here I never really use the big ring, anyway. (And still get ~40mph coasting on the downhills!)

With that caveat, it works great! Shifts smoothly and reliably. Barely had to tweak the RD to make it work.

Had I lengthened the chain, it would have been so sloppy that with the rough roads around here there would have been A LOT of chainslap, and probably a lot of chainsuck. (The 6800 GS only has 35 tooth chain wrap, I believe.)

My plan is to, at some point in the near future, get the new R8000 clutched RD--which can wrap 37 teeth, getting me closer--and see if that combined with the clutch will handle the extra chain length with some extra B screw.

[fa63]

I've got an 11-40 (XT CS-M8000) working (sorta) with a 50/34 using a roadlink on an Ultegra 6800 GS RD(Medium cage).


I ran this exact setup successfully when I did a century with 10K+ ft elevation gain. Worked very well.

[Hilltopperny]

Great summary. Is the med cage rd a Force 1 or CX 1 unit?
I've considered swapping in an 11-40 XT 11s cassette for special rides...would be great if it played nice the Force 1 med cage that I have.



I am currently running an 11-40 on your old Zank and haven’t run into any problems yet. It can certainly be done.


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