Campy 11 speed, need lower gears, mass confusion

[maslow]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

11-36 cassette will shifter just fine if you have the mid cage rear der.

Ill admit my bike has 46/30 cranks though so Im not sure if youll max out with the compact gearing.

If you want to get an idea of what I just did to my campy 11 speed a couple days ago this will give you a chuckle


Thats deore xt RD to an 11-40 cassette with campy drivetrain

That thing rocks! in class of it's own. Is it a 29er mtb frame or 700c gravel type?

In the past I've set up the wife's bike with a Chorus +2015 medium cage and 11spd shimano ultegra 11-32 cassette. That was with a 50/34 chainset and later on a Sugino OX901 46/30. Both set ups shifted perfectly.

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by maslow

That thing rocks! in class of it's own. Is it a 29er mtb frame or 700c gravel type?

In the past I've set up the wife's bike with a Chorus +2015 medium cage and 11spd shimano ultegra 11-32 cassette. That was with a 50/34 chainset and later on a Sugino OX901 46/30. Both set ups shifted perfectly.

This is a 700c gravel frame. I originally built it with Chorus 11 and a chorus mid cage RD 46/30 and 11-36 cassette. That gearing was perfectly fine for me when I was in bike messenger shape but now that I dont ride a bike for work im finding I need some extra help up the steep unpaved roads here.

[caneye]

I've got the same Chorus pre-2015 groupset as the OP. It has a short cage Chorus RD. Currently limited to running 28T cassette.

Am I right to think if I want to do this incrementally, instead of buying a new crankset ..

1. Install a Roadlink + chain length .. which should increase ability to handle up to 32T cassette

2. Install a Roadlink + modify to Medium cage + chain length .. which should increase it to support 36T ?

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by caneye

I've got the same Chorus pre-2015 groupset as the OP. It has a short cage Chorus RD. Currently limited to running 28T cassette.

Am I right to think if I want to do this incrementally, instead of buying a new crankset ..

1. Install a Roadlink + chain length .. which should increase ability to handle up to 32T cassette

2. Install a Roadlink + modify to Medium cage + chain length .. which should increase it to support 36T ?

Depending on your rig, just proper chain length 'might' work with a 32t biggest cog.

[Ali-Pacha]

From my experience, Athena 11 as well as Chorus 11 post 2015 have absolutely no issues with 11-32 cassette, would it be Centaur 11s or Shimano 11s. Of course no issue at all with Centaur 11s RD, but derailleur ratio is mutually exclusive to Centaur 11s shifters.

[glepore]

Originally Posted by caneye

I've got the same Chorus pre-2015 groupset as the OP. It has a short cage Chorus RD. Currently limited to running 28T cassette.

Am I right to think if I want to do this incrementally, instead of buying a new crankset ..

1. Install a Roadlink + chain length .. which should increase ability to handle up to 32T cassette

2. Install a Roadlink + modify to Medium cage + chain length .. which should increase it to support 36T ?

Agree with Spud. 32 likely works even without the Roadlink. I needed one with EPS because it lacks a b screw, and the upper jockey interfered with the 32. Chain length needs to be spot on, and it'll still exceed der capacity so likely either the big/big or small/small are unusable. I opted for the later as it won't rip the derailleur off if you hit it accidentally, and I rarely use the that end of the cassette in the 34.
The 36? Might be a reach even with a medium cage, but no experience there.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Depending on your rig, just proper chain length 'might' work with a 32t biggest cog.

Originally Posted by glepore

Agree with Spud. 32 likely works even without the Roadlink..... Chain length needs to be spot on, and it'll still exceed der capacity so likely either the big/big or small/small are unusable.

This is news to me. I'll have to revisit this. I've got Centaur, Chorus, Record, and SR - all with short cage RD - and I'd like to get to 32T from my existing 29T on all bikes. I don't ride cross chain, so that's no problem, but I'm wondering about shifting through the usable range with a longer chain length that would be required. Will have to check it out....

[Flinch]

As a temp fix I installed an 11 speed Ultegra wheel from a donor bike, 11-36t cassette, and blocked out the 36t cog via the limit screw, and backed out the B screww all I legally could. Goes into the 32t fine, and is barely OK at BigCog/BigRing, ditto Small/small, but I gotta watch cross chaining. Yesterday I also installed a ten speed 50/34 Power Torque crankset.

Question: Has anyone tried a 10 speed Ultegra med/long cage derailleur with Campy pre 2015 shifters? May have to do that myself, as I read somewhere that it may work, depending on the phase of the moon and just how well you squint at it.

Have not taken it for a ride yet.

[jds108]

Originally Posted by Flinch

Question: Has anyone tried a 10 speed Ultegra med/long cage derailleur with Campy pre 2015 shifters?

I did this with an XTR RD and Athena 11 spd ultrashift. It mates up to a 10 speed shimano cassette pretty well. Not "perfect", but I don't think it ever missed a shift on me. I eventually swapped out the RD for a long cage Athena and an 11 spd cassette.

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by caneye

I've got the same Chorus pre-2015 groupset as the OP. It has a short cage Chorus RD. Currently limited to running 28T cassette.

Am I right to think if I want to do this incrementally, instead of buying a new crankset ..

1. Install a Roadlink + chain length .. which should increase ability to handle up to 32T cassette

2. Install a Roadlink + modify to Medium cage + chain length .. which should increase it to support 36T ?

no roadlink needed for the mid cage