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

[nmrt]

I have a 34/32 setup in one of my bikes. In another, I have a 44/44 setup. While climbing mountains here in the Rockies, I cannot feel any difference whatsoever between the two setups.

Originally Posted by UKBROOKLYN

That 6% can be the difference..

[Mark McM]

I agree with fa63 and Flinch, changing either the cassette from 32 to 34 or the crankset from 34 to 32 will result in only a minor difference (about 6%). With the new gearing, going up a 10.6% grade would feel like going up a 10.0% grade with the old gearing - this is only a small difference. Instead, you might want to consider going with a bigger change in gearing.

One option would using a Shimano 11-36 cassette. This would result in a 12.5% reduction in gearing, which would be far more noticeable. But depending on your current derailleur and frame (hanger length) you may have trouble shifting in the larger sprocket, and also the derailleur might not have the capacity for the larger cassette differential so the chain might be hanging loose in the small-small combination.

Instead, you might want to consider smaller chainrings, such as the 46-30 combination fa63 recommended. This would still give a reasonably tall high gear (110 in.), and a slightly lower gear than the 34/36 combination. The caveat here is that the only Campagnolo crankset that supports chainrings close to these sizes is the new Super Record WRL crankset with its 45-29 option, but this is quite expensive and would also require new bottom bracket cups. However, there are variety of other brand cranksets that support 46-30 chainrings that would work just fine with a Campagnolo 11spd drivetrain.

[UKBROOKLYN]

The most desired option would be to have a 36 in the back. That requires a different freehub.. which is no big deal (I do all my own work).

But I currently have a SR 11 speed rear der.. late 2014. It is maxed out right now with an 11/32.

I am pretty sure that a road link would just create wrap problems. So I have to track down the right rear Der for this setup.

Some have spoken about using an Athena long cage..
Record 12 states it goes to 34.


I am going crazy trying to figure this out.. Now thinking Record 11 rear Der, Shimano 11-34 and a 48/32 crankset.

That gives me a ton of flexibility to swap cassettes back and forth... yeah more expensive but possibly the most elegant solution..

[RoosterCogset]

Maybe also consider having the cassette as a 12-34 or even a 14-34, depending on how much you feel you need the 11t high gear vs smaller steps in between gears.

[fourflys]

you might be really surprised on what you can fit on a xxx mech.. not sure if Campy is as conservative as Shimano, but I run an 11-36 on my Ultegra 8000 RD no problem without aids like a Roadlink.. changing the freehub might be the cheapest option to give it a try.. again, you may be pleasantly surprised..

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by UKBROOKLYN

The most desired option would be to have a 36 in the back. That requires a different freehub.. which is no big deal (I do all my own work).

But I currently have a SR 11 speed rear der.. late 2014. It is maxed out right now with an 11/32.

I am pretty sure that a road link would just create wrap problems. So I have to track down the right rear Der for this setup.

Some have spoken about using an Athena long cage..
Record 12 states it goes to 34.


I am going crazy trying to figure this out.. Now thinking Record 11 rear Der, Shimano 11-34 and a 48/32 crankset.

That gives me a ton of flexibility to swap cassettes back and forth... yeah more expensive but possibly the most elegant solution..

First generation (2014 and earlier) SR rear derailleurs were spec. for a 29 max. sprocket, and a 33 tooth capacity. You can often stretch it to 32 teeth, but 34 teeth may be too far, and it is unlikely that it can stretch to 36 teeth. An 11/32 cassette + 50/34 chainrings is a capacity of 37 teeth, which is already a stretch, and it may not have the capacity for an 11/34 cassette + 50/34, (39 teeth), and will certainly not have the capacity for an 11/36 + 50/34 (41 teeth). So even if using a road link to extend the maximum sprocket size, the 1st generation SR derailleur won't have the capacity to take up the chain slack.

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.

Campagnolo 11spd speed drivetrains aren't designed for particularly large gear ranges, so rather than widening your gear range, it might be better to simply lower the gear range (with smaller chainrings). This will still allow a meaningful amount of flexibility, as there are some cranksets that will accept chainrings from 44/28 to 52/36. As far as the most "elegant" solution, that would probably be swapping to a SR WRL crankset. This would have the "Super Record" graphics to match the rest of your drivetrain, and it has chainring options of 50/34, 48/32, and 45/29, allowing you to swap chainrings for different conditions.

[UKBROOKLYN]

Wow I just came accross this video on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpjr7gX1vFc

Looks like this guy figured it out..

[thwart]

Originally Posted by fa63

I will also say this; I didn't notice a big difference in going from a 34/32 to a 32/32 chainring (I did the same thing several years ago, went from 50/34 to 48/32 crankset with a 11/32 in the back). What has made climbing truly more enjoyable for my fat butt is SRAM's 43/30 crankset combined with a 10/36 cassette (SRAM AXS). This allows me to keep a decent cadence when the gradients get steep. Of course, this requires a full groupset swap but just wanted to mention it

And what would Tullio say to this option… ?

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by UKBROOKLYN

Wow I just came accross this video on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpjr7gX1vFc

Looks like this guy figured it out..

Firstly, the system in the video is using a 2nd generation (2015+) 11spd medium cage rear derailleur. Even the short cage 2nd generation 11spd derailleur is spec.ed for a larger rear sprocket than a 1st generation (32 vs. 29), and the medium cage has more capacity than the cages on 1st generation derailleurs. Also note that in the big-big combination, the derailleur is stretched to its absolute limit. The maximum sprocket size and capacity of a derailleur can be affected by the frame it is mounted on by differences in hanger and chainstay lengths. Its possible this user's had just the right dimensions for it to (barely) work; others may not be as lucky.

With the shorter cage and a geometry designed for a smaller maximum sprocket size, this setup would definitely not work with a 1st generation Campagnolo 11spd derailleur.

[hokoman]

Stupid question for those that know.. I know that all campy 10 speed could accomodate a triple - Did 11 speed come with a long/mid cage option?

[fourflys]

as I said above, give it a try.. you may be surprised.. don't get wrapped around the axle with all the talk about tooth difference here or there, wrap, etc.. again, I don't know if Campy is as conservative as Shimano on these things, but..

to be fair, I've never tried this with Campy, so it may not work at all.. but as an example, I have my new to me Anderson with a Force 11sp medium cage RD on it that came with an 11-32 cassette.. since I have my Ultegra bike set up with an 11-36, I figured I'd throw the wheel on and see what happened.. from a quick spin up and down my street, seemed to be just fine.. the cage length will certainly be a factor though, so if you have a short cage, you may be out of luck.. not saying any of these will shift with the precision of the 11-32, but will they shift fine is the question.. just do a some very easy test shifting on the workstand the first few rotations..

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by hokoman

Stupid question for those that know.. I know that all campy 10 speed could accomodate a triple - Did 11 speed come with a long/mid cage option?

For 1st generation (pre-2015):

The Athena Triple group had a long cage option; all others had short cage only.

Ultra-Shift shifters (SR, Record, Chorus) were non-indexed. Theoretically they should shift a triple front derailleur, even though their derailleurs didn't actually have the capacity for a triple drivetrain. All other groups used Power-Shift shifters, which are indexed. Only the Athena group had both double and triple options, all others were double only.



For 2nd generation (2015+):

Super Record, Record and Chorus had both short and medium cage options. Potenza and Centaur were had a single cage option, which was essentially a medium cage.

All shifters, both Ultra-Shift and Power-Shift, were indexed, and there were no triple shifters available.

[slowpoke]

Minor correction to the above: Potenza came in both short and medium cage. Its cages were compatible with Chorus. In fact Potenza and Chorus look very similar, but Chorus has the stronger spring in the RD to accommodate Ultrashift Ergos.

Centaur 11 is a weird group all by itself. Why they didn't make it compatible or use Potenza parts confuses me.

Using newer cranksets with lower gearing may not officially work because after 11speed HO (~2018), Campy moved over to a 44.5mm chainline for all 2x cranks. Also, the price of the new 45/29 SR wireless crank is the price of a new groupset.

[bfd]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

I agree with fa63 and Flinch, changing either the cassette from 32 to 34 or the crankset from 34 to 32 will result in only a minor difference (about 6%). With the new gearing, going up a 10.6% grade would feel like going up a 10.0% grade with the old gearing - this is only a small difference. Instead, you might want to consider going with a bigger change in gearing.

One option would using a Shimano 11-36 cassette. This would result in a 12.5% reduction in gearing, which would be far more noticeable. But depending on your current derailleur and frame (hanger length) you may have trouble shifting in the larger sprocket, and also the derailleur might not have the capacity for the larger cassette differential so the chain might be hanging loose in the small-small combination.

Instead, you might want to consider smaller chainrings, such as the 46-30 combination fa63 recommended. This would still give a reasonably tall high gear (110 in.), and a slightly lower gear than the 34/36 combination. The caveat here is that the only Campagnolo crankset that supports chainrings close to these sizes is the new Super Record WRL crankset with its 45-29 option, but this is quite expensive and would also require new bottom bracket cups. However, there are variety of other brand cranksets that support 46-30 chainrings that would work just fine with a Campagnolo 11spd drivetrain.

I have to agree that a crank with small chainrings is the most logical way to go as you can get an inner chainring as small as 24t. Thus, most cranksets that run 46/30 rings will also allow you go get even smaller rings, if you want. So a 46/30 may be good now, but a few years from now, a 44/28 or 44/26 or even 42/24 may be better.

The crankset I like is White Industries VBC crankset. Yes, it uses a square taper bb, but there are numerous ring options from 52/36 all the way down to 38/24...Good Luck!

[djdj]

If you have a braze-on hanger, and are considering smaller chainrings, make sure you can adjust the FDER low enough to reach. Please let us know what you choose and how well it works.