Rear cassette

[dickbastardly]

Morning all

I have just started cycling again.
I have a 2011 Specialized Allez.
I was a tight wad at the time and only bought the double chainring (should of got the triple!).

I live on top of a hill so i find going out the gearing is not low enough and coming back the gearing is not high enough!

What are my options to change the gearing? without it costing too much? (please note still a tight wad!!)

The rear cassette is a 8 speed 12-25T cassette.
Could i just change the rear cassette to a 11-32?
Would this make a difference and would it be just a case of changing the rear cassette or would in need to look at the dérailleur and the gear changer set-up??

Any other suggestion welcome.

Thanks in advance

Andy

[WinstonWolf]

You might need a long throw derallieur if you go with 11/32 but everything else will be compatible.

[anonymous-user]

And possibly a new chain (or some additional links). A 32s plus a long cage RD may have too much travel for your existing chain.

[dickbastardly]

Thanks for the replies

What is the best way of finding out?
or is it a case of getting the rear cassette and giving it a go and if i need a longer chain or/and a long throw dérailleur get them as i need them?

I have just had a look and i think the chain may be ok but the dérailleur is very close the the first sprocket so i would of thought i would need a new dérailleur and if it is a long throw one maybe a new chain as well

So i guess any recommendations? or is there any kits/packages out there?

Cheers
Andy

[dickbastardly]

Just thinking aloud

If i were to go with a 11-28T cassette would i notice that much difference?? or is that a million dollar question?

I am thinking about this:
https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-hg50-8-speed-c...

At the end of the day its not a lot of money and i can see if it works?

Your thoughts please.

cheers
Andy

[j00pY]

depending on how hilly the area is, a 32 is nice to have as a bail out gear. I'm a fast climber in our club and still like to run a 32 on the rear. I am one of the only people who do though. The downside is that you will have bigger jumps between each gear, so you might find one gear too fast to spin vs the next one being too slow.

[Magic919]

Some of the 2011 reviews mention a 13-26 rear cassette. An 11-28 would help both ends. Is there any option to have a compact to replace the double? Won't help top gear, but a good improvement at the bottom end.

[anonymous-user]

dickbdly said:

Thanks for the replies

What is the best way of finding out?
or is it a case of getting the rear cassette and giving it a go and if i need a longer chain or/and a long throw dérailleur get them as i need them?

Andy

Somewhere on the Shimano website - but don't ask me where (Campagnolo rider) there should be something that will tell you what length RD cage you need with an 11-28 or an 11-32 rear cassette.

It won't tell you, I suspect, whether your existing chain will fit, but it should show you how to set the RD up. You'll be able to work out from that whether you need a new chain. If you diy this, you will need to buy some tools, which you might not use much again (opening a chain/changing a cassette/RD isn't really regular stuff). You might be better off visiting you local bike store for a fix.

Also, as said upthread, the downsides of a wide spread of sprockets is big jumps between them, which can mean never quite finding the right gear when you are climbing.

You you have standards rings on the front (53/39) or compact (50/34) or something in between?

[paulmon]

You would only need a long throw rear mech to allow running in big/big (52/32). The existing mech will cope with running 39/32 but you might need a new chain.

[frisbee]

paulmon said:

You would only need a long throw rear mech to allow running in big/big (52/32). The existing mech will cope with running 39/32 but you might need a new chain.

There is a limit on the maximum cassette sprocket size as well.

[dickbastardly]

Thanks all
I think i will take it to a local bike shop and see what they suggest.
Cheers
Andy

[Kermit power]

Greg66 said:

It won't tell you, I suspect, whether your existing chain will fit, but it should show you how to set the RD up. You'll be able to work out from that whether you need a new chain. If you diy this, you will need to buy some tools, which you might not use much again (opening a chain/changing a cassette/RD isn't really regular stuff). You might be better off visiting you local bike store for a fix.

Am I missing something here?

I consider myself to be doing well if I make it to 3,000 miles a year across all my bikes, but I'd still expect to change at least one chain per annum. You can get chain breakers at under a tenner, and the same for those quick link removal things. Depending on your bike shop, you'll certainly be saving money by the second time you change your own chain, if not the first.

Likewise, a chain whip can be yours for under a tenner (assuming you don't want to make your own with a bit of old chain and other scrap you've got lying around), and a lock ring tool for as little as a fiver. I'm assuming the OP will have a ratchet handle already for the lock ring tool, but again, that's only one or two cassette changes before you're saving money doing it yourself, and I reckon I change a cassette at least every couple of years.

Lastly, no rear mech I've changed has ever required anything more than Allen keys and small screwdrivers, which surely everyone already has?

There are plenty of tools I wouldn't bother buying myself, but the above are, in my experience, some of the easiest and most frequent jobs you'll do on a bike with some of the lowest cost tools, so it seems like a bit of a no-brainer to DIY?

[upsidedownmark]

Too much overthinking and pontificating:

If it's a 2011 allez, it probably came with a compact (count the teeth, front 'double' probably has 50 on the big ring, 34 on the small)
It should be *9 speed* not 8..

A mech of that vintage will NOT handle a 32, no matter how long the cage. It is limited to a max sprocket size of 27. Shimano are very conservative, so a 28 will be fine, maybe flipping of the b-screw required. Most likely to get a 32 capacity you need to go to the most recent series mechs which have a different cable pull and will not work with your levers.

So, forget the 32, you don't need it. Especially if you've just started cycling:

1) 34/28 is sufficient to get you up pretty much anything.
2) If you just started, you're going to make rapid gains in your ability, HTFU and stop looking for the easy way out... (I might say different if you had 39/25, but you probably don't..)

Edited by upsidedownmark on Monday 13th June 11:11