Extreme change in cassette on same setup?



K

Ken

Guest
I currently have a Campy Centaur 10 speed set up - 53/39
front and an 11-23 on the back with a standard length rear
der. I am looking for the easiest (and cheapest!) way to
be able to run a 13/29 cassette for the times when I hit
the hills.

My apologies if this has been gone over before but I can't
find the exact answer in the groups...

Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same
chain length so that all I need to do is swap the
cassette depending on the event? My other option is to
go for the middle ground and run a 12-25 or 13-26 all
the time. I almost never use the 11 anyway as the 11-23
cassette was fitted as a mistake by the bike shop when
the bike was built up.

Any recommendations - run 2 different cassettes, or go with
the 13-26 or the 12-25as an all round setup (I do
triathlons/TT as well as solo riding). I live in the UK and
occasionally hit the hills in the Lake District, Peak
District etc. Note sure if the 29 would be overkill here?

Help - this is getting too confusing!

Many thanks.
 
Ken-<< speed set up - 53/39 front and an 11-23 on the back
with a standard length rear der. I am looking for the
easiest (and cheapest!) way to be able to run a 13/29
cassette for the times when I hit the hills. >><BR><BR>

Just put it on. It will work with a 'standard' rear
der..may need a longer chain, may not, depends on the
length with the 11-23..

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"
 
You don't have to change anything other than the cassette to
make the switch work. Keep in mind I did not say work
safely. Chains are pretty cheap, $30 for a 10 speed
Campagnolo chain if you get one on sale. Maybe another $5
for one of those Wippermann 10 speed quick change connector
links. Or IRD and Wippermann make 10 speed chains with the
connector link included already. Look around to get one at a
good price. Then just switch the cassette and chain at the
same time. It will take an extra 30 seconds.

The problem with running the 11-23 chain length on a 13-29
cassette is you will not be able to use the 53-26 or 53-29
combinations. And maybe not even the 53-23 combination
either. I would bet on the first ride you would try to shift
up to the 53-23 and your chain would not be long enough and
you would literally rip the rear derailleur off the
derailleur hanger. Expensive.

The problem with running a 13-29 chain length on a 11-23
cassette is lots of chain droop when using the 39-11 and 39-
12 combinations. But you don't use these vey often so its
nothing to worry about.

Either way you need a longer chain to do this switch safely.
So as long as you are buying a new chain, and keeping your
old chain, you might as well just switch chains when
switching cassettes and not make the 13-29 length chain do
double duty.

[email protected] (Ken) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I currently have a Campy Centaur 10 speed set up - 53/39
> front and an 11-23 on the back with a standard length rear
> der. I am looking for the easiest (and cheapest!) way to
> be able to run a 13/29 cassette for the times when I hit
> the hills.
>
> My apologies if this has been gone over before but I can't
> find the exact answer in the groups...
>
> Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same chain
> length so that all I need to do is swap the cassette
> depending on the event? My other option is to go for the
> middle ground and run a 12-25 or 13-26 all the time. I
> almost never use the 11 anyway as the 11-23 cassette was
> fitted as a mistake by the bike shop when the bike was
> built up.
>
> Any recommendations - run 2 different cassettes, or go
> with the 13-26 or the 12-25as an all round setup (I do
> triathlons/TT as well as solo riding). I live in the UK
> and occasionally hit the hills in the Lake District, Peak
> District etc. Note sure if the 29 would be overkill here?
>
> Help - this is getting too confusing!
>
> Many thanks.
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> You don't have to change anything other than the cassette
> to make the switch work. Keep in mind I did not say work
> safely. Chains are pretty cheap, $30 for a 10 speed
> Campagnolo chain if you get one on sale. Maybe another $5
> for one of those Wippermann 10 speed quick change
> connector links. Or IRD and Wippermann make 10 speed
> chains with the connector link included already. Look
> around to get one at a good price. Then just switch the
> cassette and chain at the same time. It will take an extra
> 30 seconds.
>
> The problem with running the 11-23 chain length on a 13-29
> cassette is you will not be able to use the 53-26 or 53-29
> combinations. And maybe not even the 53-23 combination
> either. I would bet on the first ride you would try to
> shift up to the 53-23 and your chain would not be long
> enough and you would literally rip the rear derailleur off
> the derailleur hanger. Expensive.

I understand the problem with the 26 and 29 cogs, but if you
already have a 23 on the old cassette, why wouldn't the 23
on the new cassette work exactly the same?

....

--
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On 29 Apr 2004 03:55:47 -0700, [email protected] (Ken) wrote:

>Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same chain
>length so that all I need to do is swap the cassette
>depending on the event? My other option is to go for the
>middle ground and run a 12-25 or 13-26 all the time. I
>almost never use the 11 anyway as the 11-23 cassette was
>fitted as a mistake by the bike shop when the bike was
>built up.

Size the chain so that when in the small/small combination
the chain does not rub on the underside of the rear
derailleur. Put any cassette on from the 11/23 to 13/29. You
might size the chain for the
39/12 and not 11. No damage will be done if the derailleur
ticks the chain and this is a combination that you won't
be using on purpose.
 
Ken wrote:
>
> Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same chain
> length so that all I need to do is swap the cassette
> depending on the event?

Yes. I do exactly that with a short cage Centaur derailleur
(though my chainrings are 48-34, but that's the same 14
tooth difference as 53-39). I set the chain length up so
that nothing would break if I shifted into the 48-29, and it
works fine in all gears with either cassette.

Nick
 
David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article
> <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > You don't have to change anything other than the
> > cassette to make the switch work. Keep in mind I did not
> > say work safely. Chains are pretty cheap, $30 for a 10
> > speed Campagnolo chain if you get one on sale. Maybe
> > another $5 for one of those Wippermann 10 speed quick
> > change connector links. Or IRD and Wippermann make 10
> > speed chains with the connector link included already.
> > Look around to get one at a good price. Then just switch
> > the cassette and chain at the same time. It will take an
> > extra 30 seconds.
> >
> > The problem with running the 11-23 chain length on a 13-
> > 29 cassette is you will not be able to use the 53-26 or
> > 53-29 combinations. And maybe not even the 53-23
> > combination either. I would bet on the first ride you
> > would try to shift up to the 53-23 and your chain would
> > not be long enough and you would literally rip the rear
> > derailleur off the derailleur hanger. Expensive.
>
> I understand the problem with the 26 and 29 cogs, but if
> you already have a 23 on the old cassette, why wouldn't
> the 23 on the new cassette work exactly the same?
>
> ....

I read it as if he was using a 11-21 cassette currently.
With a current 11-23 cassette, then no problem using the
53x23 combination.
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > In article
> > <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> > > You don't have to change anything other than the
> > > cassette to make the switch work. Keep in mind I did
> > > not say work safely. Chains are pretty cheap, $30 for
> > > a 10 speed Campagnolo chain if you get one on sale.
> > > Maybe another $5 for one of those Wippermann 10 speed
> > > quick change connector links. Or IRD and Wippermann
> > > make 10 speed chains with the connector link included
> > > already. Look around to get one at a good price. Then
> > > just switch the cassette and chain at the same time.
> > > It will take an extra 30 seconds.
> > >
> > > The problem with running the 11-23 chain length on a
> > > 13-29 cassette is you will not be able to use the 53-
> > > 26 or 53-29 combinations. And maybe not even the 53-23
> > > combination either. I would bet on the first ride you
> > > would try to shift up to the 53-23 and your chain
> > > would not be long enough and you would literally rip
> > > the rear derailleur off the derailleur hanger.
> > > Expensive.
> >
> > I understand the problem with the 26 and 29 cogs, but if
> > you already have a 23 on the old cassette, why wouldn't
> > the 23 on the new cassette work exactly the same?
> >
> > ....
>
> I read it as if he was using a 11-21 cassette currently.
> With a current 11-23 cassette, then no problem using the
> 53x23 combination.

That makes sense then; thanks for clarifying.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
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russell-<< The problem with running the 11-23 chain length
on a 13-29 cassette is you will not be able to use the 53-26
or 53-29 combinations. And maybe not even the 53-23
combination either. I would bet on the first ride you would
try to shift up to the 53-23 and your chain would not be
long enough and you would literally rip the rear derailleur
off the derailleur hanger. Expensive.

Waddaminute-if the system works with a 53/23 on the 11-23,
why would it not work for a 53/23 for a 13-29??

Is the 23t cog on the 13-29 bigger than on the 11-23?(is a
ounce of feathers lighter than an ounce of steel?)



Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"
 
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 00:46:13 GMT, Nick Payne <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Ken wrote:
>>
>> Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same chain
>> length so that all I need to do is swap the cassette
>> depending on the event?
>
>Yes. I do exactly that with a short cage Centaur derailleur
>(though my chainrings are 48-34, but that's the same 14
>tooth difference as 53-39). I set the chain length up so
>that nothing would break if I shifted into the 48-29, and
>it works fine in all gears with either cassette.

You only need to wrap a 48/29 and not a 53/29. You need
least one link but likely 2 to wrap the 53/29.
 
Paul Kopit wrote:

> On 29 Apr 2004 03:55:47 -0700, [email protected]
> (Ken) wrote:
>
>
>>Can I run an 11/23 and a 13-29 cassette on the same chain
>>length so that all I need to do is swap the cassette
>>depending on the event? My other option is to go for the
>>middle ground and run a 12-25 or 13-26 all the time. I
>>almost never use the 11 anyway as the 11-23 cassette was
>>fitted as a mistake by the bike shop when the bike was
>>built up.
>
>
> Size the chain so that when in the small/small combination
> the chain does not rub on the underside of the rear
> derailleur. Put any cassette on from the 11/23 to 13/29.

This strikes me as a risky way to size the chain. If the
rear derailleur doesn't have enough take-up capacity (i.e.
too short a cage) the chain may not be long enough to handle
the large/large combination. Then if you accidentally shift
into it someday you may well damage the bike and/or crash.

> You might size the chain for the
> 39/12 and not 11. No damage will be done if the derailleur
> ticks the chain and this is a combination that you
> won't be using on purpose.

Which is why I'd do the sizing from the other direction.
Make sure the chain is long enough to handle the large/large
combination. If that results in the chain hanging a bit
slack when on the small/small no harm will be done.

If the original poster's bike is set up to work properly
when using the 13-29 cassette then it'll still work ok with
the 11-23. The worst case is that the chain may be a little
loose when using the 39/11 and 39/12 combinations but it
won't hurt anything and those aren't really recommended
gears to use anyway.