Ultegra GS rear w/ 50-34 compact front 9sp ?

[rs]

I'd like to run as wide a range as possible with a compact double 50-34 and if
possible still retain using an Ultegra medium cage road rear deraiileur - the
GS version (9 speed) which Shimano says will accomodate up to 27. So I could
use a standard 12-27 but will the compact double front and the conservative
Shimano ratings actually allow a larger gear in the cassette? This may have
to be a custom gear setup in the rear, perhaps 12-30?

I've been told you can trade out to an XT/XTR GSG rear and then go to an 11-32
or 11-34 but I'd like to hear from those who have tried it as to how far the
GS version really goes.

thanks to all, Rick

 

[Sheldon Brown]

rs wrote:

> I'd like to run as wide a range as possible with a compact double 50-34 and if
> possible still retain using an Ultegra medium cage road rear deraiileur - the
> GS version (9 speed) which Shimano says will accomodate up to 27. So I could
> use a standard 12-27 but will the compact double front and the conservative
> Shimano ratings actually allow a larger gear in the cassette? This may have
> to be a custom gear setup in the rear, perhaps 12-30?

We sell a lot of 13-30 cassettes, they generally work even with the
short cage derailers, on normal doubles.

I would expect it to work fine with your GS rear derailer, though a very
small percentage of frames have issues due to non-standard hangers.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/capacity

Sheldon "50-28, 12-28" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Faith is believing what you know ain't so. --Mark Twain |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[rs]

Only problem with the 13-30 is the high gear 50/13 is only 3.85 which I think
too low. At least with a 12 and 50 front you get 4.17 .

I know Harris Cyclery builds custom cassettes. Would a 12-29 work with the gs
cage? That would be a nice enough range top and bottom.

thanks

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
>
>rs wrote:
>
>> I'd like to run as wide a range as possible with a compact double 50-34 and
if
>
>> possible still retain using an Ultegra medium cage road rear deraiileur -
the
>> GS version (9 speed) which Shimano says will accomodate up to 27. So I
could
>
>> use a standard 12-27 but will the compact double front and the conservative
>> Shimano ratings actually allow a larger gear in the cassette? This may
have
>> to be a custom gear setup in the rear, perhaps 12-30?
>
>We sell a lot of 13-30 cassettes, they generally work even with the
>short cage derailers, on normal doubles.
>
>I would expect it to work fine with your GS rear derailer, though a very
>small percentage of frames have issues due to non-standard hangers.
>
>See: http://sheldonbrown.com/capacity
>
>Sheldon "50-28, 12-28" Brown
>+-----------------------------------------------------------+
>| Faith is believing what you know ain't so. --Mark Twain |
>+-----------------------------------------------------------+
>Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
> Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
> http://harriscyclery.com
> Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
>http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
>

 

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>,
rs <[email protected]> wrote:
>Only problem with the 13-30 is the high gear 50/13 is only 3.85 which I think
>too low. At least with a 12 and 50 front you get 4.17 .
>
>I know Harris Cyclery builds custom cassettes. Would a 12-29 work with the gs
>cage? That would be a nice enough range top and bottom.
>

_ sure. I use a Ultegra GS with either a 13-28 7 speed freewheel or
14-30 9 speed cassette and a 50/34 fromt. 50/13 seems plenty of
gear to me, but I like to spin and am a chicken descender.
You can always buy relatively cheap HG 70 MTB and Road
cassettes and do your own mix and matching.

_ However, after a year or so of riding a compact double in
some pretty hilly terrain, I've decided that a road triple
works better for me. I like that you get a closer
range on the bottom ( 2 or 3 granny gears vs 1 or 2 ) and
a much tighter range in the middle. IMHO, if you need a
lower gear than something like a 34/25 or 27, then you
give up too much in the middle of the range with a compact
double.

_ Booekr C. Bense


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[Michael Press]

In article <[email protected]>,
Booker C. Bense
<[email protected]
d.edu> wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> In article <[email protected]>,
> rs <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Only problem with the 13-30 is the high gear 50/13 is only 3.85 which I think
> >too low. At least with a 12 and 50 front you get 4.17 .
> >
> >I know Harris Cyclery builds custom cassettes. Would a 12-29 work with the gs
> >cage? That would be a nice enough range top and bottom.
> >
>
> _ sure. I use a Ultegra GS with either a 13-28 7 speed freewheel or
> 14-30 9 speed cassette and a 50/34 fromt. 50/13 seems plenty of
> gear to me, but I like to spin and am a chicken descender.
> You can always buy relatively cheap HG 70 MTB and Road
> cassettes and do your own mix and matching.
>
> _ However, after a year or so of riding a compact double in
> some pretty hilly terrain, I've decided that a road triple
> works better for me. I like that you get a closer
> range on the bottom ( 2 or 3 granny gears vs 1 or 2 ) and
> a much tighter range in the middle. IMHO, if you need a
> lower gear than something like a 34/25 or 27, then you
> give up too much in the middle of the range with a compact
> double.

That is how I configured my road machine. Around here it
is all uphill.
Triple: 24, 38, 48. Nine speed cassette: 13-19,21,23. I am
very pleased with the close gearing.
Typically run 48/13-19, 38/13-23, 24/17-23.

--
Michael Press

 

[Doug Taylor]

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 02:55:35 -0500, [email protected] (rs)
wrote:

>Only problem with the 13-30 is the high gear 50/13 is only 3.85 which I think
>too low. At least with a 12 and 50 front you get 4.17 .
>
>I know Harris Cyclery builds custom cassettes. Would a 12-29 work with the gs
>cage? That would be a nice enough range top and bottom.

Harris also sells a 9 speed cassette with Shimano cogs called "High &
Wide" with a range of 11-28. Perfect for compact 50:34 rings.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#9cassettes

Also see http://www.interlocracing.com/cassettes_steel.html for
compact cassettes.

 

[rs]

Will the 11-28 work with the Ultegra (or other Shimano) GS derailleur if you
have a 50/34 double in front?

thanks, Rick

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
>On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 02:55:35 -0500, [email protected] (rs)
>wrote:
>
>>Only problem with the 13-30 is the high gear 50/13 is only 3.85 which I
think
>>too low. At least with a 12 and 50 front you get 4.17 .
>>
>>I know Harris Cyclery builds custom cassettes. Would a 12-29 work with the
gs
>>cage? That would be a nice enough range top and bottom.
>
>Harris also sells a 9 speed cassette with Shimano cogs called "High &
>Wide" with a range of 11-28. Perfect for compact 50:34 rings.
>
>http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#9cassettes
>
>Also see http://www.interlocracing.com/cassettes_steel.html for
>compact cassettes.
>
>

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

rs wrote:
> Will the 11-28 work with the Ultegra (or other Shimano) GS derailleur if you
> have a 50/34 double in front?
>
Yes...will work with a short cage rear der as well.

 

[Doug Taylor]

[email protected] (rs) wrote:

>Will the 11-28 work with the Ultegra (or other Shimano) GS derailleur if you
>have a 50/34 double in front?
>
>thanks, Rick

No problem in the rear with this cluster using Shimano Ultegra or Dura
Ace short cage derailleurs (I have used both).

I had more of a problem getting the standard front derailleur designed
to shift from a 39 to a 53 to move the chain easily from 34 to 50.
Ultegra shifters and derailleur work much less efficiently than Dura
Ace for compact rings, IME.

IRD makes a compact specific front der. designed for the 16 tooth
jump:

http://www.interlocracing.com/cdfrtder.html
--dt

 

[Paul Kopit]

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:16:48 -0400, Doug Taylor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I had more of a problem getting the standard front derailleur designed
>to shift from a 39 to a 53 to move the chain easily from 34 to 50.
>Ultegra shifters and derailleur work much less efficiently than Dura
>Ace for compact rings, IME.
>
>IRD makes a compact specific front der. designed for the 16 tooth
>jump:

I happen to be using a DA x 8sp front derailleur with my 50/34 and
Ergo shifters and it shifts fine. I've set up severl bikes with
Shimano 105 x 5500 front derailleurs and they work fine too. Grinding
a bit on the front part of the outer cage made the derailleur work
perfectly.

On my wife's bike, also a braze, the 1991 Chorus front derailleur was
sluggish in getting the chain up onto the 50t FSA ring. I tried the
Campy CT front derailleur and it wasn't any better. The IRD front for
compact worked wonderfully. The chain pops up effortlessly.

Most times, I just use a Campy 9/10 front derailleur and the results
have been fine.

 

[Doug Taylor]

Paul Kopit <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:16:48 -0400, Doug Taylor
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I had more of a problem getting the standard front derailleur designed
>>to shift from a 39 to a 53 to move the chain easily from 34 to 50.
>>Ultegra shifters and derailleur work much less efficiently than Dura
>>Ace for compact rings, IME.
>>
>>IRD makes a compact specific front der. designed for the 16 tooth
>>jump:
>
>I happen to be using a DA x 8sp front derailleur with my 50/34 and
>Ergo shifters and it shifts fine.

Interestingly, this is what I'm running currently as well. I swiped
the 8 speed DA front der. off my old circa 1990's bike, on which I
replaced the 9 speed Ultegra I was unhappy with for shifting between
the compact rings.

I note also that a DA shifter is another important part in the mix.
Having experimented with Ultegra shifter/Ultegra der.; DA
shifter/Ultegra der.; and DA shifter/DA der., IME the DA shifter/front
der. combo distinctly outperforms the other combos with the compact
set up. The Ultegra worked, but it was comparatively sluggish and
imprecise. DA is DA. There is a reason it costs more.

PS: I have no experience with Campy and compact.

--dt