We always hear conflicting information about running wide range cassettes with a dual ring setup. What is the most effective way to get a 11-36t or 11-40t on a 8020 system? On my old SRAM 10 speed, the answer was so easy. My current setup is 11 speed, 50/34 and 11-32 with a GS derailleur. The options I'm thinking are a) using the Wolf Tooth RoadLink with my existing GS derailleur, or b) switching to an SGS rear derailleur. I would like to hear from people who have tried any of these methods.
The 8000 GS rear derailleur will officially handle a 34 tooth cog so I'm guessing it will handle a 36 with no problem. If you want a 40 then I'd go with a Wolf Tooth road link.
Jeb wrote:The 8000 GS rear derailleur will officially handle a 34 tooth cog so I'm guessing it will handle a 36 with no problem. If you want a 40 then I'd go with a Wolf Tooth road link.
Good advice. I have the 105 GS with an 11-36 cassette with 34/46 chain rings on my Renegade Exploit. It works just find but if the 8000 GS was out at the time I got the bike, I'd probably have had that put on. I suppose if you want to ride a 40t you could try the 8000 GS and see if it works. But if you want to go that big you are probably better off just getting the WT link and putting it on your GS now. That would save some bucks and work just fine.
I think i could live with a 36. If so, would I be better off to use it with or without something like the RoadLink?
I apologize if I posted on the wrong forum. I would move it if I knew how to do it.
Jeb wrote:The 8000 GS rear derailleur will officially handle a 34 tooth cog so I'm guessing it will handle a 36 with no problem. If you want a 40 then I'd go with a Wolf Tooth road link.
A quick comment on my own experience with running 11-36 and 11-40 11 speed cassettes with Shimano and SRAM medium cage rear derailleurs and 2x gear sets. - You can get the 11-36 to work reasonably well by adjusting the "b" screw and lengthening the chain to permit the large-to-large chainring to cog to work without catastrophic consequences, - You must also consider the total capacity of the gear set. If you are running a 50-34 up front, you will be exceeding the total capacity of these systems and likely run into issues of excess chain slack on the small-to-smaller chainring-to-cog combinations. The rear der. cage is too short and the spring is too weak to take up the slack chain. - For this reason you will find and standard CX chainring setup 46/36, which is readily available from both SRAM and Shimano a better choice than a standard compact setup 50-34. Much easier to balance the capacity demands of an 11-36 cassette at both the low and high end. You'll give up some gear range at both the high and low end, but get a much better spaced system with smaller jumps and smoother shifting. You can also purchase the 46/36 from Shimano or SRAM without breaking the bank by buying boutique cranksets. - Finally, even with a 46/36 and 11/36 cassette, you are still stretching the manufacturer spec. You can get it to work well -- but the shifting on the smaller cogs will be a little slower owing to the longer chain and greater space between the jockey pulley and cog. For me, this is a worthwhile tradeoff. i'm hoping that someday a manufacturer will start selling a longer cage der. with a stronger spring to more easily allow the type of gearing we want for gravel riding.
just get sub compact rings. im running 30/46 on my shimano 105 crankset with a 11-32 cassette and its great. i can grind up steep hills at 6mph or pedal down big hills at 40mph.
mrbadwrench wrote:just get sub compact rings. im running 30/46 on my shimano 105 crankset with a 11-32 cassette and its great. i can grind up steep hills at 6mph or pedal down big hills at 40mph.
105 crankset - 110 or 130 BCD? and where did you get 30T ring? Or did you convert older triple?
105 crankset - 110 or 130 BCD? and where did you get 30T ring? Or did you convert older triple?
It would have to be a triple. The smallest ring you can mount to a 110 is a 33. There are a number of double cranks available in 46/30 from Sugino, White, and FSA and IRC has a 44/28. Coupled with an 11-40 cassette and using a Wolf Tooth Road Link would provide a great climbing gear and decent top end. Which is what I'm using with a DI2 set up.
mrbadwrench wrote:It's a 110. The newest gen of 105 crank. Absolute black makes 30/46 rings and 32/48 rings for it.
Is it just me? I still think that the 16T difference in chain rings will give you lots of issues when trying to set up an 2x 11-36 cassette with a GS rear der. You will have lots of problems with chain slack on the smaller cogs. I have some issues with the 10T difference even with the 46/36 I use. The problem is you are way exceeding the capacity of the GS rear derailleur. What we need is a true high capacity long cage der. compatible with road brake shifters, with a robust spring for gravel. Are you listening Shimano and SRAM? Essentially a mountain bike der. designed for gravel bikes.
I replaced my 105 compact with a 46/30 FSA and swapped the 11/32 cassette for a SRAM 11/36. I had a Roadlink installed at the time of the cassette sway but might have been able to make the change work without it. VERY slightly clunkier shifting but MUCH improved climbing. Never used the top two cogs on the old setup, anyway.
A note about the Absolute Black setup- they space the chainrings inboard 2.5mm. If you're running disc brakes, then you almost definitely have a 135mm OLD rear hub (or 142 thru-axle, but same thing as far as the freehub is concerned), which puts the cassette 2.5mm farther outboard than a 130mm, which virtually all road drivetrains are edigned for. This totals 5mm of chain line shift. The outer ring should behave like a good 1x, but the inner ring? Be careful about shifting too far down the cassette as the chain's angle could get a little steep and the chain could contact the outer ring, which leads to chain suck.
