jpjuggler

Hi,
trek 2018 520 disc:
used bike Seller is saying the current cassette is 11-36 , but when I check 99 spokes
https://99spokes.com/bikes/trek/2018/520-disc
this website says the cassette is 11-32. So it maybe the seller is wrong, or they put on a different cassette. I really need the lowest gearing possible.

Question:
Would it be easy to put on a 11-36 cassette on this bike?
https://99spokes.com/bikes/trek/2018/520-disc This website says bike has a shimano deore/alivio groupset.

Any help would be most appreciated. (This bike would be slightly smaller than the surly disc trucker 64cm I have now, and I'm still not sure if 64cm is too big for me. add'l question: are one's arms supposed to be at 90 degrees from ones torso/shoulders? like 110/120 degrees is too stretched out?, or is that splitting hares.)

Any help would be most appreciated!!!!
JP

saddlesores

1. did the seller put on a different cassette?

i dunno. why don't you ask the seller?

2. would it be easy to change the cassette?

i dunno. how are you with basic wrenching?

3. will this unspecified-sized bike fit better than the 64cm you own?

i dunno. go ride it and see.

4. is your 64cm too big for you?

i dunno. see #3 above.

5. should your arms be at 90 degrees, or 110/120 degrees?

i dunno. what's more comfortable for you?

6. is this splitting hares?

i dunno. why don't you ask PETA?

indyfabz

You win Touring this month.

mstateglfr 

Yes its easy to put an 11-36 cassette onto the bike. The rear derailleur can handle a cassette that size.

Arm angle relative to torso is totally individual. There is no universal right or wrong for recreational riding and touring. Whatever is comfortable for the rider is whats right.

Tourist in MSN

If you put a bigger cassette on than the bike currently has, you might need a longer chain than is currently on the bike.

jpjuggler

thanks!!!

jpjuggler

Thank You!

djb

jug,
so it seems you are really in a quandary about if the LHT fits you properly and that whats this about.

just so its clear, you can drastically shorten the stem, the thing that holds the handlebars onto the bike, with no real downsides, and this will bring the bars closer to you.
On my Surly Troll, I set it up with dropbars, and from experience, ie from the measurements from my other bikes that I know work for me size wise, I put a short stem on (55mm maybe) and the thing steers perfectly well and stable.
I bring this up because you may read on the interwebness that short stems make a bike twitchy etc. The LHT is a known slow steering bike, so using that as a known factor, and my experience with my Troll (a faster steerring bike to begin with, its basically a sort of mountain bike) can show you that , yes its possible to put on a short stem on the LHT that can help you with the sizing.

but hey, what the hell do we know, you're the one with the bike.
ride it, heck, get on the bike and take a photo of yourself from the side and show us, put a bag over your head, whatever.
It'll still come down to you.

re gearing---you can easily, and I mean e-a-s-i-l-y , change the small chainring on the LHT from the 26 to a 24 or even 22, and BINGO, SHAZAM, you'll have lower gearing for going up hills, without even having to mess around with the rear cassette.
Us oldie time tourers have been doing this forever, it works and with the stock setup on the LHT, it will work fine.

I really hope you can figure out what bike works for you, we can give pointers, but we aint there, so we aint magicians.

jpjuggler

Thanks for the info! I didn't know it was so easy to change the small chain ring to 24 or even 22. Good info. Btw, I did indeed buy the 60cm trek 520. I think it fits better and I'll probably sell the LHT. I really appreciate all the advice!

jpjuggler

Thanks again for all your help everybody!. I ended up buying the 60cm Trek 520. I'll part with the 64cm LHT. the Trek has the older rear cassette so I will swap from 11-32 to 11-36. The handlebars/Stem configuration was lower than I would have liked... it was below the seat level... so I bought a stem raiser. It makes it a big ugly in my opinion, but much more comfortable for me in the more upright position. It makes the handlebars even or slightly higher than my seat. I'm including pics below for what its worth. Just idle curiousity, but on your touring bikes how many of you like to have your handlebars higher than your seat in order to be more upright? I find there is less neck strain for me.

Tourist in MSN

It depends on the crankset. The older triples usually had a five arm 74mm bolt circle diameter for the smallest chainring, those are available in 24 but no smaller.
https://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-bcd.html

djb

Ya, he will have to check the specifics of the trek crankset, I know the deore 48/36/26 one that was stock on trolls can be changed to a 22, but again, he'll have to confirm what's on this bike.

jp, your position looks very reasonable, but really, you're the final judge on what feels best for you, so I hope that living with this bike will show if any further changes need to be made.

jpjuggler

Thanks for the feedback on the position. it feels better than the surly. I appreciate your help!

djb

no problem. Sometime last year maybe there was a thread where people put photos of themselves riding when the topic of riding position came up, but I have no recollection of what thread it was, it may have even been in another one that got off track.
No matter, if you feel better on this bike then thats all that matters, and with time you can always make small changes with other stem changes etc if you feel the need.
I hope you can tour on it at some point.