RRs

I'm still new to bikes and need some help!

My current setup:
- 1x10
- 30T chainring
- 11-42 cassette (11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-37-42)

I'm in Florida where it's pretty much flat everywhere. Currently I ride in 8th (15t) gear the most and have never had the need to go over 21t, when I do I just spin like crazy.

I would like to get a more narrow cassette to use some gears closer to 15t IE: 14, 16, 17. I found a cassette that would be perfect but from what I can tell it's from a road bike...it's a Shimano CS-5700 12-27t (12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27)

I like that it has a 16t gear, which most MTB cassettes go from 15t to 17t and skip 6th. Can I use this cassette on my MTB? If so Shimano says to use a super narrow chain. Does KMC make a super narrow chain or should I use a Shimano Ultegra?

Thanks for any help coming my way!!

Litespud

A cassette's a cassette. If it fits on your freehub and it contains the cogs that you want, then go for it. There are stacks of 10 sp-compatible third party chains out there. For example, I use SRAM chains on my Campagnolo C10 drivetrain. Works fine. You can use a Shimano chain, but you don't have to.

RRs

Thanks.

About the chain, I want to use a KMC X10SL but on Shimanos PDF it says:
"Do not use the CS-5700 in any combination other than with the 10-speed super narrow chain. Other chains cannot be used as the sizes do not match."

So would the X10SL be considered a super narrow chain or compatible?

jgwilliams

Any 10 or 11 speed chain should work. All derailleur chains are 3/8": the difference is in the thickness of the side plates, which is why you have to go for at least a 10 speed chain. Having said that I have a friend who reckons the shifting performance is better with Shimano chains but my only experience is with Campagnolo chains so I can't comment on that.

RobotGuy

If you’ve never needed more than the 21t, doubt you’d ever need a 27. I’d suggest something like a 12/25 or even 12/23. Still have a cog or 2 for emergency but you’d gain a usable gear.

CS-5700
12-27 tooth (12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27)

Ultegra CS-6700
11/23 Tooth (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23)
11/25 Tooth (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25)
11/28 Tooth (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 28)
12/23 Tooth (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23) - gives you the 18t instead of 27.
12/25 Tooth (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25) - similar to your choice but closer ratios from 21-25
12/30 Tooth (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30)

https://www.trisports.com/product/sh...speed-cassette

GrainBrain

Go for it, that will all work fine. Don't spend extra money on ultegra for the chain, just get any 10 speed chain that's economical, like the sram 1070 or Shimano deore/105 level hg601. The beauty of a cassette swap is it's cheap. Heck you could even go cheaper and get a tiagra level cassette.

RonH

I live in flat Florida and ride an 53/39 with a 12-23 cassette. I use the 21 or 23 gear about once a year. I'm 73 y/o.

Leebo

Seems like a bigger chain ring would be helpful as well.

RRs

Thank you everyone for the help!!


WOW, thank you for taking you time out posting the gears!! I'm really liking the 12/23 because it has the 18t....so I think I'm going to go with that and pair it with the KMC X10SL.

I was also going to buy a new rear derailleur and shifter too. Shifter I'm going with a Saint; rear derailleur I was going to go with the XT medium cage or a Saint. I was leaning more towards the XT since it's been out longer and has more reviews but since the 12/23 is much smaller would I be better off going with the Zee DH (shorter cage for 11/23 - 11/28) instead?

I'm a little nervous about the Zee because people were having issues with the pin falling out. That was 4yrs. ago though so maybe they fixed the problem?? Another thing is it doesn't use a sealed bearing like the XT and Saint does.
- See post #6 and down;
Zee vs Saint rear derailleur?- Mtbr.com

If the XTs cage is too long and the Zee still has the pin problem, should I just go with a Saint?

RonH

I forgot to tell you to stop by the Southeast Regional subforum and say hello to the locals. Lots of FL folks on here.

CliffordK

It should be fine.

However, if you have a MTB rear derailleur, it may have a minimum cassette rating of something like 34 or 40T. It probably isn't a big deal, but your shifting may not be quite as precise.

In general it is recommended to replace the chain when you get a new cassette. Start fresh.

02Giant 

That is where I would start.

CliffordK

I would too. However, the OP has said that he is riding in the 15T on the rear most of the time, and is not riding slammed in the 11T. So, a bigger chainring won't help the OP's riding.

Personally, I still wouldn't give up that 11T on the cassette.

This is going on a MTB, but the OP hasn't clarified where he is riding. Roads, off-road, beaches, etc. If the goal is a faster on-road bike, then there would be a bunch of other things to do... or just replace with a hybrid or road bike.

practical

You have a mountain bike, right? But you ride mostly on flat and paved roads, right? Why not sell your mountain bike and get a road bike? Did you know that Florida is the flattest state in the country? Delaware is the second flattest.

RobotGuy

Not sure I’d go this route. He’s in the 15t cog now so he’s pretty much in the sweet spot already. A bigger ring will push him down into the bigger cogs with bigger gaps between them.

CliffordK

Yep,

Except the progression of the cassette should be that the percent change in effort should remain relatively constant.

So, a 11-12 jump is identical to a 22-24 jump.

A 15/16/17 might only give marginally tighter gearing than say a 11/12/13, and may not be noticeable to most riders.

I do like to land somewhere mid-cassette allowing both harder and easier gears depending on the riding conditions.

RobotGuy

Absolutely. His current cassette is 11/13/15. That 11/13 jump has to be a pretty soul crushing experience, especially when foreshadowed by the 13/15 cadence crusher.

RobotGuy

You’re welcome. Picking components is fun, especially when it’s not my money.

Your current setup will work fine with the smaller cassette.... but I’m all for upgrades! The -23 or -25 cassettes only need a short cage, but medium or long will work fine too. As far as XT vs saint, they’re both highly regarded so just pick your fave. Only thing I’d say is I’d probably keep with one mfgr, that way you know for sure it’ll work great.

A long cage really only helps to take up the chain slack when going from big ring / big cog to smaller ring, small cog. The derailleur has to take up all that slack and needs to be really long to do it with mountain bike cassettes. Most reasonable road cassettes work fine with a short cage (medium if you’re in the 28-32 cog neighborhood)

CliffordK

I'm not convinced anything with a 30T chainring is "crushing" unless the OP is spending all his time riding in parking garages.

Although, I did put a 11/42 cassette on my utility bike, and miss the 12T and 14T sprockets

RRs

Sorry, I should've given some background info....

Yes the smaller cassette is going on a MTB, a 2018 Trek Roscoe 7. I have it dialed in perfect, now I just need to get the gearing setup for my riding.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...coe-7/p/21603/

I haven't ridden a bike since I was in 6th grade and I just turned 40. Being on a bike again feels awkward so I'm just getting use to riding again. I've been riding steady for two months and am starting to feel a lot more comfortable on it. I'm currently riding on pavement but there's several bike trails within 3miles of my house that I will be riding soon. Most dirt trails around here are heavily rooted and very sandy in some sections.

The reason why I'm riding on pavement is;
1.) getting use to riding again
2.) I have young kids and by the time they're in bed it's around 8 so that leaves me with 1-2hrs. to hit the sidewalks once they're in bed. Too much wildlife for me to feel comfortable riding at night on trails even with my bar light on. With summer about a month and half away we're planning to start riding trails since the kids will be on break and we can all ride the trails together.

As far as the cassette goes, I'm 6'1" / 230lbs. My ideal weight is around 190-200lbs. so I'm overweight and it's showing. As of now I don't think I need anything lower than a 15t out back. I timed my cadence on 30T/15 and my cadence is around 80 and that's comfortable for me to ride but I've read it's best to be in the upper 80s / 90s.

When I tried bumping up to the 18t it's a little too easy to ride and not a lot of resistance so it feels weird for me pedaling so fast and feeling like I'm not covering ground. It's like when your minds thinks you can run faster than you really can and your legs get away from you....that's how I felt with the 18t. I caught myself riding the brakes sometimes to get a little more resistance so I'm thinking the 16/17t will be perfect for me to get my cadence up a little bit and the 18/19t will come in handy on parts of the trail if needed and I will still have 21/23t just in case.

robertorolfo

Was my first thought as well. Others have mentioned the 15t sweet spot, which is a good point, but he indicated he is just returning to riding and will only get stronger and fitter with time. 30t in the front sounds so small unless you are riding up walls or something.

RRs

The factory was 28t / 11-42t. From searching on here and other MTB sites, most with 1x's in Florida stuck with a 30t or a 32t chainring, so I just went with a 30t to be safe since I'm just starting out.

When comparing chainrings is there any advantage of going with a 32t or should I just stick with the 30t I have now?

GrainBrain

Going bigger or smaller upfront will make the differences in the cogs larger. So you saying you have to add resistance means you might benefit from a larger front ring - heck I have a 34t on mine. It's probably the same cost, a new ring or cassette so I'd go cassette, definitely the 12-25 or 23, that'd be awesome. That's all I would spend on it for now. I wouldn't mess with the derailleur. On my 29er it seems like I prefer larger jumps in my cassette then on the road bike.

RobotGuy

Good point, yeah upping your cadence a bit will increase your efficiency... and will also give you even more headroom with that 30t ring. Swap out that cassette and who knows, in a few months if you’re in the 12t/13t range at a higher cadence, time to swap to a bigger ring.

Say, on a side note, what tires are ya using? I’d bet with some low rolling resistance rubber you can easily add 1-2mph (especially if you’re still rolling along on the original knobbies. Maybe hold off on the shifter / RD upgrade and spend the money on some speedy rubbers.

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews

Leebo

Mt bike on road only? Gearing is very personal. Whatever works for you, great. My commute, a mostly flat, few slight hills route, 700 x 35 mm tires, I use a 44T front ring and a 30-12 cassette. Your gearing is what I have on my fat bike for year round( winter too) off road riding. I think your whole set up is too low. IMHO. Get a 40,42,44 or so for the front, and use a 11-28 or what's ever close for the rear. Able to run a bigger chainring with your current crank specs?