robo

My wife's daily driver is a cross bike with a 2011 SRAM Rival drivetrain. It probably has 20-30k miles on it, and the chain, cassette, and chainrings are way beyond worn out.
I could look for identical replacements, but she often complains that the bike doesn't have low enough gears when we're towing a trailer or camping, but she's also often in the highest gear on the flats.

Current setup is:

Shifters: 2011 SRAM Rival shift/brake levers, 10 speed, double in front
Cassette: SRAM PG1070, 10-speed, 11-26T
Cranks: FSA Gossamer, 36/46T Chainrings, 110BCD
Derailleurs: 2011 SRAM Rival, short cage in rear (I'm pretty sure it's a short cage)

I was wondering what options might be viable to give her a wider gear range.

One option is to just get an 11-32 cassette, and put a medium cage on the rear derailleur. I could also perhaps get a 34/48 or some slightly bigger range for the front.
I'm pretty sure that would work fine.

But, lots of bikes now have these huge range rear cassettes. Is that something I could put onto this bike? Is that just a rear derailleur and cassette change, or does that require new shifters? Would the double on front still work, or do those expect to be run as a 1x10 only?

Thanks!

fietsbob

mixing MTB cassettes & rear derailleurs on a road /touring bike

is a common solution to not a low enough low...

Triple cranks can further extend the width of the gear range..

Teamprovicycle

I would go for a rival wifli or tell her to shift into the 36 more ...



https://www.rei.com/product/847060/sram-climbers-kit-rival-rear-derailleur-11-32-10-speed-cassette-1051-chain?CAWELAID=120217890000880311&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15877513960&CATCI=aud-54816614184la-447958800194&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_145229|8470600001|none|b38ad3fa-8650-463e-afe0-41fa4d713a8e|aud-54816614184la-447958800194&lsft=cm_mmcLA_Google_LIA|404_145229|8470600001|none|b38ad3fa-8650-463e-afe0-41fa4d713a8e&kclid=b38ad3fa-8650-463e-afe0-41fa4d713a8e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Pj5uYfU3AIVDLbICh3AFwXuEAQYASABEgJN9PD_BwE

robo

Thanks - I might end up just getting the equivalent of that, although $200 for that kit is silly when the individual parts cost about $125 total when bought separately
(Correction - not quite that cheap, but about $150)

robo

Thanks - i was avoiding triple cranks since that would necessitate not only a new crank, but new brifter and new front derailleur.

cpach

Your options include the cranks and the cassette. With the cranks, you can only go down to a 34t on the crank you have and should match that with matched big ring. Likely for her use a 46/30 crank like the FSA Energy Modular Adventure would be ideal, unless she needs a real big gear also, but that's a new crank and BB and that ain't cheap.

SRAM 10sp road shifters will shift a 10 sp cassette with a 10 or 11 speed SRAM road derailleur or a 10sp mountain derailleur. 10sp SRAM mountain are generally officially rated to a 36t and generally run a 40t fine. This would get you a pretty darn low gear at moderate cost.

With her wants I'd probably pick up a 10sp GX derailleur, an 11-36 or 11-40 cassette (Sunrace makes a 10sp 11-40), and a new chain. If she needs more range then pick up some 50/34 rings (I really like Praxis rings for aftermarket on FSA and SRAM cranks).

robo

cpach

Don't do it. The odds are that it'll shift crappily, and let's be honest, 10sp Sram road front shifting has enough challenges as it is.

Sram offered 48/34 as a stock combo on 10sp road. https://www.jensonusa.com/SRAM-Force...BoCCAYQAvD_BwE

If you do 50/34 I recommend Praxis. Shifts fantastic.

ph0rk

A GX 2x10 mountain rear derailleur uses the same cable pull as those shifters, and can manage a 11-36 10 speed rear cassette. A second option would be to switch the 36t front ring for a 34t ring. If the ramps and pins aren't to her taste, she can swap the 46t ring for a 50t, too. To go further than that will require changing the crankset - there are some 32/48 and 30/46 options out there, but still not terribly cheap - the FSA Omega Adventure 30/46 might be the cheapest that isn't square taper.

TGT1

Lots of BS here, a 34/48 will work just fine!

The 48 is hard to find. A couple of years ago when I found some on Ebay I bought all of them they had (4). The upgrade to a yaw front is worth the money though if you can find one on sale.

You can get away with a 34 on the back for 1/1 with WiFli and a 48, but a 50 might break something.

I'm running a Shimano 11-34 and 34-48 front now. The Shimano MTB cassette is missing the 16 and at some point I'll probably go back to a Frankencassette that is a mix of MTB 34t on the big side and 11-13...… single tooth steps to the last three.

fietsbob

It may be the indexed front shifting that has the engineers having markings pairing.. indicated ...

As a friction shifting fan, any thing goes .. with a 34-50,
or my use, 36-52 , you use the small ring climbing, then, at the crest of the hill,
you have the time to upshift to the big ring, with the tension off the chain,
as you get ready to go downhill..

technique vs parts..

inner of a double will not need the shifting aides that indexed shifting uses,
but will be of benefit, on the big ring..





...

robo

That SRAM 48/34 seems to be 'GXP' specific... I'm not 100% sure but I think that won't be compatible with a non GXP crank?

The Praxis rings are pretty expensive compared to SRAM and others. Are they that much better?

robo

I hear you. I use barcons on my own bike and currently have Sugino rings with no pins/ramps etc, which shift perfectly fine with the friction lever. But this isn't for my bike.

I'm guessing it's not that the smaller ring has shifting aids, but that the pins/ramps/doodads on the big ring are designed to pick up the chain from a certain diameter of smaller ring.

cpach

There are two options for higher end SRAM cranks: BB30/PF30 and GXP (ok, and DUB for their newest stuff). If her bike is NOT BB30/PF30 it is GXP.

The Praxis stuff definitely shifts better than SRAM or FSA rings in my experience, which I place a high value on.

robo

Wow. I tried reading up on current BB standards and my head is freaking spinning. Her bike has 2011 model year FSA MegaExo Cranks and an FSA MegaExo BB. The BB definitely has external bearings, so I believe it's definitely not BB30. But it's not GXP either, because GXP is its own thing... or does that not affect the chainrings? Are "GXP" chainrings compatibile with MegaExo (which may or may not be the same as Hollowtech II)?

Re. Praxis vs others, good to know. Front shifting has always been a bit sketchy on this bike, from the start. I spent so much time tweaking it when the bike was new and it still would frequently decide not to shift from one ring to the other.

JohnnyCyclist

IMO, that should be your starting point. Easy, cheap, and the lowest gear is now 36/32 vs. the prior 36/26 (didn't check a gear calculator to see exactly how much easier, but intuitively know it's a lot).

RockiesDad

Keep your crank and just swap the inner chain ring to a 34T. Pretty cheap and easy swap. The medium cage Rival RD can be pushed to 11-34T cassette. This is what I have with my cheap Apex and it works fine. Just my SRAM FD kind of sucks at the moment. Not sure what to do about that. Would swapping it to may be a Force FD work better or is it the crank itself?

wnylogo

02Giant 

For riding in the mountains I add a Wolftooth Roadlink to my Sram Red short cage to run a 11-32 cassette, and get along great. A new rear derailleur isn't required.