Compatibility queries

[Bub Marley]

So my LBS informed me my chain cassette and two front chainrings need replacement. I'm currently riding a 2X9 Tiagra setup with compact cranks 50/34.

 

I wanted to fit 53/39 chainrings but the mechanic informed me I would need to then replace the whole crankset as I have a compact set. The problem is finding brand new 9spd cranksets. Almost everyone is just stocking 10 spd.

 

My question is, will I be able to run a 10spd 53/39 crank with a 9 spd front & rear derailleur, 9 spd cassette & 9 spd chain?

 

 

[Winstonian1984]

Should work fine. I'm running a '11 speed' crank with a 10 speed set up and it works perfectly, so I don't see why it won't work.

[Cat2forLife]

Yes you can. But you can't do it the other way around i.e. 9 speed cranks with 10 speed groupset.

[Barend de Arend]

You can get 53/39 rings for 110 bcd, so you don't even need to swap your cranks.  You just can't get Shimano ones.  You can even get 54 or 56 / 42 for compact.

 

For example, from extralite or stronglight or specialites.  Dunno who gets those brands in South Africa.  They will work with Shimano, but they aren't made by Shimano.

 

You can also get 52/36 or 52/38 made-by-Shimano rings for 110 bcd, which is just one tooth out.

 

You'll need to move your front derailleur up, and you'll probably need to get a new chain (a few links more), but you'd need to do that if you get a whole crankset too.

 

9/10/11 speed rings are mostly the same.

[Bub Marley]

Cool. Thanks a lot guys[emoji106]

[David Marshall]

The problem is no one seems to stock chain rings apart from the commonly used ones and chain rings themselves are expensive - often close to the cost of a crank.  

[Bub Marley]

Following on from the above discussion and Ive managed to sort myself out a new crank.

 

Just have a query regarding the cassette replacement. The bike currently has a Tiagra 12-25 cassette. Chris Willemse have an Ultegra 14-25 cassette for R550 and a Tiagra 12-23 cassette for R 450.

 

Firstly, will there be any noticeable upgrade by going for Ultegra instead of Tiagra?

 

Secondly, am I shooting myself in the foot by dropping the 12&13 rings? To be quite honest, the only time I shift that low is when I'm flying down a really steep hill. On general flatter roads, I'm not strong enough to pedal on an 12 ring.

 

Thirdly, will there be any fitment issues by installing a 14-25 when I had a 12-25 there? Or should I just go for the 12-23 Tiagra, although I feel that I'll need that 25 ring for the steeper climbs.

 

Thanks, guys.

[JA-Q001]

Following on from the above discussion and Ive managed to sort myself out a new crank.

 

Just have a query regarding the cassette replacement. The bike currently has a Tiagra 12-25 cassette. Chris Willemse have an Ultegra 14-25 cassette for R550 and a Tiagra 12-23 cassette for R 450.

 

Firstly, will there be any noticeable upgrade by going for Ultegra instead of Tiagra?

 

Secondly, am I shooting myself in the foot by dropping the 12&13 rings? To be quite honest, the only time I shift that low is when I'm flying down a really steep hill. On general flatter roads, I'm not strong enough to pedal on an 12 ring.

 

Thirdly, will there be any fitment issues by installing a 14-25 when I had a 12-25 there? Or should I just go for the 12-23 Tiagra, although I feel that I'll need that 25 ring for the steeper climbs.

 

Thanks, guys.

 

Saying everything you just did, why did you want a 53/39 chainset then? If you already did not use your 12/13 and need a 25 on the climbs, then you are wasting money going to 53/39 then.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Saying everything you just did, why did you want a 53/39 chainset then? If you already did not use your 12/13 and need a 25 on the climbs, then you are wasting money going to 53/39 then.

KACHING!

[Bub Marley]

Saying everything you just did, why did you want a 53/39 chainset then? If you already did not use your 12/13 and need a 25 on the climbs, then you are wasting money going to 53/39 then.

The idea was to force me to push harder, and in doing so get stronger. I found that on the hills, I would just use my 25 ring because I had it there. Ideally, I'd want to replace the cassette with a like for like 12-25, and my thinking was by doing just that with the bigger crankset would have given me a bit more resistance than my current setup and would have achieved my goal. My main reason for changing the setup was for hill climbing as I wanted something with a bit more resistance.

 

The reason I'm looking at the 14-25 is because it gives me more options using gears I would use more often. The only place I will really lose out on the way I see it, is on the descents and maybe the high speed flats. But my style of cycling is more of a high cadence style. I'm not big, strong & heavy to use those humungous gears. I'm pretty lightweight and leaner than your average cyclist so I feel I would benefit more by using gears I would normally be in.

 

I get what you're saying though. I probably didn't need to replace the cranks and could have just changed my cassette with slightly more resistance and would have got the same result. But I like to spend on my bike, sometimes unnecessarily and I'm sure most of us are the same. When the LBS told me by drivetrain is finished, the first thing that went through my mind is finally I have a reason to change the cranks for something that looks cooler than those dog ugly Tiagra's haha.

[BDF]

Don't mean to entirely hijack the thread but I have a similar question:

 

I have a 10spd Ultegra 53/39 crankset and I want to put 52/36 rings on it if I can find them. Will it work?