upgrading

[PatLad99]

ive recently bought a 2nd hand bike, and so far ive upgraded tyres, inner tubes, bar tap etc. Im looking to get some Fulcrum Racing Quattros for only £200 ( great price! ), but im having some problems with the cassettes and chains, etc. I think i have an 8 speed cassette, if i buy a new one, perhaps 9 or 10 speed, will it fir my chainset and chain?
cheers

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi @PatLad99 and .

What is the bike? Are the gears indexed? If so, you'd need to change the right hand shifter to match if changing the number of gears on the rear.

Personally I'd always fit a new chain to match with a new cassette as reusing the old chain may wear the new cassette prematurely.

An 8 speed chainset should work with a 9 speed chain but might not with 10 speed (perhaps someone who has more experience with 10 speed can confirm?) due to the chain being narrower. 9 speed should work with your current derailleurs but again I don't know whether 10 speed would.

As the bike is 2nd hand I'd be looking at the wear on the chainrings before doing anything else anyway.

Hope this helps for starters.

 

[HLaB]

You'll need spacers for the wheels I think but I've had both 10 and 8 speed on the same hub. Thats only compatibility issue, sort it out and youre sorted, 8sp chain, on an 8sp cassette, with 8sp shifters. IMO chainset speed is less of an issue as it only pulls the chain, a wider 8sp chainset wont pull a narrower 9, 10 or 11sp chain but a narrower chain set will still pull a wider chain. I'll let an expert confirm that though.
If you go 10sp though youll need to buy shifters, deraileur and chainset.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

You'll need spacers for the wheels I think but I've had both 10 and 8 speed on the same hub. Thats only compatibility issue, sort it out and youre sorted, 8sp chain, on an 8sp cassette, with 8sp shifters. IMO chainset speed is less of an issue as it only pulls the chain, a wider 8sp chainset wont pull a narrower 9, 10 or 11sp chain but a narrower chain set will still pull a wider chain. I'll let an expert confirm that though.
If you go 10sp though youll need to buy shifters, deraileur and chainset.

There is about 0.02mm difference between the 8 and 9sp rear cogs so its down to the spacers between, if the 8sp chain would fit, but if fitting a new cassette has as been mentioned its better to fit a new chain so you might as well get a 9sp one or 10sp which ever way you go.

 

[HLaB]

I would stick to 8sp less expensive but if theyve go the cash and desire

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I would stick to 8sp less expensive but if theyve go the cash and desire

Not much difference between 8 and 9 these days cost wise, weakest bit would the 9sp chain over the 8, I run an 8sp triple and very rarely use the 30th front unless climbing and I would be in first on the 42 front. The added advantage is you can mix and match 8 and 9sp cogs if you make your own ratios. I have loads of 8sp cogs that are not really worn as I tend to be on the 17-19-21 on the rear, so these are the ones with most wear.

 

[HLaB]

Not much difference between 8 and 9 these days cost wise, weakest bit would the 9sp chain over the 8, I run an 8sp triple and very rarely use the 30th front unless climbing and I would be in first on the 42 front. The added advantage is you can mix and match 8 and 9sp cogs if you make your own ratios. I have loads of 8sp cogs that are not really worn as I tend to be on the 17-19-21 on the rear, so these are the ones with most wear.

Did you upgrade your shifters/ derailleur to handle the 9sp cassette. FWIW, My old sirrus came with 8sp shifter and cassette but a 9sp derailleur so it'll work that way I think. Or do you mean the chainset, yip I never done it but I doubt the slightly narrower will matter there.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Did you upgrade your shifters/ derailleur to handle the 9sp cassette. FWIW, My old sirrus came with 8sp shifter and cassette but a 9sp derailleur so it'll work that way I think. Or do you mean the chainset, yip I never done it but I doubt the slightly narrower will matter there.

The Viking started with a 7sp rear.
What I have done is split the rear cassette and used the cogs with what ever spacers I needed at the time i.e. if a 7sp shifter 7sp spacers, I cant remember of the top of my head the width of 7sp cogs, but 8sp cogs and 7sp spacers work, the width of the 8sp and 9sp cogs is only 0.02mm so it wont make much difference, I have yet to try that combo though, but as I need a new chain and cassette I thought I might try it with an HG50 9sp cassette, my current set up is all 8sp on the rear apart from the locking gear which is a 7sp (13th) from the original 7sp cassette that came with the Viking in 2008, I am however spinning out on this going downhill even quite modest ones (front is 52th), so I thought a 9sp with maybe 12-13-15-17-19-21-23 then either as is set up 25-28 or 26-30, this would just about do anyway with the 30th inner ring on the front, certainly around here, but would help if I venture toward the pennies at all, the ability to have larger rear cogs was the reason for the M.T.B. R.D.

I have not yet been able to afford any 9sp shifters, and I am in two minds whether to save (or rather try to) and get the Triban5 or planet-x's entry bike a Tiagra carbon fork jobbie at £600, its only a double (compact I think) however at 8.8Kg its 1kg lighter than the Triban, which ever way I go on saving though it will be a long time.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I will either have to get some Claris 8Sp shifters or Sora 9sp soon as the 8sp I have isn't moving up cleanly and the is a slight crack on the plastic where the gear cable goes through the shifter, which i think is causing some movement, in other words not enough tension on the cable to move down a gear.