loubikes

I have a Bianchi Volpe with a Shimano, 9 speed drive train and indexed trigger shifters. I use it for commuting and have slick tires on it.

I've wanted a 2nd wheel-set that I could keep gravel tires on and swap the wheels out depending on what I'm doing.

A wheel-set, with the correct internal width (19mm) and axle spacing (130mm) came up on craigslist for $50 and they were in good shape. They came with a Shimano, 10 speed cassette.

What are my options?

1. Can I just put it on and expect that the shifter won't be able to access one of the cogs but otherwise work ok?
2. Will my 9 speed chain work with a 10 speed cassette?
3. Can i get a 10 speed chain for both the 9spd and 10spd?
4. Can i switch the 10spd cassette for a 9spd cassette?
5. Can I switch my 9spd to a 10spd (least desirable because I'd have to change my shifters).

What is my easiest/best option?

THANKS!

fietsbob

make them the same..? share 1 9 speed cassette with both wheels, remove the lock ring and put it on the other driver,

or get a 2nd chain and swap it with the wheel , so they stay together....

rhenning

If the hubs/wheels are slightly different you also need to re index the system each time you change the wheels. I hope you are lucky and you do not have to do that. Roger

caloso

The answer is 4. Buy a new 9-speed cassette for the new set of wheels.

Bill Kapaun

+1
With larger "gravel tires", you may want to change your gearing slightly.9 speed cassettes come in a wide variety of combinations.
Just make sure your chain is long enough for the largest cog.

caloso

Good point. I have two sets of wheels for my CX bike: Lower low gear on the knobby set than on the commuting set.

tyrion

You can get a 11-36 9 speed Microshift cassette for $17.

loubikes

Thanks, this makes the most sense to me. I thought I had read at some point while googling that while you can normally upgrade from 9 to 10, you can't always go from a 10 to 9. Know if there are any occasions for which this might be true? It is a Shimano 105.

caloso

For indexed systems, the number of indexes of the shifter has to match the number of cogs on the cassette. Otherwise, they won't line up properly. You might get lucky with a few gears, but not all. So in order to convert to 10-speed, you would have to buy new 10-speed shifters. (You might get away with with your current derraileurs).

But there's nothing wrong with 9-speeds. Best shifting group I ever had was 9-spd DA 7700. So I don't think you'd be gaining much.

zacster

The spline pattern on the hub is the same for all Shimano cassettes (with one exception with DA). You can put a 9 speed on a 10. The only issue may be that you need a spacer behind the cassette, but I'm not sure about that and what size it would be. You want the cassettes on both wheels to line up for the small cog so that your derailleur is always set right. As you go to the larger cogs the spacing will be the same from that point.

sch

IME 9spd chains do not like 10spd cassettes that have single tooth spacing which occurs in the smaller cogs. I tried this once on
my recumbent, chain worked fine where there was 2-3 or more tooth differences one cog to the next but not in the single tooth
area where the next cog up tried to pick up the chain. OTOH 10spd chains work fine with 11spd cassette single tooth spacing
again IME (trying to work off a collection of cheap KMC 10spd chains) and 10spd chains work fine with 9spd cassettes.

Otherwise agree with posters suggesting 9spd cassette.