floridamtb

I have a Trek Madone 4.5C that came with Ultegra RD/FD and a 11/28 cassette that I replaced and have been running a 11/23 since I'm in pan flat south Florida. I'm going to the mountains of Virginia in June to do some climbing, does anyone know if I can put a 12/30 cassette on without having to swap out the RD? I know it's only 2 more teeth but did I mention I'm in pan flat south Florida? If nothing else it's a psychological thing thinking I have a lower gear to use on some of the 15% switchbacks I'll encounter (more like walk).

Thanks!

Lazyass

Well I have a 6700 with a 28T and I have the b-tension screw almost all the way out so I would think a 30 would be okay.

lungdoc

Is it the short cage SS or mid cage GS derailleur? Mid can take 11-32, short can take max of 11-28 and still use all gears.

floridamtb

Short cage. The 2 extra teeth are probably more psychological than anything I suspect. Not sure if it will make a difference but figured I'd ask before I go and buy a cassette

Lazyass

That's the max according to Shimano, which is usually conservative.

rmfnla

What about the chain; did you remove any links when you went to the smaller cluster..?

LAJ

I have run a Tiagra 12-30 on a short cage Di2, which should be mechanically the same as a cable derailleur.

ARPRINCE

I have a 5700 with a SC-RD and swapped 11-28 with 12-30 . It was not a smooth flow/rubbing and the b-tension adjuster was maxed. I ended up getting a Mid Cage-RD.

floridamtb

I have Trek Care+ so I've been through several chains and cassettes over the last 3 years. The shop did it so I don't know but I suspect they did.

clydeosaur

Yes, you will need a longer chain.

Lazyass

You can get a longer screw.

Wolf Tooth 25 MM B Screw > Components > Drivetrain > Misc. Rear Derailleur Parts | Jenson USA

Homebrew01

Might be "good enough" for a short term trip.

hokie cycler

Do you have a compact or standard crank? If you're running a compact and put the 11-28 on, you should be fine. What mountains are you planning on climbing?

floridamtb

Compact with 11/28 for this trip.

With a name like "hokie cycler" you should be familiar with the mountains. Two days in Roanoke: Day 1 warmup on Keagy Road and Mill Mountain. Day 2 The Knob, The Nut, The Loaf + Mill Mountain. Day 3 Blacksburg route TBD. Day 4 Blacksburg route TBD (plus a side trip to the VT shooting victims memorial). Day 5 TBD

andr0id

You might make this work. Let me point out that climbing really steep hills in a low gear is when you really don't want stuff to jam up.

A 2nd long cage RD, cassette, and longer chain really don't cost much in the overall scheme of things and once you get the limits set on the RD, it is pretty quick to swap out when you vacation in the mountains.

hokie cycler

I haven't ridden the Roanoke climbs. While in Blacksburg, you'll want to ride up to Mountain Lake. There are two routes up the mountain and both are killers. I have attached a link to a route I made on RidewithGPS. This takes you on the last 10 miles of Mountains of Misery which goes up the hard side and then comes down the "easy" side.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/11769709

I am planning a 5 day ride from Richmond to Blacksburg and back in June and on Day 3 we will ride this route.

Here is a link to the Mountains of Misery century route:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4101679

floridamtb

Thanks! Looks nice, but a question for you. For routes like that are there places to refill the water bottles (stores, gas stations etc)? I'm sure I'll be suffering on the climbs and need a refill.

Here are the routes I'm thinking of for the 2 days in Blacksburg, know anything about them? Also would you suggest reversing your route and ride up the easy side seeing that it would be the 5th day in the saddle on the mountains for a flatlander?

Routes, Cue Sheets and GPS Data - Virginia Tech Cycling
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4359557
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4359689

daveshow

I run an 11/32 on di2, 6700 and 105 all short cage with no issues. Just turn B screw all the way in and it may require a slight tweak to low screw

Dan333SP

Not really relevant, but I have a 5700 RD that I think is short cage on my Madone 3.1. I actually just went out to the mountains near Charlottesville over the weekend and put on a 12-30 cassette, replacing the 11-26 I've been using.

The chain was originally sized to work on the 12-30 so there were no problems there, and after some cable tension adjustments it worked fine, even in the 50/30 which is a silly combination anyway. I absolutely needed the 30t because I like a high cadence while climbing, and brutal headwinds + sustained 6-10% grades = 34/30.

hokie cycler

I have not ridden these but I have driven some of these roads. The road going towards Ironto is very curvy and hilly. Enjoy!