Old 03-09-20, 01:09 AM
  #2  
elcruxio
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Turku, Finland, Europe
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Bikes: 2011 Specialized crux comp, 2013 Specialized Rockhopper Pro

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I'd suggest you consider rather getting a triple crankset with a decently low granny gear for touring. It usually by far the easiest and least risky method of getting more range on a touring bike. The road link system isn't what any rear mech was designed for and as such it does somewhat increase the risk of the rear wheel eating the derailer. At the very least is adds to the fragile nature of the rear mech and mech hanger by increasing the hanger arm length.

If you're changing parts anyway, it's around the same amount of hassle of getting the triple and accompanying shifters than getting the larger cassette / adjusting the road link to work.

Now I don't consider myself a retro grouch or luddite as I've toured with a 1x system, double with a wide cassette as well as with a triple. I started out with the triple, considered it heavy and cumbersome to shift. I am however strongly considering going back to it because it's just handy and more importantly i'd get a tighter cassette at the back. I never thought I'd be sensitive to large gaps in cassette spacing (especially when my MTB has a 10-50), but in road touring I feel a 11-speed 11-42 cassette is WAY too widely spaced. I think a 11-34 is pretty close to widest I can tolerate.
And now that I've resigned myself to using a downtube friction shifter for the front mech, I don't give a sod about the front mech adjustments which for triples I have always found to be too complicated.
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