I'm hoping someone here can save me some (more) searching. I'd like to find a 9 speed cassette that starts large (say 12 or 13) and ends up large (34+) and has a fairly close ratio. Seems like a no brainer to me that there'd be a 13-36 or 13-40 but everything starts at 11 and the skips are huge. Thanks!

Assuming you want Shimano: Shimano HG400 12-36 9-speed Cassette - Harris Cyclery bicycle shop - West Newton, Massachusetts

Don't actually care - sram, sunrace, whatever

Asked your LBS? , they can check multiple distributors they work with..

I guess not many people customize their own cassette?

It's important to remember that a 1 or 2 tooth jump in the lower gears is the equivalent of a 2 or 3 (or more) tooth jump in the larger gears. So, going from 11 to 12 (a 1 tooth jump, but 8.33% change) has the same impact as going from a 31 to a 34 (a 3 tooth jump, but about the same amount).


That's why there are small jumps in the smaller gears and then progressively larger jumps in the larger gears.

they who do may not visit this site...


We Used to have Cog Boards in the bike shop to make up your own freerwheel combinations ..

that was last available with Sachs Malliard ARIS freewheels..

What do you have up front?

If you want the gearing of, say, 13-40 in the back, you could get pretty much the same result with an 11-32 and 15-20% fewer chainring teeth in the front, like drop a 1x from 48 to 40, or switch a double from 52/39 to 44/32.

Take you pick. Bicycle Cassette Gear Clusters from Harris Cyclery Close ratios are a problem.

[/URL]That CS923 looks like it was made just for you... 13-34. What more can you ask for?

John

Edit Added... Never mind, it is no longer available.

However there is this one on eBay...

Shimano Alivio HG300 9 speed 13-34

[URL="https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/232133940304"]

Already running 50/32 in the front - looking to drop the large gear and just run with the 32. I'd love to create my own cassette and those Harris ones look great... except for the prices! Shimano has a 12-36 and I may give it a try.

You can probably run a 44t instead of the 50t. I would find it tough to run just a 32t on a road bike.

John

I pretty much already do - almost never use the big gear. Consider too I'm running a 165 crank - you big guys just don't realize how much us short guys work to push those big gears!

So do it.

For mine customs I use Shimano cassettes - the lower cost ones will last longer because of steel cogs, and they are usually individual cogs. Niagara has a good selection, and has Miche Shimano compatible 1st position cogs up to 16T or so.

For my 14-32 8 speed, I use a Shimano 13-26 8 speed, and the cheapest Shimano 11-32, plus a Miche 14T 1st position. The 13-26 loses its 13T and 14T cogs, and gains a 32T, and the Miche 1st position. I leave everything loose.

For 9 speed, Shimano offers a 14-25, and several 12-36 (go with the HG300, all separate cogs)

NOTE Shimano has different cogs depending on the difference in number of teeth to its neighbor. For example there is a 15T cog for a 14T neighbor, and a different 15T cog for a 13T neighbor. These difference are for shifting quality, which may or may not be noticeable to you.

I have 26t/28t/34t cogs I've been moving from cassette to cassette as the other cogs wear out. The big cogs rarely wear out and I like to buy cheap 12-23 12-21 and add in cogs as needed to get a nice custom spacing. I haven't ridden with a stock cassette in years. For most riders there's nothing dumber than the first 4 gears being 11-12-13-14.

Recently made my own custom 9 speed cassette for my gravel bike. Took an 11-30, tossed the 11t and added the 34t. Gearing is 12-14-16-18-20-23-26-30-34 and it is absolutely perfect for the riding I do.

Save for a junior cassette- which I think is like 13-25, your options are making your own, or emailing Harris about their "century" cassettes.

Bicycle Cassette Gear Clusters from Harris Cyclery

Edit:WHOA, just clicked the pricing on those, not for the faint of heart, though two 6500 cassettes to kate your own should be around there too.

E2: you could buy the 14-25 and the 11-30 from this link and DIY: https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...06&category=41

Miche sells individual cogs specifically for doing custom cassettes, but as far as I'm aware, they don't do big cogs. I don't think they even go up to 30 teeth.

I've looked into it a couple of times. Back in the days when 10-speed meant 2X5 we had to squeeze out every ratio so I made up my own freewheels quite a bit. With 10 cogs on the back I don't find it to be worth the time, effort and expense.

Building a cassette only works with non-spidered cassettes. I'll re-space a cassette to match a shifter, typically 7 with an 8 speed shifter. But there is no magic in only running 8 speeds on a 9 speed cassette, if a person doesn't want to run the 11t. Either block it out or just don't use the 11t it and add a spacer to fill the gap.

John

This I like and probably already have most of the parts! thanks!!

They do go to 30T; but it is less expensive to take apart Shimano cassettes, even if you only net three cogs each. Also Miche are not HG.

Do you know if HG400 are individual cogs? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LGLYYRM...I2XBRHV8FQ817S

I've looked at it. You can keep the spider for the low gears and take apart an HG50 Tiagra-level 12-tooth cassette to fill in the two lowest gaps. The 12 and 13 both have built in spacers. This gives 13-14-15-17-20-23-26-30-34. The Tiagra 9-speeds are now on deep clearance.

Sheldon's site has some nice notes about how some cogs are made for 2-tooth shifts and some are made for 1-tooth shifts.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k9.shtml#readfirst

I do not know about the HG400, the HG300 is. https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Casse...JHI?th=1&psc=1

You can look up this sort of stuff here Manuals & Tech doc