spetnaz

Hi, i'm a newbie in road cycling.

My bike set up is a full tiagra set with the 9 speed 11-25 cogset and 52/39 chainring. I've done about 250 miles on the bike within 2 weeks and i found that i hardly use the smallest cog ie the 11t cog unless when cycling a long downhill. I'm not into top speed but i'm thinking a larger rear cog would help in climbing, so i'm planning to change into a slightly bigger cogset rather than spending more money in changing into compact crank. Since shimano doesnt produce anything larger than 25t for 9 speed, then Sram's PG 950/970 has the 12-26 version.

Shimano Tiagra 11-25 set - 11,12,13,15,17,19,21,23,25
Sram PG950 12-26 set - 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,26

My question, does the 1t different from 25 to 26 is significant in climbing? and is the SRAM's gearing is more suitable for a 40 yrs old 190 lb weekend non-racing rider like me?

fauxto nick

Not that much of a difference, if you have the money to blow go for it, but if you want a bigger difference find a 12-27. I've been running that 12-26 cassette for the last 4000 miles and it's alright. Lately I've been using my 12-21, which reminds me I need to put my 12-26 on for my ride tomorrow... dammit.

Cdy291

This is why I wan't an 11 speed 11- 25. Thats the sweet spot if you ask me. A good enough range for any kind of ride and not to big of jumps, nor to small of jumps.

fauxto nick

I like the 12-21 for crits a lot.

spetnaz

According to Shimano 2009 catelog, there is no 12-27 cassette for 9 speed, thats why i opt for a Sram 12-26. My other alternative is to get the 10speed 105's 12-27 (12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27)and take out one cog, let say the 16T cog.

pacificaslim

I don't think you can take a 10-speed cassette and just take one out and make it 9-speed: the spacing between cogs is different.

You can get almost any combo you'd like. I have SRAM 11-26, but I also have 11-34, both 9-speed. There are also custom combinations available from harris cyclery and others. Just don't go over what your rear derailleur can handle.

urbanknight

That's correct. Wrong spacing.

The 11 to 12 change will be more dramatic than the 25 to 26, but unless you're running out of gear in the 11, don't worry about it. Also, look into Miche customizeable 9 speed cassettes if you can't find what you want readily available.

spetnaz

Thanks a lot to you guys for your kind replies. I guess i have to get the Sram since as far as i know, Miche and others are not available in my country.

San Rensho 

I would recommend going to a 13-23. It will give you a set of very close gears in the range you will most likely use them. The difference between a 39/23 and a 39/25 is about 3 gear inches which almost imperceptible.

The 13-23 gives you a rare 18 tooth cog, which really smooths out the large jump between going from the 17 to the 19 on either the big or small chainring.

A 53/11 gear is just huge, unusable in all but the fastest descents, even a 12 is huge.

Especially if you are new, going with smaller, closely spaced gears is the way to go.

stedalus

It's "only" 3 gear inches, but in those ratios that's close to a 10% change. That's clearly perceptible, especially on hills. If the OP is hurting in a 25, a 23 is going to be torture.

To the OP: going from 25T to 26T will make a bit of a difference, but only you can say if it's enough. Try climbing hills in the 25 that you normally do in the 23 or vice versa, and you can get a sense for it. Of course, that's a bigger change than 25 to 26 so try to imagine only half that change. If you think you need to go even lower, you can still buy 9 speed Ultegra 12-27 cassettes or the Harris Cyclery custom cassettes (I think they ship abroad), but you'll be spending $100 or more at that point, so a compact crank would be roughly the same price and give you lower gearing.

Basil Moss

Your idea is sound. 11t cogs are for the truly mighty, or those who absolutely MUST pedal all the way down a really steep hill. But a 12-27 would be even better, if you could find one. You know how when you are in the 23, and you gear down, it is scarcely noticeable- not what you sometimes might have hoped for. Well the difference between 25 and 26 is even more subtle.

ericm979

Shimano used to make 9sp 12-27s. They are common as dirt. Try looking on line or at LBSs.

Going from a 39x25 to a 39x26 will hardly be noticeable. It's about a 4% difference. Most single cog shifts are in the 10-12% range. Even the 25->27t change won't be that noticeable but its enough to be worth while. If you want even lower gears, then you'll need to look for a 12-28 cassette (I think IRD makes 9sp ones).

Jynx

get a 38 inner chainring and a 12-26 cassette. Combine both and youll have a noticable change.

Treefox

Eh? I've got a 12-27 9-sp Ultegra on one of mine... Though it's not 2009... That'd be a pity if they'd cut that off the line, but I'm sure one could find one in stock around and about anyway.

Treefox

Now that's what I always thought until I moved to an area with more straight, long downhills - - I started getting dropped on downhills when I was spinning out on a 53/12.

idcruiserman

Do you find yourself frequently in the last cog of your cassette? One tooth will not buy you anything on the low end. You might consider getting a smaller inner chainring.

nycphotography

I second the comment (above) that a compact crankset will likely offer more bang for the buck.

For $100 to $125 you should be able to find a 34x50 compact crank.

Treefox

I'm selling one