I am looking at touring and want lower gearing for mountains. I am trying to decide if I should buy a touring bike or try to swap out a few parts on my entry level road bike. My current lowest gear is 34/25*27=~37 gear inches. I want to shoot for around 18-24 gear inches. I don’t use the top gears on this bike too often so I am fine with sliding down the entire range.

Below is my current setup … all stock. I need to understand what components must be compatible with eachother... e.g. length of derailleur arms to fit larger cogs in my limited understanding so far.

2009 Trek 1.1
Crankset: FSA Tempo, 50/34, BCD is 110mm, I am finding the smallest chainring that will fit 110mm is 34.
Cogs: 8-speed, 12 - 25 teeth
Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-2300
https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830673813.pdf

Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-2300
https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830673817.pdf

Shifters: Shimano ST-2300
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-ST-230.../dp/B0038EI5K2


Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Price it out, you'll need a new rear derailleur and cassette anyway. Settle for a 27" low and go with smaller big chainring. Maybe 34/44 front with 11-34 8spd cassette.
or new triple crankset and bottom bracket.

Oh heck a Trek 1.1? Start over with a touring bike unless you can go ultralight.

The front shifter, front derailleur, and crankset all need to be compatible. They all need to be designed to accommodate the same number of chainrings. The front derailleur must be able to accommodate the smallest chainring, largest chainring, and the difference in teeth between the two.

The rear shifter must be used with a cassette that has the appropriate number of cogs.

The rear derailleur needs to be compatible with the rear shifter, the cassette, and the crank. It will have specs for the largest supported cog, the smallest supported cog, and usually a "maximum capacity" that is calculated by adding up the differences in teeth on the crank and the cassette. As an example, if you have a crank with 50- and 34-tooth chainrings and an 11-28 cassette you need a derailleur with a capacity of: (50-34) + (28-11) = 16 + 17 = 33 teeth.

I think the 20 gear inch target is reasonable. To get there, you're going to need AT LEAST a new crank, cassette, and probably derailer. List price on that will be around $350-400, almost half the price of a new touring bike. The retrofit will be suspect as far as your ability to mount racks and carry a load without shimmy (heavy load plus lightweight bike = not a good idea).

You could try the ultralight option, and figure if you can come up with a 15 pound load you'd be comfortable touring with. With some careful lashing, you might make that work.

I'd go for the new bike, and enjoy your current bike for local, perhaps group, rides.

Unfortunately, that's going to be difficult to do, unless you're willing to buy used parts. The 2300-series components on the OP's bike are currently the only 8-speed components made by Shimano or SRAM. Personally, I wouldn't trust components made by anyone else... Capacity for 2300 is fairly limited, according to Shimano's specs.

Without spending a fortune, I think there are only two options:

1) Switch to a triple crank. That means new shifters, a new front derailleur, and a new crank. The smallest chainring moves down to 30-teeth from 34-teeth and the rear derailleur limits you to a 26-tooth cassette. The lowest gear is 31", according to Sheldon Brown's gear calculator, which still isn't great

2) Try to find a used or NOS 8-speed mountain bike rear derailleur and pair it with an 8-speed 11-34 cassette. If you could make it shift reliably with the 50/34 crank (I didn't check the specs), you'd be able to get down to 27 gear-inches. It doesn't quite make the 18-24" range the OP was targeting, but it's pretty close.

You could combine 1 and 2, to get down to 24 gear-inches, but you'll also have spent quite a bit of money. At that point, it's probably better to spend a bit more and move up to a 9- or 10-speed component group.

For me this would be the biggest reason not to upgrade.

I tried adding 15 pounds of gear to my relaxed-geometry road bike using a Carradice Nelson Longflap saddle bag and Bagman support. I hated the nervous, twitchy handling that resulted from trying to carry a load on a bike with a relatively short wheelbase...

He doesn't need a NOS 8 speed montain bike rear derailer. He just needs a mountain bike derailer that isn't Dynasys. A new Shimano SLX and lower would work as would a one to two year old non-Dynasys XT or XTR level. These dereailer play real nice with STI shifters.

Mega range 8 speed cassette.. 1:1 low, long cage RD to go with the Big rear cog. new chain.

Don't bring too much stuff.

Shimano's website seems to claim that for 2013 virtually everything they sell, including SLX and Deore, is designed for 10-speed Dynasys drive-trains. I didn't read the spec sheets for every RD they sell, but a quick glance at their website seemed to suggest that the 9-speed Alivio group was the only non-Dynasys hold-out. Altus, Acera and the other ultra low-end 8-speed groups aren't mentioned at all, however. I'm assuming they're still available, though I'm not sure I'd want to trust them for a touring bike.

And that still doesn't change the fact that a road bike with a short wheelbase won't make a great touring mount...

You will need a few things, but it will work out.

You will need to swap out the rear derailleur with a Shimano Deore as this is the only 9 speed derailleur left that will work with a road shifter. Any Dyna-sys and SLX 10 speed mountain derailleurs WILL NOT work with road shifters. You need to buy a long cage denotes by having the SGS marking on the rear derailleur. Shimano Deore or LX.
And then you need to buy a 11-34 8 speed rear cassette and a new 8 speed chain.
On the front, you will need to replace your 50/34 with a triple crankset but turn it into a double crankset with a 110/74 BCD. The easiest way is to buy a trekker crankset (Alivio quality is fine) with a 46/36/26 and then just yank off the 46 turning the crank into a 36/26T. You will also need a new bottom bracket too to maintain the new chain line with your new crankset.
Your front derailleur should be able to handle a 36/26T setup no problem and that should give you a GI of roughly 21" to 90" enough for what you are seeking for.

I run a 2x10 setup myself and run perfectly fine and I started exactly with a cross bike and 50/34 cranks. Only difference is mine is a 10 speed and yours is 8 road bike.

Go light and you'll enjoy a spiffy bike rather than a dedicated tank, though a tank has its place too.

10 speed mountain bike derailleurs have a different cable pull than 10 speed road shifters and lower.

I see now. Well Shimano continues to have stupid ideas doesn't it? Nothing quite like leaving wide range touring bikes in the lurch. Road bike rears that can't go low enough and mountain bike derailers that won't work with road shifters. Oh, joy! We get to use Alivio. I'm soooo excited.

Just in case there are any Shimano or Sram lurkers here, we aren't all racers! I don't need a system that is optimized for a 20 something world class racer. How about something for us mere mortals?

Unless you put a Old Man Mountain rear Sherpa rack on the road bike. It's stiff enough to resist torsional side to side vibration compared to most other skewer racks I've have it on my carbon bike, which provides a surprisingly stable ride; albeit faster accelerated feeling compared to a Surly LHT tank. The Axiom Streamliner DLX that was before is now junked as a result.

Wtsgoodtime, how much stuff are you intending on carrying? If it's above 15lbs and you have the money get a new frame and have fun building it up with some of the parts from your old bike or simply get another bike.

Wow... work all day and come back to find a mountain of replies. Thanks everyone. I'll be carrying around 20 pounds likely. I've done practice runs with the bike loaded out, and it felt stable, but I just wasn't happy with the gearing and I know I'd die on extended climbs.

You guys hit all the options and I really appreciate it.

I don't really know, but I ride road bike with50, 34 compact crank, 12-27rear, and I find that adequate for all occasions. I ride sagged. However, loaded touring is different. Wonder if 12,14,16,18,21,24,28,32,36 rear would be acceptable by the OP. I know OP has only 8 cog rear. The bottom cog would yield 25.3 gear inch against 24"minimum required by OP. BTW, I find that road bike is quite light to start with, and bare bike makes a better climber against heavier MTB. If you put just enough pressure on the pedal to keep moving, steep climbs can be tolerated. Don't try to pump watt like you're on Power Tap.

Been there done that! I have over $1200 into a steel frame touring bike, having replaced crankset, derailleurs, using stem shifters, spd pedals, etc. Once you get far enough into it, it is too late to back out. Financially, I would have been WAY better off buying a Surly LHT or a Novara touring bike. The biking industry has seen fit to make mountain bike components incompatible with road bikes. Until this changes, you will always be better off headache-wise to just suck it up and buy a touring specific bike. I did different because I had the moola, time, and desire to accept the challenge.

I think your issues extend beyond gearing that is too tall or "high".

Your bike appears to lack any means of attaching normal racks F or R.

The short chainstays typical of a road bike means only the smallest rear pannier could be fitted to your bike without heel strike.

A trailer would be a better choice for this bike.

If you can afford it, a better solution would be a new touring bike.

I once did light touring, using reflector's holder that locked on to the seat stay to support bottom of a rear rack, and fabricated attachments to hold top end of the light rack to the locking nut of the seat tube ( hope my English explanation is clear). I had light tunnel tent with extra ground sheet, very light sleeping bag with ultra light Thermarest and silk bag liner. I used
[h=3] Lone Peak Sundance Panniers[/h]Never had problem with heel rubbing the panniers. I don't think my total load was over 14lbs. When ever possible, I departed from my group to sleep in motels. No cooking either, but frequent visit to laundromat. Man, I was the frisky pest among my full loaders, tempting them at every hill. Sagged touring is even better. I think there should be a distinction between a touring cyclist and a camping cyclist tourer. If I can have my choice, it would be road bike touring all the way. Sleeping well under covered roof had me bright eyed and bushy tail in the morning. Sorry for my off track rambling, but if the OP rearrange his priorities, he can make his road bike do, with good enjoyment.

OP; The cost estimate here is a bit high...maybe that is LBS pricing. If you have shopping skills you should have no problem finding a decent triple crank on amazon or ebay for $35, new bottom bracket for $8-$20, a wide cogset for $25-$50, a good long cage RD for $25-$35, and the triple shifters or brifters in the $30-$50 range. Worse case that is $200...a lot less than $400. Of course you might consider a used Trek MTB off craigslist for $50-100 and just use it or transplant its parts across to you current bike.... Hope that helps. And there is certainly nothing against just getting a touring specific bike if you have the coin in your pocket /K

Crankset change to a mountain triple will let you run an even smaller 3rd chain ring than 34t.
then the cranks will turn faster than the wheel, Ie, a reduction gear.

but a 1.1 is seeming like you are changing enough parts to be more than you paid for the bike.

Often a sticking point for upgrade budgets..

Cost aside, a rear wheel built around a dual drive hub is another possibility.
the triple crank is instead the 3 speed IGH and the 8 speed cassette, on the outside..
then the chain ring can be one, the middle of a typical triple.

IGH shift at a stop so bogging down on a hill, you can get to the low gear fast.