To 11 or not

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logy
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:30 pm

by logy

Hi all. Should I upgrade from sram red 10 to 11? Is it worth the cost? Thoughts?

Thanks

Logy

by Weenie


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Rick
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:30 pm

by Rick

Well, it is not just the cost of the group, it is also the cost of wheels.
So, for me, no. Not at this time.
But if I gradually upgraded to components/wheels that were 10 and 11 compatible, I would eventually like to have that extra gear.

For example, I am already running 11 speed cranks with 10 speeds, and one 11 speed rear derailleur, and they work fine. I suppose the front derailleurs must also be 11 speed compatible (as with most other components but the shifters) .

Also, I don't really see the lack of one gear as limiting me. It is my fat ass and lack of power.

wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

If you've got the final generation of Red 10sp then maybe not so much.

Shimano 11sp are much improved shifting groups from Shimano 10sp, just like when Campag changed. SRAM pretty much just added an extra cog.

eric
Posts: 2196
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:47 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA
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by eric

What's keeping me back besides the expense is I want an 11-30 cassette for my favorite stupid hard climbing races. And it has to be light and have the ratios biased for the climbing gears. I've been using a custom ti 11-30 from Cycle Dynamics which has 2 tooth gaps from 11 to 27. The 11-13 shift is a bitch but the descents are all fast so it's put it in the 11 and leave it.
Cycle Dynamics no longer makes cassettes. I got the parts to make a similar 10s cassette from an 11-25 DA and 27,30 cogs on a spider from IRD but have not tried this frankencassette yet. If it works I wonder if I can use the 27,30 10sp spider with parts from an 11sp 11-25- only one gear jump would be at the wider 10sp spacing.

Yes I know I should cross-post to gearingweenies.

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Getter
Posts: 848
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:30 am
Location: So Cal

by Getter

No need to have that extra gear in the back. Plus I'd have to swap the freehub and re dish the wheel.

Its a new build thing for me.

jimborello
Posts: 283
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 5:07 am

by jimborello

Of course is worth it, the more options the better, and if you could switch to campag it would be even better ja

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F45
Posts: 1077
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:08 am

by F45

For SRAM? Not worth it. Plus, those cassettes are super expensive.

Denavelo
Posts: 437
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:01 pm

by Denavelo

If you're running 7900 then going up to 9000 is a huge improvement.
SRAM not so much. I run Campy so I've ben 11s for quite some time.
Wheels are the only drawback to going 11s. Hub companies are charging way too much for 11s upgrades.
Lucky for me, Campy compatible hubs have adequate spacing for 11s. I run Tune hubs, and they've been 11s spaced dating back a couple of hub models.
Rob English "Mudfoot" 29er | Focus Izalco Max | Firefly #194 Stainless XCR | Firefly #277 | Neilpryde Bura SL 11.9 | Crust Evasion Lite

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FIJIGabe
Posts: 2241
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:07 pm
Location: The Lone Star State

by FIJIGabe

Here's my impression: it entirely depends on your riding style and conditions. On my TT bike, I have no interest in running 11-speed. My 10-speed 11-23 cassette can pretty much handle any situation I throw at it. However, on my road bike, I can tell you that the extra cog is very helpful.

Slowtwitch recently had an article on 11-speed. The crux of it is that the added cog added more versatility to your cassettes.http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Cassette_Evolution_4171.html I can tell you that this is true. Personally, I used to run a 12-25 cassette for flat riding, and an 11-28 for hillier rides. The 12-25 gave me a narrow range of gears with minimal spacing, so no big cadence drop-offs, whereas the 11-28 had huge gaps, but I used it solely for climbing. When I went from 10-speed to 11-speed, particularly when using the 11-28 cassette I have for climbing, the gaps are much smaller, the cassette acts like an 11-25 cassette, with a 28T gear added to the end. I get to have my cake (relatively narrow gearing in the lower part of the cassette) and eat it, too (a 28T for serious hills). The only drawback in my case is the weight penalty.

As for the wheels, many are upgradeable for a small cost. Reynolds sells new freehubs for less than $100; same goes for DT Swiss (I changed over the DT240 freehub on my TT bike's wheels to the 11-speed version, in case I have to use those wheels on my road bike). Of course, if you want to start the upgrade process on wheels that can't be upgraded to 11-speed Shimano/SRAM, you can always use a Campag freehub/cassette combo, which has been discussed on other threads. You can also run the 11-speed cassette minus one of the gears, as has also been discussed.

project3
Posts: 209
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:18 am

by project3

i have upgraded by mtb from 9 to 10 speeds. Not noticeable during the ride. If you have a few wheels you also need to consider about the cassette body and the availability.

beanbiken
Posts: 828
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:13 pm
Location: Great Southern Land

by beanbiken

I happened to crack a rim on a monster pot hole and due to my type of insurance cover they replaced the full wheel........with an 11 speed one naturally. That having been done I went from DA 7900 to 9000 mechanical as as has been previously stated the shift quality is a huge improvement and the extra cog is just a bonus.

Steve.
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HillRPete
Posts: 2284
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:08 am
Location: Pedal Square

by HillRPete

I've also been thinking a 10sp 11-30 would be sweet, as the 12-30 spins out quickly with a 50t chainring. Anyway now I'm thinking of just getting an 11-32 for the hardest climbs (Alps), the upside of that would being able to run a 52/35 or 52/36 front, and be able to rip the descents apart. Tight spacing is not a huge concern for me, the better my shape is, the bigger cadence spectrum i have available.

by Weenie


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