11 speed chainset and 9 speed cassette - best chain option?

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Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

Putting a 105 r8000 chainset on a 9 speed sora groupset (wanted a power meter on). Wondering if it's best to go for a 9 speed chain or an 11 speed chain for least noise and issues. Don't fancy upgrading whole groupset just yet.

by Weenie


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alcatraz
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Measure the chainring spacing on your old chainset and shim the 11s rings apart to somewhere inbetween (please help confirm).

Use a 10s chain perhaps. It's the closest matching to both chainset and cassette.

You might want to change the rd guide pulley to one with little sideplay (steel ball bearing one). On 105 and lower groups the pulleys use bushings which allow for excessive sideplay. This will cause shifting issues, especially when you narrow the chain.

petromyzon
Posts: 781
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:14 pm

by petromyzon

Match the chain to the cassette and derailleurs. Shouldn't need to fiddle with ring spacing. Chainline has changed slightly with the latest generation of shimano but should work OK.
105 is r7000, Ultegra r8000.

bikeboy1tr
Posts: 1394
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:19 am
Location: Southern Ontario Canada

by bikeboy1tr

I would run the 10 speed chain as I know it will be okay on the 9sp cassette and should be okay on the 11sp rings. I have run 10 sp chain on my 9 sp cassette before and it shifts great if the RD is in good working order. The only thing you have to really watch for set up is the FD as you will need to run it tighter inside and outside the chainrings but thats not a big deal. You might get away with the 11sp chain but the FD should be changed to 11 as well IMO. I am not saying it cant be done if you are handy at derailleur setup but just a little more trickey.
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2lo8
Posts: 551
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:32 am

by 2lo8

Cassettes usually don’t care about narrower chains. That’s why they sell 6/7/8 chains. FDs and chainrings are a bit pickier about chain width. FDs are chapped for a certain with chain, try shifting a 9sp chain with a 7sp FD and it won’t work well. Chainrings need the balance between being wide enough to to land on the teeth and narrow enough not to rub.

Would you use a 9 speed chain on an 10 speed cassette for 1x10? No, so you shouldn’t run it on 2x10 etc. It only kind of works when there are large gaps in tooth counts and the chain has room to move outboard without hitting another cog. The limiting factor of every generation of group sets is engineering a chain narrow enough for +1 cog.

Rules of thumb for what works well enough, other combinations will still work.

FD +-1 spd
Crank +-1 spd
Cassette -0/+2 spd
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Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

Thanks guys, going to test it later today with the 11 speed chain. Basically went from 46/30 9 speed to 50/34 11 speed chainset. Just moved the FD up a little and did a rough job of setting the cable tension so it'd shift rings.

Will see what issues need fixed after riding around on it but indoors it seems alright on the KMC 9 speed chain.

alcatraz
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Can you take a picture of that 46/30 9sp chainset? I'm curious to have a look. :D

Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

No pic at hand right now but it's this:

https://www.singletrackbikes.co.uk/m7b5 ... YMQAvD_BwE

Comes specs'd as standard on Topstone Sora models. If interested I have two sets of them to sell + the cartridge BBs to go with them.

Did a few hours today on my franken groupset and it all seems to work nicely :shock:

No chain drops or shifting issues so quite pleased with it so far.

alcatraz
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Congratulations.

Cool chainset. I knew fsa made adventure cranks but I had no idea the simple one was 8-9sp. Learned something today.

Mudal
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:46 pm

by Mudal

Ooooh thanks for this... I was hoping to get the grx 1x chainset with a view to changing over the other bits later and was wondering if this would work and I think it could as it's similar to your setup

by Weenie


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