Based on the feedback here I am leaning now towards an 8-speed and given the incompatibility of a 22T BCD chainring, it may be best to stick with the 24/36/46 chainrings. I just did a quick search and it appears that there is a 13-34 8-speed. I'm not sure how readily available they are or the cost, but I think it's worth looking at. You hit the nail on the head, though, as I am "intrigued" by 7s and have found my 7 perfect for my purposes, excepting I have never toured with it.
On Feb 13, 9:13 pm, dougP <dougpn...@cox.net> wrote: > Joe: > > You mention you don't use the high ones much on your daily commute, > and that's probably typical of most of us. You also mention using > your Atlantis for loaded touring. My Atlantis is the only 8 speed > bike I've owned & I've fooled around with all sorts of cassette > combinations. For loaded touring, I've observed that fairly closely > spaced gearing (2 tooth differences) in the mid-range allows a > forgiving choice of gears and shifts easy. My all time favorite > cluster is the 13-28 7 speed but that's not quite low enough with a > serious load. Adding a 32t or 34t big cog to make an 8 speed takes > care of that issue. And I'm still running the standard 24/36/46 front > rings. > > If you're really intrigued by 7s, and there's lots of people who swear > by it & love it, just get the 13-34 and the spacer, and don't mess > with the chain rings for now. Ride it....a lot. You may find out the > 24 x 34 low is fine for your terrain & loads, and the spacing works > for you. > > All of this stuff is pretty forgiving & easy to change back if > something doesn't work out. If you're friction shifting 9 speed you > won't have any issues with fewer cogs. While un-modified cassettes > may shift better than customs, cogs & spacers can be mixed'n'matched > in surprising ways and still work. Be forwarned this exercise can be > a black hole for time & effort but it's a fun hobby. > > dougP > > On Feb 13, 9:56 am, Joe S <ddlttr...@verizon.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I enjoy checking out the information here daily and have taken > > advantage of it and contributed once or twice in the past. Now I'm > > thinking about making some changes to my Atlantis, so I would like to > > take advantage of the knowledge and experience out there. I've been > > able to find some information here on this topic in the past, but > > thought I would ask again for any new insight/experiences, since this > > will be the first time I've converted cassettes. I like the low gears > > for loaded touring and am finding I don't use the high ones so much > > any more on my daily commute. I still ride an old 7-speed hybrid > > occasionally and think 7 would work even better on the Atlantis. > > > My current setup on my Atlantis is pretty much stock Riv - > > > Campy triple front derailleur > > Sugino XD2 crank 172.5 46/36/24 > > Shimano HG-61 9-speed 12-36 cassette > > Shimano XT hub > > Shimano XT long cage rear derailleur > > Bar end shifters - Shimano Dura Ace in friction mode > > > I would like to go to a 7-speed cassette, 13-34; 46/34/22 chain rings > > > I still have a good, workable - for me - gi range with the setup > > contemplated, but would there be an advantage to going with an 8-speed > > cassette instead? > > > Other questions - > > Will this work without changing derailleurs? > > Would the Silver Shifters work well in this setup? > > Does the hub require a spacer for the 7-speed cassette? Any other > > spacers? > > What about chains for 7-speed?...8-speed? > > Are there any gotcha's anyone can think of in making this work > > smoothly? > > > Thank you, > > Joe -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
