12 speed to 9 or 10 speed?

[Barks507]

I'll try to keep this short. Six month old Trek Rail 5 has SRAM 12 speed 11-50 cassette with a Shimano 8 9 10 free hub (according to the tech specs on site). SRAM SX derailleur and shifter. New chain is skipping like crazy. Called bike shop and new cassette is most likely needed. I only use maybe 6 or 7 of the gears. Can I get an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette, maybe Shimano, and use current derailleur if I switch the shifter? Would I need to buy another chain also? Thanks for any help. I really don't understand drive train compatibility yet.

 

[RustyIron]

Your 12 speed chain and chainring will not be compatible with a 9 or 10 speed cassette.

Everything is adjusted properly, right?

All your drivetrain parts wear together. Sometimes a new chain will not run well on a worn cassette or chairing. You might need to replace both.

 

[Waynemarlow]

The perennial problem of not changing your least expensive item in the drive train, the chain early enough. You can get 3 chains to one cassette if you are prepared to change the chain earlier than your wear indicator suggests, if not you end up with a very worn chain and a very worn cassette that skips when fitted with a new chain.

Now that you are at this point you may want to future proof your pocket by changing the gear changer to a 10 spd set up or 11 if you really feel you need all those gears. Middle range steel body set ups such Suntour SRAM and Shimano will incur the weight penalty of 1 pint of beer but you can buy 100 pints with the savings. ?

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You may want to research it but check the pull ratio of the gear change and cassette, I use an 11 spd SRAM derailleur with a Shimano 10 spd Deore shifter with a Suntour 10 spd 11. - 50 cassette with all shifts working as good as middle ranking Shimano or SRAM, the setup is so economical and yet suffices in the U.K. muddy condition.

 

[Barks507]

Your 12 speed chain and chainring will not be compatible with a 9 or 10 speed cassette.

Everything is adjusted properly, right?

All your drivetrain parts wear together. Sometimes a new chain will not run well on a worn cassette or chairing. You might need to replace both.

I would change cassette to 10 speed and get a 10 speed chain. Will 12 speed derailleur work if I change the shifter to 10 speed also?

 

[Waynemarlow]

I would change cassette to 10 speed and get a 10 speed chain. Will 12 speed derailleur work if I change the shifter to 10 speed also?

You will get more on EBay for your 12 speed Derailleur than the cost of a midrange Shimano XT + Shifter if they are available. But do check first with just the shifter as you maybe able to simply use the same Derailleur if it has the same pull ratio.

 

[HarryJune]

I'll try to keep this short. Six month old Trek Rail 5 has SRAM 12 speed 11-50 cassette with a Shimano 8 9 10 free hub (according to the tech specs on site). SRAM SX derailleur and shifter. New chain is skipping like crazy. Called bike shop and new cassette is most likely needed. I only use maybe 6 or 7 of the gears. Can I get an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette, maybe Shimano, and use current derailleur if I switch the shifter? Would I need to buy another chain also? Thanks for any help. I really don't understand drive train compatibility yet.

How many miles have you done in the six months?

 

[Barks507]

How many miles have you done in the six months?

I'm estimating around 1500km. Motor was replaced 550km ago.

 

[RickBullotta]

I'll try to keep this short. Six month old Trek Rail 5 has SRAM 12 speed 11-50 cassette with a Shimano 8 9 10 free hub (according to the tech specs on site). SRAM SX derailleur and shifter. New chain is skipping like crazy. Called bike shop and new cassette is most likely needed. I only use maybe 6 or 7 of the gears. Can I get an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette, maybe Shimano, and use current derailleur if I switch the shifter? Would I need to buy another chain also? Thanks for any help. I really don't understand drive train compatibility yet.

You need a new bike shop more than you need a new cassette, most likely. Modern cassettes should last a LOOOOOOONG time unless they are physically bent/damaged. Is the chain the correct chain? Installed in the proper direction? Derailleur alignment and gap correct? All those things should be checked before replacing an expensive cassette.

 

[Gyro]

I've just received 2x 10 Microshift AdventX speed drivetrains by courier today, partly due to the short lifespan of a 11-48 EX-1.
I'm on my 4th cassette and 5th derailleur and 2nd shifter. Cost of this is killing me also plus factor in lack of availability.
My reasoning being 10 speed chains are more robust than 11-12 speeds, and constantly shifting through multiple gears with that number cogs when a tap of the power setting can get my thru for most times.
Downside being the wear is shared over fewer cogs, I've gone 2 teeth larger on the chainring to favour the bigger cogs and rotate 2 chains.

 

[aarfeldt]

"downgrading" to 10 gears makes much sense.
E-bikes should never be built with with more...but they just follow the trend.

Currently I'm on a 10 speed Shimano 11-36 SLX casette, 10 speed Shimano SLX chain, 10 speed Saint derailuer and 10 speed Saint shifter.
Casette is like 30 pounds and chain is about 15 pounds.
I use 3 chains and shift between them every 50 miles.
This is a very robust and cheap setup, and 11-36 casette is really enough for my climbing.

 

[Olof Bike Adventures]

"downgrading" to 10 gears makes much sense.
E-bikes should never be built with with more...but they just follow the trend.

Currently I'm on a 10 speed Shimano 11-36 SLX casette, 10 speed Shimano SLX chain, 10 speed Saint derailuer and 10 speed Saint shifter.
Casette is like 30 pounds and chain is about 15 pounds.
I use 3 chains and shift between them every 50 miles.
This is a vary robust and cheap setup, and 11-36 casette is really enough for my climbing.

Fully agree, 10 speeds to deal with a range from 0 to only 25 km/h is more than enough. Even 10 speed Deore group sets work absolutely fine.

 

[Aikone]

I’ll be switching the commuter to XT Linkglide for the durability once it’s available, going to go for the 11-50 12s, I’m running 40t on the front so I doubt I’ll miss the 10t sprocket on my current XT 10-45 12 speed.

 

[Old Mike]

You need a new bike shop more than you need a new cassette, most likely. Modern cassettes should last a LOOOOOOONG time unless they are physically bent/damaged. Is the chain the correct chain? Installed in the proper direction? Derailleur alignment and gap correct? All those things should be checked before replacing an expensive cassette.

Yeah. I got conned into changing a 100 quid cassette after about 800 miles during a service. It seemed fine to me.

The whole service was a con, ive never gone back there again.

 

[Ymersmoelf]

Seems like Link-glide availability is next summer?!?

 

[aarfeldt]

Seems like Link-glide availability is next summer?!?

Just in time to use on Forestal Siryon bike

 

[Gary]

10 speeds to deal with a range from 0 to only 25 km/h is more than enough

TBF a low geared single speed drivetrain would be more than enough if you're going to impose a 25kmh pedalling limit on your riding.

 

[Olof Bike Adventures]

TBF a low geared single speed drivetrain would be more than enough if you're going to impose a 25kmh pedalling limit on your riding.

I think you are on to a trend. Single speed eMTBs! Prepare to encounter an avalanche of hipsters on eMTBs next time you are out on the trails!

 

[Ymersmoelf]

Just in time to use on Forestal Siryon bike

And cold fusion to be a thing

 

[Cory S]

I’ll take my 11-50 12spd over 9/10spd any day, even with assist if needed.

 

[The Flying Dutchman]

In my experience, mo gears = mo problems

 

[Cory S]

In my experience, mo gears = mo problems

That’s why we went from 21speed MTB’s to 12 ?.