Road Bike upgrade better climbing gears

[RShea]

So have an rim brake (so a bit older) road bike that came with all 10 speed 105 components for sbrifters, front derailleur, and it had a short cage 105 rear derailleur. The front sprockets are 50/34. The rear cassette was 12-28... I wanted to get a bigger rear cassette, so I picked up a Shimano RD600 that would allow a better climbing gear ratio. So I'd like to get a large inside cassette gear. I purchased a Shimano RD6600 long cage rear derailleur, but did not realize it still is only rated for a 28 onthe back, and many reporting that you should be able to push it to 30 or maybe 32 cassette... I also got a 11-34 rear cassette and spun it on. It barely gets up on the 34. It is very noisy though so while a 32 may work, not sure there is a rear road derailleur that will go to 34 (mountain bike derailleurs, yes) So someone mentioned Goat link adapters. Anyone have experience with the Wolf Tooth Components RoadLink?


I ordered one and going to give it a try and see if it will allow the added clearance...

[Dee Hubbs]

Problem is your shifters have a specific 10 speed road pull ratio. You can only use a derailleur that matches that pull ratio. No 10 speed road derailleurs will cover a 34t cassette. Dont be fooled by 10 speed Tiagra 4700, that uses an 11 speed pull ratio for their 10s versions. Same with the 10 speed GRX stuff. BUT old 7-8-9 speed MTB derailleurs have the same pull ratios as 10 speed road. Try an old 10s Deore or old 10s XT long rated for a 36t cassette. (long cage and short cage are both 36t, the long cage is just better/needed for the 2x up front). Bikes are stupid with their lack of compatibility.

[mntlion]

you MIGHT get a 9 or 10 speed mnt bike rear der to work with a 10 speed road shifter (I have in the past)

Worth trying a goat link and see if that helps, but odds are the above solution is better?

[RShea]

Problem is your shifters have a specific 10 speed road pull ratio. You can only use a derailleur that matches that pull ratio. No 10 speed road derailleurs will cover a 34t cassette. Dont be fooled by 10 speed Tiagra 4700, that uses an 11 speed pull ratio for their 10s versions. Same with the 10 speed GRX stuff. BUT old 7-8-9 speed MTB derailleurs have the same pull ratios as 10 speed road. Try an old 10s Deore or old 10s XT long rated for a 36t cassette. (long cage and short cage are both 36t, the long cage is just better/needed for the 2x up front). Bikes are stupid with their lack of compatibility.

I believe the pull ratio is just fine. It is a used RD6600 model, not any of the new 10 speeds sold these days. It works with outer 9 gears very smoothly. The 10th is very close to the cassette gear clearance, and after some B limit adjustment it does as I state go up onto it with the front of course on the small chain ring. I may try and shoot a few photos (and tapatalk or link to them on another site since the well know forum issues.)

[Dee Hubbs]

Sorry, my post was not clear. Your derailleur is fine with your shifter. I was trying to say is that you wot find or that they dont make any 34t capable derailleurs with your shifters specific pull rations. Unless you go with a 9 speed MTB derailleur.

[Full Trucker]

First, I'd definitely defer to Dee Hubbs on the intricacies of shifter / derailer compatibility, especially roadie stuff. He knows his shit.

To address your specific question does "Anyone have experience with the Wolf Tooth Components RoadLink?" I can say that I do. I put a Goatlink 11-speed version on my gravel bike and it's working fantastically well. Bike is a single ring Shimano GRX setup with RX-810 levers and a RX812 derailer. When I got the bike it had a 42T Shimano front ring and a Sunrace MS8 11-42 cassette. Best shifting bike I owned, hands down. Such a light touch, flawless shifting. But that gearing was a little stout for my weak ass and Colorado riding, plus we were heading to Columbia for a week at altitude on even steeper terrain. Enter the Goatlink, a 38T Wolf Tooth elliptical front ring, and a massive 11-50T SunRace cassette. Went XTR for the chain at my mechanic's suggestion, and while it doesn't shift quite as well as it did before (like 3% less good) it's still the best shifting bike I own. Great success. 10 out of 10 would bang again. Highly recommend. YMMV may not work for your use case objects in mirror are larger than they appear, etc.

For uploading and hosting images to post here, I've been using Post Image (https://postimages.org/) with great success. Easy to use, no login required, gives you the BBcode to copypasta into a forum.

[coldfeet]

https://bike.bikegremlin.com/1278/bi...mpatibility/#1

I'm going to say almost what Dee Hubbs said, but a little different:
You need an older MTB derailleur. That will have the combo of large-cog-capability, long cage to take up chain slack, and compatibility with your shifter cable pull.

Shimano road and MTB shifters and derailleurs almost all had the same cable pull ratio for 6 through 9 speeds. (The exception is Dura Ace road in very old 6-8 speed=, which you don't need to worry about.) The road shifters and derailleurs kept the same for 10 speed (except I guess Tiagra, perhaps because it came later, but you don't have that). However the 10sp MTB changed.

You have a 10sp 105 road shifter, luckily. That means you need a big ole MTB derailleur from the 6-9 speed era. I doubt these are still made, but there are roughly a zillion in circulation.

[RShea]

So got back on this. Had ordered the Wolf Tooth online and it was lost in shipping. Finally got one at a local bike shop yesterday. Promised before Photos and now after. May need to check chain length and slight adjustment for the back derailleur. Hopefully tomorrow. First 2 are without the Road link.

Second 2 are after Roadlink was installed. Sent from my moto g stylus 5G - 2024 using Tapatalk

[Elkhound Odin]

Sounds like you should have converted to a triple chain ring up front instead of rigging incompatible rear components.

[RShea]

So have an rim brake (so a bit older) road bike that came with all 10 speed 105 components for sbrifters, front derailleur, and it had a short cage 105 rear derailleur. The front sprockets are 50/34. The rear cassette was 12-28... I wanted to get a bigger rear cassette, so I picked up a Shimano RD600 that would allow a better climbing gear ratio. So I'd like to get a large inside cassette gear. I purchased a Shimano RD6600 long cage rear derailleur, but did not realize it still is only rated for a 28 onthe back, and many reporting that you should be able to push it to 30 or maybe 32 cassette... I also got a 11-34 rear cassette and spun it on. It barely gets up on the 34. It is very noisy though so while a 32 may work, not sure there is a rear road derailleur that will go to 34 (mountain bike derailleurs, yes) So someone mentioned Goat link adapters. Anyone have experience with the Wolf Tooth Components RoadLink? I ordered one and going to give it a try and see if it will allow the added clearance...

Maybe, but harder to find 3x10 setup (lots of 3x9 including 2 other bikes I have with that setup...)
I finished the setup and took some more links out of the chain (figured I'd have to do that, but wanted to wait... Will have it out on a ride soon, just did a test ride down to a neighboring place...