# SRAM PG-1050 12-32 or Ultegra CS-6700 12-30 Cassette



## ls1togo (Aug 14, 2009)

I have a Ultegra 6703 triple group...including a GS long cage derailleur and a Dura Ace 12-27 cassette, all of which was adequate for my 65 year old legs when I lived in California. Now I live in Reno, Nevada and have consistently more and steeper climbing during my rides which are generally about 30-35 miles every other day and longer organized rides. In talking to another rider, he suggested that it might be beneficial to swap out the cassette for lower gears...

I've looked at both the Sram and the Shimano and am leading towards the Shimano, thinking that the spacing is not quite as wide in the bigger cogs....

I'll also add a new chain (either a D/A 7801 or a KMC X10sl ) as I'm about ready anyway...

Does anyone have experience with either cassette in a similar environment?.. thoughts, observations, opinions?....


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

shimano triple road derailleurs (according to shimano) will only work w/ a max 28t large cog. it varies from bike to bike depending on the length of the derailleur hanger. you might actually be fine running a 30 on some bikes, but i've never had luck using a 32 w/ any road derailleur, long cage or not. i've posted this a number of times, but let me repeat it again...
long cage derailleurs don't exist so you can use big cassettes. they do one thing, and one thing only. they wrap more chain so you can use a triple chainring crank. they have the same max cog size as a short cage derailleur. 28 teeth. if you want to use a 30t cog, try a 105 5700 derailleur. if you want to go bigger, you need to use a non dyna-sys shimano mtb derailleur. that's right...a '9 speed' derailleur, not the the new '10 speed' mtb stuff. whether or not you need a new(longer) chain depends on how your chain was sized in the first place. i would guess you would need to replace it, but...who knows. 
either cassette will function very well, so choose by the gear ratios you want.


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## DaveT (Feb 12, 2004)

I've successfully used an SRAM 11-32 cassette along with a 6700 rear dérailleur on several bikes but you may not be able to do the same. It depends on your derailleur hanger. That said, as cxwrench recommended the absolute best answer for your needs is to use a 9-speed MTB derailleur. With that you can use up to a 34t cassette, the derailleur will work perfectly with your triple shifters.


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## fenderfan (Nov 25, 2010)

*How did it go*



DaveT said:


> I've successfully used an SRAM 11-32 cassette along with a 6700 rear dérailleur on several bikes but you may not be able to do the same. It depends on your derailleur hanger. That said, as cxwrench recommended the absolute best answer for your needs is to use a 9-speed MTB derailleur. With that you can use up to a 34t cassette, the derailleur will work perfectly with your triple shifters.


You state you were able to get this setup to work contingent upon the hanger. Did you get this to work on any late model Cannondales (i.e. CAAD9)? I am investigating attempting a SRAM 11-32 cassette with my existing 6700 RD and standard gearing and I really want to minimize my costs and hassle.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

fenderfan said:


> You state you were able to get this setup to work contingent upon the hanger. Did you get this to work on any late model Cannondales (i.e. CAAD9)? I am investigating attempting a SRAM 11-32 cassette with my existing 6700 RD and standard gearing and I really want to minimize my costs and hassle.


I have a brand new CAADX Tiagra (10-speed, which is 30T compatible)

but I'm going straight to a SLX (Shadow) 9-speed RD with PG1050 11-32T cassette

so, I'll have a Tiagra 4600 lying around soon (for double/compact crank)


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## DaveT (Feb 12, 2004)

fenderfan said:


> You state you were able to get this setup to work contingent upon the hanger. Did you get this to work on any late model Cannondales (i.e. CAAD9)? I am investigating attempting a SRAM 11-32 cassette with my existing 6700 RD and standard gearing and I really want to minimize my costs and hassle.


I have no experience with a Cannondale. The bikes that I've used my 6700 shifters/32t cassette combo successfully on are a Specialized Roubaix, Time, custom Taylor, custom Milholland and a custom Tsunami. The 6700 rear derailleur has a different geometry than earlier Shimano 10-speed rear der offerings and works well on the bikes that I mentioned.

You want to use a 32t cassette anyway so buy one and try it with your existing components. If it works, you're golden. If not, then you will have to buy a Shimano 9-speed MTB rear derailleur, which is a very common solution to using that large a cassette.

You will have to use a longer chain with the length adjusted to the big/big clearance to be able to have the upper jockey wheel clear the cassette teeth without interference when on the largest cog. Mine clears with the B-screw turn almost all the way in.


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## BTurnquist (Oct 24, 2012)

*32T sram with Ultegra 6600*

I have squeezed a 11-32T sram cassette on my Roubaix with Ultegra 6600 rear Derrailleur running a 46T chain ring and a proper length chain. The local bike shop also does it by mounting a 9 speed XT RD with the 10 front speed shifter. A 10 speed XT will not work with a 10 speed road bike shifter as you only can sue 7-8 of the cassette gears. With the 46 tooth front CR my bike rides and shifts fine in all gears. This really surprised me as everyone said it will not work. Think the 46T was the trick with the 6600 RD.

Hope this helps. With the 46T CR a 11-28 also worked great for many miles, so I assume a 30T would also.

I lost nothing in my top gearing, and gained almost 30% reduction for hills.


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## BTurnquist (Oct 24, 2012)

I also have the calculated ratio changes in Excel but they don't paste well.


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

For 2013, Shimano will have a 105 RD that will mate with the new *12-32 *cassette. 2013 Shimano Road Gear: Disc Brakes, Alfine Di2 | Bicycling Magazine


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

BTurnquist said:


> I have squeezed a 11-32T sram cassette on my Roubaix with Ultegra 6600 rear Derrailleur running a 46T chain ring and a proper length chain. The local bike shop also does it by mounting a 9 speed XT RD with the 10 front speed shifter. A 10 speed XT will not work with a 10 speed road bike shifter as you only can sue 7-8 of the cassette gears. With the 46 tooth front CR my bike rides and shifts fine in all gears. This really surprised me as everyone said it will not work. *Think the 46T was the trick with the 6600 RD.*
> 
> Hope this helps. With the 46T CR a 11-28 also worked great for many miles, so I assume a 30T would also.
> 
> I lost nothing in my top gearing, and gained almost 30% reduction for hills.


the 46 has nothing to do w/ this. it has everything do to w/ the length of your derailleur hanger. if the hanger is on the long side it will work. this is just like people thinking a triple road derailleur will allow the use of a mtb cassette because it has a longer cage. the long cage has NOTHING to do w/ it. neither does your smaller front big ring.


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## BTurnquist (Oct 24, 2012)

cxwrench said:


> the 46 has nothing to do w/ this. it has everything do to w/ the length of your derailleur hanger. if the hanger is on the long side it will work. this is just like people thinking a triple road derailleur will allow the use of a mtb cassette because it has a longer cage. the long cage has NOTHING to do w/ it. neither does your smaller front big ring.


With the 50T ring the cage could not take up the slack in the chain between the 34/11 and the 50/32 variation.


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## red elvis (Sep 9, 2010)

they're almost pretty much the same. i have sram 1090 on my bike and shimano ultegra on my backup and there's really not a lot of difference between the two. If you're riding a lot of climbing you should go with 11-28 and perhaps switch to a compact crankset as well. that's just my 2 cents.


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## BTurnquist (Oct 24, 2012)

I am older at almost 60 yrs old and need the 32 for hills in my area. I have a compact - 46/34 CR. I just posted to help others out if they have the same set-up.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

BTurnquist said:


> With the 50T ring the cage could not take up the slack in the chain between the 34/11 and the 50/32 variation.


that should be obvious from checking the capacity of the derailleur. what i'm saying is that using a 46 ring doesn't make that derailleur work w/ a 32 large cog any better than a 50. a short cage derailleur is not meant to work w/ a cog that big. chain wrap capacity and largest cog capacity are 2 completely different things.


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## BTurnquist (Oct 24, 2012)

I am not saying you are wrong but you are not listening to what I said so I will explain in more detail. To run a 50T CR I need to add a link of chain. If I add a length of chain then the 34/11 will not work because the cage is too short and the chain too long. With the 46T and the right length chain it works on both ends of required chain length with the 6600 cage which has a short throw. It was a compromise to get both the 46/32 and the 34/11 to both work. That's all.


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## fenderfan (Nov 25, 2010)

*Darn!*



Trek2.3 said:


> For 2013, Shimano will have a 105 RD that will mate with the new *12-32 *cassette. 2013 Shimano Road Gear: Disc Brakes, Alfine Di2 | Bicycling Magazine


I just brought an Ultegra 11-28 last night and just read this article this morning. I'm hoping the 2013 Ultegra hits the market soon so I can move to the 11-30 w/ the new derailleur.

Thanks for posting though.


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## lewisl (Nov 15, 2012)

I have Ultegra Sti 10sp levers with an XT 9sp derailleur and an SRAM pg1070 11-32 cassette. It shifts beautifully. do not get the new 10sp Dynoglide derailleur no matter what your lbs says about it. The required cable pull from the shift lever is different and it will not work. The older 9sp has the same cable pull as the 10 sp levers. And a 9sp cassette has the same width as a 10sp, which is why the 9sp derailleur is happy. The rear derailleur "knows" nothing about cog spacing--that is based on the index stops in the STI lever. You do need a 10sp chain, of course. KMC sl10x is the best.


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