IRD 8-speed [13-40] Wide Range Cassette

[jandrews_nyc]

Greetings, 

Curious if anyone here has any experience using this cassette.

I'm currently using the 12-34 version, which is pleasantly spaced like this:  [12-13-15-18-21-24-28-34].  The jumps go 1,2,3,3,3,4,6.

I'm interested in the 13-40 version, with has some odd-sounding spacing..  . [13-15-17-21-25-28-34-40].  The jumps go 2,2,4,4,3,6,6.

I am happy the 8-speed setup on my SH and I don't really want to replace a bunch of parts.  I think I can swap out that cassette and maybe add a RoadLink and be good to go.

Hoping to hear some direct user experience before purchasing.

Thanks

Jason

http://www.interlocracing.com/cassettes-freewheels/8-speed-elite-road-cassette-shimano-compatible

[phil k]

If you like to keep your cadence going up hills, I would try the 9 speed or even the 10 speed made by Sunrace.

I had the IRD 8 speed wide low cassette for help with climbing. However, it didn't help as when I'd go uphill, I would lose cadence because of the spacing, Climbing got more miserable with the IRD 8 speed wide low. I enjoyed my 1x9 with 12-36 cassette.

I am currently running 1x10 and like it even better. I use friction down tube 11 speed Dia Compe shifters

[jandrews]

Thanks Phil

I'm glad to hear first hand experience. 

I don't typically ride in a manner where I'm trying to keep a constant cadence...I feel like I can make adjustments when approaching a climb.  Your feedback is very helpful nonetheless.

I does make me curious what others may think is the ideal spacing between cogs when climbing and shifting down while attempting to maintain a somewhat constant cadence.

Also, if I go to a 10 speed Sunrace (or other) I'd at least have to get a new chain and potentially derailleur ..so getting a few more teeth in the back might not be worth it to me.

Love the idea of gaining a 40 low end and keeping everything else the same.

Jason

[dougP]

"I does make me curious what others may think is the ideal spacing between cogs when climbing and shifting down while attempting to maintain a somewhat constant cadence."

I've never run more than 8 (and always a triple), so pretty far behind current thinking.  For general use & touring, 2 tooth jumps between the smallest cogs, going to 3 in the middle & 4 for the last couple shifts well and doesn't feel like stepping into a hole.  12-14-26-28-21-24-28-32 (or 34) meets my needs.  I was cautious about the 28 to 34 being too big but it shifts well and actually feels like a good change.  Sometimes the 28 to 32 doesn't feel like much of a change.  Chainrings are 24-34-44, with 700 x 40 tires. 

dougP

[Patrick Moore]

I have to say that I sit on both extremes of the cadence spectrum, since (a) most of my riding on pavement is fixed gear, and (b) I hate shifting only to find that the gear I've shifted to is not exactly the one I wanted. (But I'm someone who does obsess about gear ratios for fixed gear drivetrains.)

For multiple gear systems, I prefer to give up high and low ends in order to get 1 tooth jumps between gears in the cruising range. One of my nicest gearing systems, back when I rode derailleurs on road, was a "pseudo-half-step" with very closely spaced 48/45 or 47/44 rings and a 7 speed cassette that was something like (forget exactnesses) this:

	48	45
12	99
13	91	86
15	79	74
17	70	66
19	63	59
22	54	51
30		37

Most of my riding was on the 17 t cog, and, with Kelly Take-Offs, I could ride comfortably on hoods and in hooks and simply flick the left lever back and forth for 9/10 of my riding; perfect indexing. The 12 and 30 were used only with the outer and inner rings, respectively.

More recently, I've got this on my Matthews "road bike for dirt, with 29.5" actual Big Ones for riding in our ABQ, NM bosque sand:

	42	28
14	89
15	83
16	77
17	73
18	69	46
19	65	43
20	62	41
22	56	38
24	52	34
28	44	30

The ratios are perfect for my riding, which is along the acequia roads and trails paralleling the n/s, flat terrain, Rio Grande, whose surfaces are composed largely of old river silt. But since any ride is at least partly pavement, I like the close ratios that allow me just about exactly the right gear for anything I am likely to encounter on my pavement/dirt routes; note that all this is also relative to my preference for a high-ish gear, low-cadence, high-torque pedaling style.

But then, even with these systems, I probably shift less than most riders.

On Thu, Apr 5, 2018 at 10:00 AM, jandrews <jasonas...@gmail.com> wrote:

[...]

[Jim Bronson]

When choosing a wide range casette - I would look at percentage jumps rather than tooth jumps.  The 17 to 21 jump sounds like a pretty big one, percentage wise speaking.  A 4 tooth jump is much larger in the higher gears than the lower gears, percentage wise.  $0.02 and YMMV.

I also echo the thoughts of others to go more speeds if you're going wider.  I switched to 10 speed, using SRAM 12-32 currently with a 44-28 wide low double.  That seems to be a good compromise for me.

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[Bill Lindsay]

Back to the OP.  What problem are you looking to solve by getting a new cassette?  What are you running up front? 

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA

[Steve Palincsar]

On 04/05/2018 12:38 PM, dougP wrote:
> "I does make me curious what others may think is the ideal spacing
> between cogs when climbing and shifting down while attempting to
> maintain a somewhat constant cadence."

That sure depends a lot on the terrain, how much and how fast it
changes, and how much you and your load weigh.    I like 1-tooth
differences up at the top end, 2-tooth in the middle going to 3 for the
last few on most of my bikes, but there are a couple that seem happier
with spacing more like

>
> I've never run more than 8 (and always a triple), so pretty far behind
> current thinking.  For general use & touring, 2 tooth jumps between
> the smallest cogs, going to 3 in the middle & 4 for the last couple
> shifts well and doesn't feel like stepping into a hole. 
> 12-14-26-28-21-24-28-32 (or 34) meets my needs.

I'll bet you mean 12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32.  I have a customized version
of that cassette (substituting a 1st position 13 for the 12) on my Jack
Taylor, where it works very nicely.

> I was cautious about the 28 to 34 being too big but it shifts well and
> actually feels like a good change.  Sometimes the 28 to 32 doesn't
> feel like much of a change.  Chainrings are 24-34-44, with 700 x 40
> tires.
>

It feels fine to me, but then most of mine have 3-tooth steps at the low
gear end.  And, as it happens, 36x32 is just fine for most of the steep
terrain where I ride.  I have a 24T granny ring, but only get to use it
maybe once a month or so.


--
Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia
USA

[dougP]

"I'll bet you mean 12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32."

You win that bet.  Thanks for correction.  Foiled again by fumbling fat fingers.

dougP

[jandrews]

Thanks for all the information..

To answer Bills' question , I'm really just trying to maximize range while keeping the quasi-single chainring up front.  I believe I could achieve what I need with just getting a smaller chainring but I do find myself in the 40/12 often and I don't want to totally give up on a high gear.

The advice to look at % difference between jumps in gear-inches is helpful.  I'm now leaning towards a 10 speed Sunrace 11-40 and keeping all shifting pieces ..just means I'lll need to keep it friction.

I do live in a somewhat mountainous region (I know the Catskills are more like hills to some of you) and load my bike up pretty often ...and I also know that I can achieve what I need with a triple which I've been happy with all these years.  I'm just excited to figure out a system where I have a wide low double in the front without a front-derailleur where I'm in the Middle position of a 110/74 triple crankset 90% of the time and have a wide gearing range in the back that will keep me moving most of the time.

Thank you