New Gearing?

[Doofus]

If I want to get a higher top gear, is there any practical difference between swapping the casette and swapping the chainring?

I have a 42T chainring and a 11-36 10 speed cassette.

I can swap the chainring to a 44, to take my top ratio from 3.8 to 4, and the bottom from 1.1 to 1.2, or I could swap the cassette for a 10-36, taking top to 4.2 and leaving bottom at 1.1

I know which is easiest to do, but is there any practical difference between the two? Is one 'recommended', and the other 'frowned upon'?

[Magic919]

I'd probably replace a cassette as it's harder to grow a chain.

[Doofus]

I'd probably replace the chain anyway

[Dannbodge]

First thing would to check if those chain ring/cassette sizes actually exist.

[Doofus]

Dannbodge said:

First thing would to check if those chain ring/cassette sizes actually exist.

They do.

[yellowjack]

Would you not need a new freehub body to go from a cassette with an 11t small ring to one with a 10t ring?

[Doofus]

yellowjack said:

Would you not need a new freehub body to go from a cassette with an 11t small ring to one with a 10t ring?

No idea. I'm intending to swap the front ring because it's a straight swap (plus chain, possibly), unless somebody tells me that's a bad idea because of something i don't understand.

Changing the cassette gives me more flexibility, but I don't use all 10 gears anyway; the low is ok, but I could do with spinning a bit less at the top end. A bigger front ring will sort the ratios, unless it'll cause something else to stop working.

I can't think of anything, but it's always best to ask the experts first. I don't know any of them, so I thought PH was the next best thing

[Gren]

I'd be swapping the front ring. Much easier to swap in and out if you do want to alternate between the two.

A 10T on the back might also, as already mentioned, mean a new freehub. Not sure all wheels can cope?

[Doofus]

Gren said:

I'd be swapping the front ring. Much easier to swap in and out if you do want to alternate between the two.

A 10T on the back might also, as already mentioned, mean a new freehub. Not sure all wheels can cope?

That was the plan. One endorsement is all I need. Thanks.

[neenaw]

Gren said:

I'd be swapping the front ring. Much easier to swap in and out if you do want to alternate between the two.

A 10T on the back might also, as already mentioned, mean a new freehub. Not sure all wheels can cope?

I'd agree with this. It's a 5 minute job switching chain rings and I've found that I can use the same chain on either a 38t or 42t chainring without having to worry about chain lengths.
I've just got hold of a 50t single ring for the bike to try which will need a longer chain but it takes nothing to swap the chain over as well so no real hardship.

One thing I'd suggest if you're going to be switching back and forwards between chainrings would be to get some decent quality chainring bolts as the cheap alloy ones round off easily which can be a pain.

[Doofus]

neenaw said:

One thing I'd suggest if you're going to be switching back and forwards between chainrings would be to get some decent quality chainring bolts as the cheap alloy ones round off easily which can be a pain.

Thank you. I think I'll buy some new bolts at the same time. I don't intend to swap the rings backwards and forwards, I just want a higher top gear, and given the riding I do, I can cope with a slightly higher bottom as a compromise.

It's going to be a compromise, because I'll only be going from 3.8 to 4.0 at the top, so still not as long as I could handle, but this is for riding in town, rather than long distances, so hopefully it'll be enough.