Home General Training Discussions

Cassette on new PT wheel

New power tap wheel is supposed to arrive on Monday.  Wanting to confirm what is probably pretty obvious but here it goes.

From watching a few youtube videos on installing a cassette, I don't think I have the right tools to put a cassette on the new wheel so I will be taking it to a LBS.

is there anything special I need to tell them as to not mess up anything on the new wheel?

Comments

  • nah, nothing special you should need to tell them.

    However, I'd pick up the tools to do it yourself and have them show you. You'll need a casette 'nut', a chain whip tool, and a wrench for the 'nut'. It's pretty easy to do it, just like everything else - practice!
  • Definitely agree with Scott on this one. Buy the tools and have them show you how to do it. Then, you'll be able to swap out your cassettes for the type of rides your doing, whether your doing climbing and need a 12-27 or if your pancake flat and want to throw on an 11-25, etc.
  • x3. That's what I did when I got a powertap, so I could move it from one bike (8 speed) to another (10 speed). Really easy to do once you know how, and then you don't have to depend on a bike shop to do it. Welcome to the world of power!!
  • You will find new freedom in getting the tools and learning how to do this task yourself.  It's not that bad!

  • Soooo easy. Taking a wheel to an LBS to have the cassette changed is like taking a bolt + nut to the hardware store to have them take off the nut. You'll kick yourself when you see what's involved (about zero)

  • Yep...very easy, but I'll give you one tip on something I've hosed in the past. On the back of shimano cassettes is a small ring...goes on first before the largest cog. I transferred cassettes once and left that piece somewhere. That absence of that small ring added a little bit of play to the cassette and impacted shifting. I took it into the LBS and felt like a total noob when the showed me what I had missed.
  • Yep...very easy, but I'll give you one tip on something I've hosed in the past. On the back of shimano cassettes is a small ring...goes on first before the largest cog. I transferred cassettes once and left that piece somewhere. That absence of that small ring added a little bit of play to the cassette and impacted shifting. I took it into the LBS and felt like a total noob when they showed me what I had missed.

  • I could be wrong here... As I recall, the spacer that Paul is referencing is on 10 speed Shimano cassettes. I do not recall there being a spacer on the 9 speed Shimano cassettes and I cannot speak to Campy cassettes.

    That said, Paul is spot on... you do NOT want to lose that spacer! it is easy to overlook, if you don't have an eye out, looking for it. It is quite thin and can easily blend in with the hub body.

    Do not let this frighten you off - installing, removing and exchanging cassettes is VERY easy! As a note, the cassette has splines inside the cogs - there is one spline that is wider than the others. The wide spline needs to go on the wider space of the cassette body - similar to a puzzle. You cannot install the cassette unless the inner splines are lined up with the appropriate spaces on the cogs. Sounds far more complicated than it really is. Have your LBS show you once and you should be good to go!
  • Cassette nut, Chain Whip Tool, Wrench for the nut....I'm feeling empowered already...Thanks
  • Here's the tool I bought. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chain-Whip-Lockring-Tool-Park-Shimano-Disc-2-50-Ship-/200646645354?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb778d66a
    ~$20 all in and it comes with the nut.

    It is very easy. I've changed cassettes 30+ times in the past yr moving them from my training to racing wheels and back and to put on a disk cover, etc.

    x4 on paying attention to the little spacer washer/ring (it is tiny) don't forget it.
    I always use this as an opportunity to clean my cassette. Wiping each chainring with an old rag will remove all the gunk before you put it on the other wheel. Will add a total of 1 minute to the process.

    If you're gonna keep the cassette off for any length of time longer than a half hour or so, simply put a long zip tie through all of the pieces (including the small washer thing) and you won't lose any of the spacers or chain rings.
  • What everyone above said plus

    Be sure you tighten it enough when putting the cassette back on, I've been guilty of riding with a loose cassette on my first try.

    You can search on youtube - probably 100+ videos to show you how.

    You get to use one of the coolest non-power tools of all time - the chain whip

    and yes, don't lose that spacer.

  • One more thing. With a powertap, if you need to temporarily remove the cassette, say to put on a wheel cover, the preferred way is to simply pull the cassette off (see photos below). I did this by accident Cassette came off PT hub as I removed rear wheel in 2010 I called Rich awt WB and he said it was fine, and the preferred way of temporarily removing the cassette to but the wheel cover on.

     



     

    image

     



     

    image


     
  • thanks Cary and John...
  • Tools were purchased and New cassette is put on my new PT Wheel. i did this with minimal issues and only minimal cursing. I am a little embarassed by how long it took me to figure out which way I needed to wrap the chain whip tool, "lefty loosey"and which way to turn the wrench...I was also amazed at how the entire cassette is just stacked together and not even close to one piece. The other thing I learned is How BAD I am at putting my rear wheel back on my bike. I have got to get better at that.





    All in all, I am glad I asked this question and appreciate the responses I got.

  • Nate, take care not to loose that spacer that is shown in Cary's bottom pic. First time mine fell apart, that spacer went somewhere, maybe under the stove, had to get one overnited to put it back together for a race.
  • I also bought a spare freewheel and mounted a cassette to it. That way if i want to change from my 9 speed road bike to my 10 speed tri bike, I don't even need to pull out my tools, I can just swap the whole thing out.
  • @Nate, I wish there was a different design for a chain whip because of the exact issue you mentioned - almost like a pair of widemouth pliers with chain links in the 'jaw'. I still have to try multiple times to get it right.
  • Posted By Scott Alexander on 28 Feb 2012 01:37 PM

    @Nate, I wish there was a different design for a chain whip because of the exact issue you mentioned - almost like a pair of widemouth pliers with chain links in the 'jaw'. I still have to try multiple times to get it right.



    Scott - Here is what I have:  http://www.amazon.com/Pedros-Freehu...mp;sr=1-16 

     

    It is pretty much exactly what you described.

  • DAM! There goes my $100k idea!
Sign In or Register to comment.