I have a Genesis Croix de Fer which I mainly use for commuting but would also like to use for touring. I need a bit more range in the gears and reading around the best option seems to be fitting a long-cage 9 spd Shimano rear derailleur with a 10 spd MTB 11-36 cassette.
As I understand it this a quite a common mod on touring bikes/tandems so I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s done it successfully!
Is it as simple as swapping over the mechs and cassettes and using a longer chain? I have the Shimano SLX M662 Shadow in mind as it can be had quite cheaply these days. Will that work? Does it make a difference that it’s a Shadow mech? Will any 10 spd cassette do or does it have to be one of the new Shimano dyna-sys ones? Likewise will any 10 spd chain be OK?