I’m running a 10speed XT Cassette on a n 11 Speed compatible hub. A spacer ring came with the hub for use with 10 Sp cassettes and that’s fitted, so the cassette is in place and fits fine.

The problem is, I’m running 29+ tyres and if I select my bottom gear, the chain is rubbing off the tyre and I can’t use it. Is there a way I can step the cassette out further using a spacer? I would be happy to forego the 11 or 13 tooth sprocket and just run it as 9 gears just to get access to the biggest sprocket on the cassette.

Is this possible?

Assuming so, is it possible to ditch the 11t cog, or is that needed for the lock ring and the only option would be lose the 13t?

Can you buy such a spacer? I know there’s a range of spacer sizes in a ss hub converter set, but I’m not sure if any of these would be the right size and I cannot find a single sprocket spacer.

Any help gratefully received!

I’d look at the other end of your chainline – what cranks/front rings are you using?

put the loose 13t and its spacer if it has one on first then the rest of the cassette and just adjust the mech to stop at the big sprocket?

ScotRoutes – its a new SLX double, sitting in an EBB. I don’t have an option to space it out further on the DS which is what is needed as I would then lose space to fit the NDS crank. I could slide the EBB out a few mm, but that doesn’t appeal as it would leave the EBB sticking out on one side and sitting inside the BB shell on the other.

CP – I thought about that, but I haven’t taken the cassette off yet to see if either cog would sit in behind the cassette. I’m not sure it would, I think the spider steps in to the cassette and the 13t would foul on the arms of the spider and stop it sitting down at the right height.

Wouldn’t be an issue with narrower tyres and everything would line up fine, but I want to run the 29+ as I am really enjoying them.

Could you deflect the chain with a bionicon style chainguide?

thestabiliser – that’s an interesting one which I hadn’t thought of. Wouldn’t that mess up the chain line at both ends by making some of the lines relatively to the front rings and rear sprockets more acute? Or affect front shifting?

Dunno, never used one. They fit them to all sorts of bikes tho so they can’t be that shift-unfriendly?

thestabiliser – just thought of a reason why a Bionicon type guide wouldn’t work. I’d need one for the upper chain line as well as the lower one. Plus having looked at it, it moves with the chain to preserve the chain line and so it wouldn’t make any difference to the rubbing.

2x set ups on non-Boost 29+/650+ bikes will rub in the lowest gears unless you manage to mess with the chainline somehow. Surly do chainsets to allow this as the Krampus uses a non-Boost back end.

Is your hub a road one? MTB ones don’t have spacers as Shimano type MTB 11/10/9/8 free hubs are all the same width, whereas road 11 is wider than 10.