I finally upgraded my commuter bike from 10 to 11 speed. Finally all my road bikes are now harmonised at 11 speed just in time for the rest of the world to migrate to 12 speed - yay.
I used an Ultegra RX rear mech, I thought the clutch and ability to take larger cassettes would be useful. Although technically it's a road bike 33mm tyres do squeeze onto it and do sometimes use it for CX races.
However, I am finding it causes problems with installing/removing the rear wheel. I'm used to just shifting into the smallest sprocket, rotating the mech with one hand and pulling the wheel out vertically with the other hand, it's a QR bike. However, I am finding that impossible with the larger mech because the cassette snags on the top jockey wheel when being pulled down. So I have to get my hands dirty manipulating the chain, swearing etc.
Am I missing a trick for dealing with these larger mechs? Or is this just something I have to live with by mulletising the bike?
Are you turning the clutch off when you do the above? Should make the mech / cage move out of the way more easily when the cassette is pushed against the chain.
I have the same mech with the XT 11-40 cassette and a QR wheel. I can't say I've noticed any problems.
Yes clutch off.
I think the issue is limited tyre clearance, wheel can't move forward enough to get the cassette past the jockey wheel.
I only ever take my wheel off in a stand but I have to pull the derailleur down and back. I put the chain on the lowest cog, stand behind the bike hold the wheel and then grab the cage near the bottom jockey and pull it towards me and down. Wheel then drops out. I do need to manoeuvre it past the lower part of the chain to stop it catching there but it comes off easy enough. Putting it back in is just the same, pull the mech back and down, insert wheel.
Yeah, actually, the issue isn't so much the size of the mech but that the design of the extended link hanger limits how far the mech can be rotated backwards. It could perhaps be alleviated by filing back the stops.