Sunrace 9 spd 11-40 breathing life back into 9 speed group set on a 27.5 heckler

Just built up a SantaCruz Heckler I got off ebay as my Winter Bike

As i like to spin up steep hills I pulled the 1x drive chain off it , and fitted my old 9 speed XTR Dual Control group set

Only problem with that was the 11-34 made heading up steep hills quite an effort

So I fitted a Sunrace 11-40 9 speed with a goat link – and headed out for a ride in mud / snow , and slush today and it worked great in combination with a 32 / 22 chainset

Messaged you cheers.

A 22/34 bottom gear wasn’t low enough…? Seriously…?

“Seriously…?”

Yes – i prefer to ride up all hills rather than pushing , my mates are often pushing their 1x rigs up steep techy hills while i spin up em, faster than them pushing

Stick with what suits you.

That rear mudguard though??

I’d assumed that was some sort of spoiler 🤔

Hmmm…. I’m building up a frame that came with 9spd stuff.

Might give the sunrace 11-40 a go on a 1x setup. Already got a cheap Chinese “goatlink” copy in the toolbox.

scotroutes

Member
Stick with what suits you.

That rear mudguard though??

Yep, minging.

Does it matter if it functions?😏

My Slx rear mech doesn’t need a goat link, just wind the b tension stew in all the way.

The XTR m960 cage definitely needed goatgoat  otherwise the jockey wheels were not clearing the 40 tooth ring

Regards mudguard id rather have  a nice clean dry arse, rather than being a fashion victim with a cold muddy wet arse – or have to buy water proof shorts to support mud guard functionality denial…

See I find these threads very upsetting. I have a bike with 22×34 as the lowest gear and I really like a low bottom gear. But when I buy a new bike it’ll probably have to have a higher bottom gear. So I kid myself that I don’t really need a low bottom gear. Then this comes along and confirms what I already know. Low bottom gears are very useful.

If you go Eagle next time you can get a 32t chain ring and enjoy the same low gearing you are used to but have lots more at the other end too. Even 46t on the XT 11 speed is close. No need to fear the future! 😉

If you go Eagle next time you can get a 32t chain ring and enjoy the same low gearing you are used to but have lots more at the other end too. Even 46t on the XT 11 speed is close. No need to fear the future! 😉

That is a good point. Although it will have larger wheels so maybe a 30 will be needed but that really wouldn’t be a problem. The exploding Eagle chain thread didn’t help my mood.

Also, while being mindful that ‘MTFU’ often isn’t the best advice as knee damage can make a mess of the rest of your cycling life, there’s a big difference between simply not wanting to push a harder gear and out and out grinding. I think most riders (who aren’t sufferfest junkies) would default to an easier life on an easier gear if it was available, whether they need it or not. I know I was worried about losing my 26×34 bottom end when I went 1x but it turned out I simply using it as a crutch rather than actually needing it. Doing some rides actively avoiding shifting down too far is probably the best way to assess this for yourself. Plus, spinning out due to having too low a gear and breaking traction can be a real problem in low grip conditions.

These days when the 11-36 cassette is no longer the limit and 42-50 are commonplace at reasonable weights (although there are cheaper, heavier choices too) there’s a 1x to suit most peoples’ climbing needs and pockets. Whether it also suits their flat out fast needs is different matter though, and the compromises balancing the two ends are where it tends to fall apart for some.

Obviously, doubles and triples do still exist even though frame choice to use them is now restricted for general MTB frames, but I can’t see the manufacturers of touring, tandem and bike packer type frames where they’re really useful designing them out.

“Low bottom gears are very useful.”

Totally agree with you , rode 21 hilly miles in snow / slush and mud at surrey hills and having a nice easy gear made the ride fun – rather than a suffer fest –   I only spun out out once and had to push once and that was due to ice on a very steep section no way i would have got up the last hill with out my 22×40 with those 27.5 wheels if i’d still been running 11-32 cassette

Plus when I head out of a 3 week bike trip to places like Colorado and i’m doing 21 days of back to back riding at altitudes up to 12500 ft I need a mega low gear to be able to ride as much as possible without exhausting myself

Its going to be a right bugger when I run out of bikes which can take a front mech…

Interesting report thanks. I’ve a 9 speed Sunrace as described in the spares box ready when I wear out my 34/36s.

9 speed is perfectly functional still. No real need to go to 11 / 12 speed stuff.

Hopefully the wide (and wider still) range 9 speed cassettes will become more readily available as I think I ordered mine direct from China via Fleabay :-/

good to see a heckler in use.

Just ordered a cassette and link – says it’s UK warehoused. If this works OK it’d be a real plus to resurrect another old 26″ frame I have, as I have plenty of 9 speed stuff knocking about.

I ordered an 11 speed sunrace from the eBay seller above and it did indeed ship from the UK.

Wouldn’t 11-40T be really gappy? As in, massive gaps between gears?

“Wouldn’t 11-40T be really gappy? As in, massive gaps between gears?”

Its only the top 2 gears with the big gaps – and to be honest by the time your using those gears its more about wanting to get up a steep hill rather than wanting to change gears rapidly

I’m just happy to be able to carry on using my old 9 speed stuff with the larger 27.5″ wheels

The cassette also weighs a lot less than the only shimano option for a larger 9 speed cassette  i.e. the deore 11-36 boat anchor – which also wrecks cassettes as its made up of individual rings.

Ridden 42 miles so far still and still shifting ok with a old xtr m960 rear mech

Just about to buy the same 9 spd cassette I think. Already got a goat link copy the same as the one the company supply with the cassette as an extra.

Trouble is….. I can’t bloody find my 9 speed deore mech! If I can’t find that I may well just go with their 10spd cassette and buy a cheap rear beech and shifter.

Annoying… How can you lose a mech!? Ffs! Lol

When 9 speed came along it was to eliminate some of the gaps in 11-32 8speed cassettes, specifically the 15-18 gap bang an the middle of the commonly used gears.

I guess the only to see if that’s still an issue is to try it out. Check if my memory from 20 plus years ago is accurate!

Got one myself off ebay recently and swapped it out with my worn out 11-34 and just kept the same double up front,no need for a goat link either.Think they sell 11-46s too.If these had been around awhile back I wouldn’t have bothered going 10 and then 11 speed.

Found the bloody Deore mech eventually.

Going to order the 11-40. No 11-46 on 9 speed.

I have a bike with 22×34 as the lowest gear and I really like a low bottom gear. But when I buy a new bike it’ll probably have to have a higher bottom gear.

Most 1x seem to come with 11-46, and if you fit a 30T chainring it’s about the same as 22/34. The lack of high gears isn’t an issue until you come to a road descent, and personally as an MTBer I don’t care about those.

I experimented with a 28T front chainring using the same logic. I found I stripped the smallest sprockets on the (admittedly low spec Shimano) cassette in no time. I wouldn’t have said I was a particularly powerful rider or anything.

I then fiddled with 44t adapter ring which sort of worked before reverting to 36 rear.

My Sunrace 11-40 is waiting for the 36 to wear out :o)

Had a quick look on ebay and the 9 speed 11-46 is currently sold out but they do make them.Aliexpress has a 9 speed 11-50,now that might be a bit gappy!

I would have got a 11-46 but honestly thought they didn’t make them, couldn’t find it on the sunrace site anyway…. I was browsing on mobile which didn’t help.

Guess I can console myself with the fact it is oos! Lol