Electronic & Hydraulic Shifting (Di2, Ui2, customisations)

I'm already on Compact!

What exactly are you running? SRAM 36T with medium cage Di2? Are you using Wolftooth?

I might try one of these 34T Shimano cassettes or see what the go is with running 11spd Shimano MTB hubs and cassettes on road.

https://www.cxmagazine.com/shimano-xtr-m9000-11-speed-road-compatible-questions

Can I use the XTR M9000 cassette on my 11-speed road setup?

Maybe. It should clear your spokes and fit on your 10-speed and 11-speed (with a spacer) freehubs, but your rear derailleur will likely be incompatible with the 40t cog. However, some clever folks have figured out that a longer rear derailleur B-screw can be a cheap hack to make it work.

Also: http://forums.mtbr.com/cyclocross/xtr-11-speed-40t-cassette-11-speed-road-shifters-945660.html

Wolftooth will help the derailleur clear the big sprocket, but not alter the capacity of the derailleur. I used it with an 11-34 and compact (2x10) with both SS and GS. Without the Wolftooth, the top jockey wheel was just riding on the 34T, even with B-screw all the way in.

What exactly are you running? SRAM 36T with medium cage Di2? Are you using Wolftooth?

Ultegra med cage with SRAM 1130 11-36: https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/carbonda-gravel-bike-1x11-di2-30292#photo239239

No wolftooth, B screw is about 70% in so if there was a 38t it would also work.

Can I use the XTR M9000 cassette on my 11-speed road setup?

I don't think so unless you go for an XT (or XTR Di2) rear mech. Maybe @Emyr can clarify.

Rimas had these granny gears as well. What is it with aging ultra racers :-/

So I could avoid needing a Wolftooth if I had a medium cage RD rather than my short cage (probably). I think Wolftooth or longer B-screw + SRAM cassette is cheapest option for me.

But it also looks like I could run the XTR 11-40 cassette on my current setup if I fitted a Wolftooth.

11spd Shimano MTB hubs

...are the same as 10spd Shimano MTB hubs. 11sp MTB cassettes overhang the base of the freehub.

XTR M9000 11-40 11sp cassette (from eBay, lightly used) on XT M8000 hub, Ultegra 6870GS 11sp medium cage mech. No fancy mech hanger, but Surly Straggler frame, so mech hanger is probably longer than normal road hangers.

Haven't touched the b-screw at all, it's at whatever it was set in the factory.

(probably)

Up to 36t you will be fine, going by my experience. Anything above yeah you'd need it.

The only reason I am getting rid of the mech is I want a clutched one so there is no chainslap/drop in 1x.

Nothing to do with aging. It's everything to do with having ridden 3800k and then wanting to pedal up another climb fluidly rather than grinding out big gears.

Is the only 11spd MTB cassette available the 11-40?

If so, I would need to look at 10spd MTB cassettes for a 36T which are almost certainly not going to work with 11spd road stuff.

So I guess I should forget about staying Shimano unless I go for their 34T cassette.

I could just buy and fit the longer cage though, I don't need whole RD.
How much is your long cage RD?

I think Wolftooth + short cage is a sexier look :)

How much is your long cage RD?

for you £50 xxx

Is the only 11spd MTB cassette available the 11-40?

When I was looking, I could only find 11sp MTB cassettes with 40 or 42t bottom, except for the CS-HG800-11 11-34, which was vapourware at the time. My options were use an 11-40, get an 11-32 road cassette machined down and hope the chain didn't touch the spokes, or replace my unused rear hub/wheel.

I could just buy and fit the longer cage though, I don't need whole RD.

Assuming the bodies of the SS and GS version don't have slightly different geometries in terms of sweep angle.

Longer cage won't allow a bigger range though. I found on a short cage, with 11-34 the chain went loose when on the small chainring and 11T if I left enough chain to be able to get onto big cog and 34T.

I don't cross-chain like that though.

Di2?

Of course not, but that's the reason you would need a longer cage. A SS derailleur will probably be fine for any combo as long as you don't go to the extremes of cross-chaining, but I don't know how syncro shift works and it may drop down the front before going through the block etc., so not something I'd risk personally.

You at that age still gettin older ~ gettin faster, would hope anyway. However I'll bear this discussion in mind for next year.

1 SUPER RANDONNEE i.e. a permanent of 600 km and at least 10,000 m (32.800 ft) of climbing.

I see what you mean. Basically the short cage I have will work with 34T or 36T but will be slack on small-small, which I wasn't seeing as an issue since I don't do that.

I think I'll get a 36T or 34T cassette and just see how close the jockey wheel is. If I can't adjust around it, I will get a Wolftooth.

I kinda lost interest in the audax awards stuff. I could do one of those Hyper BRMs or whatever they're called. I still want to do some of the 1000s.

1000 BOB should be ideal as a recovery September next year.

http://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/bike-tinkering-101-attempting-the-impossible/

http://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/tinkering-attempting-the-impossible-part-2-lindarets-roadlink-review/

obvs

so much sass!