Utah Trikes Reviews - Accessory - Shimano Capreo Hub and Cassette Review

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Sitemap Shimano Capreo Hub and Cassette Review
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As mentioned in my ultimate gearing article, the main disadvantage of having 20-inch wheels is that your top-speed gearing may be lower than ideal. The main issue is that the stock gearing hardware used was originally designed for larger 26" or 27" wheels.

A stock 9-speed cassette has sprockets from 32T to 11T (teeth per sprocket). The 11T sprocket is your high gear and determines your top gear ratio. To increase to top-end gearing on small-wheel recumbents, Shimano introduced a special cassette and wheel hub that includes a 10T and 9T sprocket. This has the effect of raising the top-end gearing back to where it should be. Because the 10T and 9T sprockets are so much smaller, they will not fit on a standard wheel hub. To use the Capreo system you have to use the Capreo Hub and Capreo cassette together.

Sounds great, yes, but for some reason Shimano has made these hubs and cassettes relatively hard to find in the USA. We finally found a source, but have to import them from Europe. Once we get the hubs we have to make a wheel for them. The great part is that once you have the wheel, all you have to do is put it on your trike to take advantage of the higher gears. It also means you can swap your wheels back if you ever want to.

Making the Capreo your own
Most people will probably be content with the stock Capreo cassette of 26T-9T. If you're not, you can create your own gears by grinding off the rivets on the back of the cassette. I did this because the 26T wasn't low enough for me (I only run 53T/56T chainrings in front), so I put a 34T sprocket on the cassette and removed the 23T sprocket.

High speed solution
Since I normally ride in the 11T sprocket with the stock cassette, I really wanted to see what kind of a difference 1 or 2 teeth on the sprocket could make. The difference of these sprockets is about 10%, so the ratios are pretty close. Using the Capreo quite regularly for a while now, I find that my average speed on a 20+ mile ride is about 2-3mph faster with the Capreo. On several downhill runs, the Capreo makes the difference between spinning out at 27mph and pedaling up to about 36mph.

Compatibility
If you have a 9-Speed derailleur and shifter the Capreo wheel will work without having to make any adjustments. The 9T sprocket is pretty small and when it is engaged there are only about 3-4 teeth with chain on them. So far, I have only had the chain slip when I was on the 9T sprocket a couple times. If you are going from a 32-11T wheel to a 26-9T Capreo you could remove a couple links of chain, but you might as well leave it alone in case you ever want your old wheel back on.

Is it for you?
If you have already reached your speed limit with the stock gearing on your trike, you may be looking for a way to increase your gear ratios. I think the Capreo is a really great solution if you already have a 9-speed derailleur. Unlike the Schlumpf drives, you can easily install this upgrade yourself without making any major modifications to your trike. Another plus is that you can keep your wheel if you ever upgrade your trike to a different model. If you want an even higher top end you can still combine the Capreo with a 56T chainring, or the Schlumpf High Speed Drive.
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Share your comments below:
Can you give more details on how you changed the low gear to a 34T?
Posted by Ben
02/02/2008 02:34:27 PM

The standard Capreo cassette uses the same splines as the Shimano MegaRange Cassette. You can split the cassettes apart by grinding the 3 rivet heads off. Once you've done that you can mix and match sprockets with any other cassette. In this case, I took the 34T from a MegaRange and replaced the largest stock sprocket on the Capreo.
Posted by Ashley
02/04/2008 08:30:56 AM

Since I've never done this before, my question is do you need to replace the rivets or are they not needed?
Posted by Ben
02/08/2008 02:53:04 PM

No, you do not need to replace the rivets. The splines on the hub keep all the sprockets lined up.
Posted by Ashley
02/08/2008 03:02:09 PM

Also, will the Shimano Altus work with a 9-speed cassette, or will I need to get new derailer?
Thanks, for the information!
Posted by Ben
02/08/2008 03:16:18 PM

The Altus derailleur will work with a 9-speed if paired with a 9-speed shifter, but I don't recommend it. I'd recommend getting a better derailleur like the deore or x.9 with a 9-speed shifter. You want smooth shifting. Also, if you are going to have the extremes of a 34T to a 9T I'd recommend a long cage derailleur.
Posted by Ashley
02/08/2008 03:35:47 PM

What does Utah Tikes charge for a capreo hub and wheel built up (20-406)?
Posted by DAVID
02/17/2008 11:17:30 AM

The Capreo hub has been very difficult for us to obtain with regularity. The ones that we have gotten we had to import from the UK. If you are interested it is best to send us an email so we can put you on the list and let you know when they come in.
Posted by Ashley
02/17/2008 01:23:28 PM

Can the capreo be used on the zoomer with a tiagra rear derailleur? The grip shifters are stock and therefor came with the 8 speed cassette. Would I need to change the shifters as well?
Posted by new zoomer
07/29/2008 01:19:30 PM

The nice thing about the Capreo is that it can just pop in without having to change anything. That is, as long as you have a 9-speed setup. The good news is that you will not need to change the derailleur, as the Tiagra is 9-sp compatible. Just switch over to a compatible 9-sp shifter and you are good to go.
Posted by Ashley
07/29/2008 01:47:46 PM

Where can I buy this stuff?? I can't find both the hub and cassette in the same store...

Thanks
Posted by Daniel - Brazil
09/09/2008 10:44:02 AM

For some reason Shimano has made the Capreo difficult to obtain in the USA. Not sure about Brazil. Currently we have to import them from Europe.
Posted by Ashley
09/11/2008 02:08:56 PM

I'm from the UK, I've been running 30/42/55 on the front and Capreo 9/34 on the back of my 20" Trice "S" for 3 1/2 years with no more problems than you'd get on an ordinary bike.
Posted by DKMWT
02/01/2009 05:17:55 AM

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