Cassette comparisons

[mrbarry]

I have 3 road bikes, all 105 equipped and all working a dream. All 3 are 53/59 chain ring and 12-25 rear, but this week end I am doing the autumn epic and have decided to buy a 12-28 for the event, it will also be called upon next year for riding the tour de France with a friend (we plan following the event on bike as a 3rd man drives a support car) Admittedly we will have to cut short some of the stages but hey.
Anyway, as I look at what is available I keep talking my self into ultegra or dura ace for the replacement cassette, but is it really worth it? I am not worried if the only advantage is saving 50 grams, I am not planning to race just to finish before it goes dark. I have to wonder if the higher and more costly ranges offer better shifting, longer life, stronger construction or simply bragging rights in the café? Any pearls out there?

[Steve Kish]

Assuming that it's a typo and you have a 53/39, a 12-28 would give 37-inch bottom gear and FWIW, changing to a compact 48/34 or 50/34 chainset would give a marginally smaller bottom gear with your current 12-25 cassette.

As regards quality, whilst Ultegra and D/A are very nice, 105 and even Tiagra is something that I'd consider as acceptable. After all, chain and cassette are strictly consumables, like tyres and brake blocks. It's probably just the visual finish and as regards bragging rights, these would probably be restricted to frames, wheels, saddles, shifters, things visible to the 'bling detector' eyeballs. Apart rom the 'I've got 11 rows of teeth' one-upmanship of a while ago, I've not heard and cassette/block boasting since the Maillard Dural block of the 1980s was around.

[CREPELLO]

12-28 cassette?

[CREPELLO]

I have an SLX 11-28T cassette, which has the largest 3 sproks on an alu carrier. Cost me £32 from CRC a year ago. Ultegra won't be any more durable than Tiagra IMO. Dura Ace is just silly, unless your a pro. It does have titanium (larger) sproks, but why bother unless your a weight weeny?

[mrbarry]

That's about what I thought then, I don't see the point in splashing out twice the price for something that will work no better. I did have a giant OCR with tiara and truth be told it indexed perfectly, just as smooth as the 105 group sets. I thought I must be missing something but it seems not. I think I may go SRAM after a look around this morning, the finish on their cassettes is far brighter and always looks cleaner some how, and I know from the boardman i have sold they index impeccably.

I also have a campag bianchi and that indexs the same, no worse no better. I don't like the campag levers tho as I am accustomed to shimano. That's a 12-21 cassette Tho so deffo not for hills! It's also in bits as I am repainting the frame next month.

I will be changing the cassette rather than the chain rings for ease of reversal by the way, it may be better swapping to a compact set up but it's only rare very hilly and long audax events I will use the shorter gears for climbing, perhaps 2 or 3 times a year.

[reohn2]

IMO the only gain high end cassettes ie; Ultegra/DA/XT etc have over their lowly cousins is weight ,I'd even say the lower end is more durable as the only cassette sprocket i/we have ever bent was an XT one which are on an alloy carrier similar to Ult/DA,admitedly that was on the tandem whilst touring.
I've never had problems with Tiagra,Deore cassettes indexing and for tandem use I split a Deore 11/34 and a Tiagra 14/25 to make up a 14/34 cassette.
IMO an 11/28 cheap end cass will work fine.You don't say if its 9 or 10sp,though I wouldn't think that would make any difference.

[mrbarry]

its 10 speed. I keep to 10 speed and 105 etc on all of my bikes so that they ride the same, it may seem odd wanting 3 the same but its a long story and thats how I like them I will elebourate if your interrested but its not worth the typing IMHO.

Anyway, I did think of just buying a 28-24-21 part and changing just that with my 25-23-21 for hilly rides, but that wasnt a lot cheaper than a full cassette and seemed poinless. Off to Parker international tomorrow for a 50 mile loop and to pick one up. If they have none then a 80 mile loop in the cotswalds saturday to Cirencestor (forget the shop name) and get one from there. Then 95 miles of climbing Sunday 10,050feet of climbing in fact

[Steve Kish]

FWIW, I'm always chopping and changing sprockets on my Shimano cassettes. I have about 100.



I make them up to suit my rides and FWIW, this Shimano business about not swapping different group markings has never caused me any problems.

[[XAP]Bob]

FWIW, I'm always chopping and changing sprockets on my Shimano cassettes. I have about 100.



I make them up to suit my rides and FWIW, this Shimano business about not swapping different group markings has never caused me any problems.

I must show SWMBO that photo when she complains at me...

[mrbarry]

Nice. And great info thank you.

[thirdcrank]

FWIW, I'm always chopping and changing sprockets on my Shimano cassettes. I have about 100.....

I should patent that idea so you can cash in when it catches on. How about calling it a 'sprocket board.' I could imagine a day when every bike shop worthy of the name would have one.

(Sorry. Senior moment I'm not imagining it, I'm remembering it. )

[mrbarry]

Fred Williams Cycles has boxes with sprockets in and sells singles. Or they can make up a custom one for you, say 12-28 rather than 11-28 or 12-27.

[thirdcrank]

On the other hand -- many older cyclists assume that it is harder to customize cassette-type clusters than it was with the old thread-on freewheels. In fact, the opposite is the case! Cassettes are much easier to customize, because all of the sprockets use the same spline pattern, so any of the sprockets (except the smallest one) can be used at any position on the Freehub body. With thread-on freewheels, the body is "stepped" so that sprockets for different positions will attach with different spline or thread patterns. Back in the day, better bike shops would have a big "sprocket board" with dozens of hooks to stock all of the various permutations of tooth count and attachment size needed to create custom freewheels. Generally each different manufacturer would require a different sprocket board, because each manufacturer would have its own proprietary design. (My emphasis.)

Sheldon Brown.

[gbnz]

Fred Williams Cycles has boxes with sprockets in and sells singles. Or they can make up a custom one for you, say 12-28 rather than 11-28 or 12-27.

Making up a cassette is straightforward enough.

I've renovated a 8 speed cassette today - the town bike in question is simply used to cycle down a 20% gradient to town while unloaded and then cycle back up a 20% gradient while loaded with shopping and a cyclist. Thus after nine months use, I'd found 6 sprockets were in near mint condition, while the 2 sprockets used daily in climbing the hill were knackered (I have inadvertently cycled coast to coast across the pennines on a few occasions, which has added to wear )

Had acquired a stock clearance 7 speed cassette. While centre to centre spacings are 5mm on a 7 speed, as opposed to 4.8mm on a 8 speed, 0.15mm of the difference is accounted for by the 7 speed spacers. Using the 7 speed sprockets with 8 speed spacers, has given me another nine months use at the cost of approx £1.00 (As opposed to £18.99 for a new cassette). Actually replaced 4 sprockets in all, can't say the additional 0.2mm width of the cassette has effected gear changes at all (And for the winter season, I've got an "easy cassette" for that icy hill 18, 20, 22, 24 replacing 17, 19, 21, 23!)

[mrbarry]

Making up a cassette is straightforward enough.

Only if you have the parts. I strip and clean my cassettes every month or so as its quick and easy, and gets them spotless. Changing ratios at the same time is no problem. Once you strip one once they are simple, if you have never stripped one they hold a little mystery.
I have changed the ratios in the gear box on my car 3 times, thats also easier than people seem to think, no idea why gear box's have such a reputation they really are simple when you strip one

I think most parts of life are the same, investigate and you will find the answer is not as hard as you expected.