Hi peeps,

What are your opinions on what cassette to use on a new build (not yet done but soon) that has full a XTR setup.

Now my first thought is that I'd like it to all be the same, ie XTR but what would I lose out on if I used say an XT or SRAM PG990 red cassette?

Would I notice worse shifting, faster wearing? made of cheese etc etc…

My main reason for thinking of another level of cassette is primarily cost as the 2 mentioned above can be had for £40-£47 vs £105 for the XTR, however if its worth the extra then I will get it.

Thanks guys 😀

You'd notice nothing other than more cash in your account and maybe fewer admiring glances in the car park. Easy choice IMO

XT is pretty good and so is the sram 990 is bling too-red locking ring isn't it?

I've stopped buying Shimano cassettes for my mtb using Sram instead for the price.

Still using Shimano for the road for now…

990 will last 2-3 times longer than an xtr!!!

thought this last year, decided against it and stuck with an XT one as I couldn't see any way of justifying double the price for a marginal saving in weight. I've never had and XTR cassette but doubt they last twice as long

cant agree with epo i used 990 all the time untill i bought some wheels that came with a part used xtr cassette as part of the deal they work better and last longer than 990 and xt.
not twice the price bettermind you.
i allways reckon opinions on cassettes are location specific some last better than otrhers where you ride.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Nonk – You hit on one of my main concerns is that the XTR 'works' better, was it slicker shifting? I'm running an XTR chain so if I go for the PG990 will that have been designed to work better with the SRAM chains etc?

Decisions Decisions 😐

XTR 970 outlasts XT 770 by 2x for me anyway. Run the same cassette for two race seasons, might even run it for a bit of next season.

If you can afford it, go for it.

I use xt at the minute and I find shifting just fine. It's all to easy to sit in with various windows open with all the different variaties and weights vs shifting etc etc. Get the xt put it on, ride and forget!

I've just had to swap my xtr for a cheapy low mileage sram, (because it's the only spare cassette we had with us, I'm out in Spain y'see) truthfully I haven't noticed any difference. I'm using a sram disraeli so smooth changes are a distant memory for me anyway.
As for longevity, I got 14 months of riding 3 or 4 times a week, the last 5 months in the alps, pyrenees and sierra nevada and probably would have got more life from it if I'd checked and changed the chain anything like regularly

Keep it all clean regardless what you choose.

slicker would be the word i would use old boy.

If you're talking about a full xtr build why are you bothered about saving £50? You could save a lot more than £50 if money is an issue.

sram shifting is 'positive'.
The xtr (dura-ace) chain is like a bungee, I'm on kmc now (so thatsxtr up front, kmc in the middle and sram at the blunt end) and no grumbles yet.

Grumm – not really worried about £50, just wanted to know from the STW experience pool if the PG990 or XT are worse? cos if not then I don't need to spend the extra? 🙂

You don't need to spend the extra on xtr anything. Need and want are two different things. 😉

Grumm, I'm not a big shimano fan and do look for options, but while I've had the xtr bb the wife has done for a race face, and an fsa, she's now got a hope bb and if it's anywhere near as good as the shimano I'll have one next, if mine ever wears out! 🙂

i found xtr shifters made the biggest difference when I went 'all the way' last year, super smooth. Currently have an xtr front mech on my cotic and a deore one on my Rocky Mountain, can't tell the difference to be honest.

Need and want are 2 very different things, but the xtr stuff does seem to work well, funded out of a bigger than anticipated bonus. Glad I got it before the prices went stupid, certainly wouldn't look past XT at current prices

Bodger – had a ceramic hope BB on the go for about a year, its been through some rather horrific conditions (La Ruta, Transportugal, Kielder 100 and a LOT of miles in between) and is still running sweet.

ultegra is what you need less weight than xtr great shifting better ratio and half the price.

If it's a light bike, get XTR, if not don't bother. Get the 990, it looks awesome with the red.

YH sounds promising, BUY BRITISH!

XTR does work better, lasts longer and is lighter. Whether that is 'worth it' is up to you. An XT or 990 certainly also work fine. I'm just building up a geared mtb for myself for the first time in a long time and have mostly XTR bits in the shed though needed new shifters (well tbh I couldn't find the fornt shifter…) and went XT.

XTR has a few cogs in titanium which reduce the weight, but will wear out faster because titanium is softer than steel. Having said that, they are the larger cogs so wear less than the small cogs given the same usage. If anyone thinks different then it must be in your head.

Shifting quality when new will be identical between XT and XTR. Quite happy with the SRAM 990 cassette I have used this year, it has lasted the season and shifts well.

Not saying there's no advantage to xtr, just that buying a full xtr groupset then wondering whether to save £50 on a cassette seems a bit like buying a Bentley then deliberating over whether to splash out on an extra cupholder. 😛

Substandard- "ultegra is what you need less weight than xtr great shifting better ratio and half the price. "

Surely Ultegra only comes in close ratios though, no low ratios?

its a 28 for ultegra i think.
dunno if i could be doing with that.

XTR has a few cogs in titanium which reduce the weight, but will wear out faster because titanium is softer than steel

What are you smoking? The XTR lasts longer because of the Ti cogs. Ti wears slower than steel. If it didn't, we'd have titanium brake rotors (for the rich, admittedly).

I've three XTR cassettes (one 'inherited' on a s/h bike and two bought in Germany – pre-price rise).

They seem to last as long as any other, but weigh far less (especially if you go for the 32 rather than 34) – and even when they are knackered the lock rings can be re-used (these are very light).

If I was buying now, for lightness, I'd try a KCNC, as they are lighter again and not much dearer – but no idea on longetivity?

I suppose there's different Ti alloys just like steel and ali, the xtr ones are a bit soft, they showed wear quite quickly

What are you smoking? The XTR lasts longer because of the Ti cogs. Ti wears slower than steel. If it didn't, we'd have titanium brake rotors (for the rich, admittedly).

Titanium rotors exist and are rubbish, but thats mainly because of the heat transfer properties but they also wear faster than steel rotors.

I'm not claiming to be a metal expert, but I am fairly certain that steel is harder than titanium and this is what counts and what causes faster wear.

Thanks guys 😀

So I take it that the XT has the same design as the XTR but just heavier?