Just about to change my cassette and chain. Usually just get xt but the sun race ones seem good value but wondered if anyone has tried one.
Thanks

My Orbea Oiz came with one, it’s great so far. Smooth and no issues

Work and seem to wear just as well as Shimano but have more even jumps at the bigger sprocket end of the casette than Shimano.

Aye, my Orbea Loki came fitted with one. Apart from the extended range you wouldn’t know it was there.

Cheers guys. Might as well give it a go then.

Fitted one a few months ago and can’t fault it .

What mechs are you all using?

but have more even jumps at the bigger sprocket end of the casette than Shimano.

Is this really an issue for anyone?

At the other end when you are pinning it- you want it smooth, but on a climb that needs a 46t sprocket?

I’ve got the 11-50 11 speed with medium cage 11sp XT mech on my main bike, and a 10sp 11-46 with medium SLX 10sp mech on the HT.

Both work superbly although the 10sp setup needs to b tension screw wound right in. Was expecting it not to clear tbh, but so far so good.

My Marin came with one on. It works, and works smoothly so far.

(SLX 11sp here)

Thanks Twonks – which model SLX mech are you using for the 10 speed?

Been using one for about 4 months now. Works well & smoothly too

Murray – Member

Thanks Twonks – which model SLX mech are you using for the 10 speed?

I’ll have to look but it is a 10 speed clutch mech with medium cage (not sure how many versions there are of that)

Edit. It’s an M675 Shadow+

i got an 11/42 Sunrace for my Norco and had to fit a goatlink as my mid cage mech touched the 42 cog, goatlink fixed that one 🙂

I haven’t done that many miles on mine yet, but works fine

kimbers – Member
but have more even jumps at the bigger sprocket end of the casette than Shimano.
Is this really an issue for anyone?

At the other end when you are pinning it- you want it smooth, but on a climb that needs a 46t sprocket? It may not be a major issue but given the choice of a jump from 37 to 46 which you get with the Shimano casette because they left the ratios the same but just swapped the 42 lowest sprocket for a 46 or the Sunrace which goes , I think from 40 to 46 I would take the Sunrace every time .

Well got one ordered so will be going from xt to sunrace and will let you know how it goes.
A good saving on Xt and like the idea of more spread ratios.

I’m using a SLX M675 mech with a OneUp rad cage. Seems to be working well. Of course I’m also using a SLX 11sp shifter.

I decided to get an 11 speed mech as the xt 10 speed mech with a rad cage was struggling a bit and didn’t want to mess about with the b tension screw too much. Perfect shifting now.

First ride and seems as good as xt with less jump in range st top end

Is it the Sunrace 11-46 MX8 model cassette?
Are you running them with M8000 GS Medium Cage mechs?

And do they back-pedal in 1st without dropping the chain? Say with a non-boost 49mm chain line?

I might get the 40T or 42T MX8 as I’m running 11-40T Shimano M8000 at the moment (I like the closer gearing). I ran the 11-42T M8000 previously and it was much worse for dropping the chain than the 40T Shimano is.

I did fit the 42T cassette recently to check if it was still dropping the chain when the 40T didn’t on the same bike and it dropped it 100% of the time but the 40T isn’t totally immune to it when I most need it not to drop in a boggy patch. I wasn’t sure I could actually notice the 2T extra so I may stick with 40T max.

Where are you getting the Sunrace Cassettes from cheaper than Shimano? On CRC the price is the same or higher than Shimano.

Hang on… they’re doing an 11-50 12-speed Shimano freehub cassette too?

So buy a GX Eagle mech + GX Eagle chain + GX Eagle shifter + Sunrace 12 speed and no change of wheel / freehub needed?

Looks to have the narrow wide on the two sprockets as well.

Weight seems bob on GX Eagle cassette too. What’s the price?

Wow, impressed.

I’m thoroughly hacked off with my M8000 drive train. Spend £60 on a Sunrace 11 speed cassette and hope it works better than Shimano or put the money towards a switch to 12 speed?

Sunrace site linky

Looks interesting, but the comments on the eagle thread suggest the rear mech is the weak point.

What makes you think there’s n/w on the cassette? I just can’t see how that could ever work.

I have not tried the 46t Sunrace but I’ve had the 42t for 18months and I’d I’ll be buying another when it eventually dies. Very impressed with it’s weight / durability.

Anyone running the 10spd version.

@tomd any problems back-pedalling in the 42T? What’s your crank / chain ring / chain line setup?

@onzadog I read that the Eagle cassette used a sort of n/w on the largest two cogs which I thought would be how they stop it coming off when back-pedalling.

The Sunrace Shimano FH 12 speed is 580g odd I think but still that’ll be lighter than Shimano can manage I’m sure. That’s a fair chunk to add to the rear suspension still. I felt my 450g Shimano 11-42 (I believe newer ones have shed 20g)? My 11-40T is <410g. Especially when 10s XT 11-36 was 335g. I only notice it slinging the bike over a fence or stile rather than riding but still another 100g+ is bonkers.

The Sunrace 11-40T MX8 is 389g. I’d give anything for reliability of back-pedal though on 11 speed.

Heard about the rear mech issues with 12 speed. That’s a bit of a shocker really.

I’m not quite sure what I’ve done to manage this, but my GX 11 spd setup on my Solaris backpedals without skipping around or downshifting. I’ve had other bikes do it. I’ll be interested to see if my luck holds next chain…

@gelert

No it’s fine. When I changed it over I tried it with the old long cage 10sp mech and it was rough back pedalling in the 42T even with max b tension. I switched the mech for a Shimano 11sp and it was much better and has proven to be very durable.

@tomd thanks. That’s a solid recommendation.

@vincienup it’s definitely not 100% solid on SRAM 11 speed either. I’ve tried many bikes in shops with both Shimano and SRAM. On the whole the SRAM 11 ones (and all 12 ones so far) have back-pedalled very well but I was able to find the odd SRAM 11 that would drop it’s chain from the 42T down the block. However with Shimano I’ve found only a handful (one was a 46T Yeti) that work in shops. Pretty much universally all Shimano 11 speeds drop their chain on back-pedal.

For me my 11-40T M8000 is the best I’ve had and it’s sometimes able to drop a chain then back-pedal fine, ride about, back pedal drop, ride about try again and stay on. It’s about 50/50. Verses 100% drop on the 42T version. I’m only looking for <1 revolution to re-set sometimes but I don’t always get a quarter turn back out of it and this is with a chain line correcting 6mm offset DM Cinch ring from OneUp and I shifted a 1mm BB spacer over to the wrong side to bring it in less than 49mm even.

First world problems and all.

On my Marin, SLX 11sp.

Works just as well as a Shimano as far as I can tell.

I’m generally so used to the issue I change down to 2nd before I come to a stop. It’s only when I get stuck on a very technical section, hit a rock with my pedal or I spin the rear on something that I’ll be stopped in 1st.

Then reset and… dropped chain. In extreme situations that means you have to get off the bike because you can’t push on the cranks to try to go again. It happens a lot more in the winter.

Can you send a cassette back for a refund if you fit it and it doesn’t back-pedal?

I’d always fit a new chain with a new cassette.

Sorry for thread hijacking BTW.

Where is the best place to buy a Sunrace cassette ATM?

Anyone running SRAM X7 with one (10 speed)? Would like to go a bit lower, probably 42 is enough but I’d take a 46 if it works…

the SRAM 11 ones have back-pedalled very well ….However with Shimano I’ve found only a handful (…. Pretty much universally all Shimano 11 speeds drop their chain on back-pedal.

My SRAM 11 setup X1 is fine. My Shimano is an issue – I’m using Sunrace 46 and an Absolute Black ring that’s spaced an extra 2mm over with chainring washers (so 3mm off the Shimano line). I now get most of a rotatation back but it’s still not ideal.

On Shimano if you watch the back-pedal drop happening closely it’s at the shift ramps that the chain does a little wiggle and drops or doesn’t – next tooth picks it up or pushes it away. I think it’s a design flaw. It’s there on the XT 10 speed cassette too as a bike with awful chain line of 51mm+ will drop the chain in 1st too. But usually a 10s bike will have a better chain line than that and you’ll never have the issue.

On the SRAM bikes I’ve had a play with the chain really tries to stay on during back-pedal. I think you’d have to have a very bad chain line to get SRAM 11 to behave badly.

I will buy a Sunrace Cassette to try if everyone is saying they haven’t dropped chains in 1st.

Sunrace 11-50 replaced a XT 11-46. It’s been absolutely spot on!
That’s with about 6 months riding.

Sunrace 11-50 replaced a XT 11-46. It’s been absolutely spot on!
That’s with about 6 months riding.

Where did you get one from?

Just realised you got the 11 speed 11-50 while I am looking into the 12 speed version that I’m struggling to find in stock in the UK.

Where are you getting them from?

CRC was out of stock yesterday but back in stock today with the MX8 11s ones. £72 for the 11-42. That’s not cheaper than Shimano, although if it actually works it’s worth it.

Just tried out an 11 46 Sunrace from Bike discount.de. Was £50 in silver.
It weighs 50g more than the xtm8000 11 42 on my spare wheels. Going to replace the chain so I can run a 36 tooth ring with it.

Had no issues with the mx8 11 42 on my other wheels.

@jamesoz can you confirm the tooth count on the SunRace 11-46 MX8 in Silver from Bike-Discount?

They’re saying: 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46

But SunRace tech spec PDF has it at 36-42-46.

Cheers

I was quite keen when I saw the 42-46 jump because the 46 would become a true bail out gear for me. I could keep everything else the same. 42 is plenty for most things for me but sometimes I really would just love a bail out gear.