I am in need of a new cassette, after 3 years mine is in a bit of a state.

Looking at CRC and the differing shimano models. Mainly the HG50 at £18 and XT at £42.

Now as i know nothing about cassettes my assumption would be that the XT SHOULD be stronger and slightly lighter. Correct or not?

Also is it worth stumping up an extra 24 quid for XT when i can buy 2 of the cheaper ones.

Pulls up chair.

😯 have i opened a can of worms. Sorry 😳

Incorrect. An Xt cassette will allow you to fly up the hills, smash the downhill and jump with more style than Cedric Gracia.

stronger?

steel will probably last longer; but is heavier. HG61 is a newer deore than hg50 and there is some weight saving.

Also is it worth stumping up an extra 24 quid for XT when i can buy 2 of the cheaper ones.

maybe. Rank weight longevity and price. Personally i run hg61, but my geared bike is not my lightweight bike.

The XT cassette may also be kinder to your freehub if the latter is a soft alloy.

whats your bike made of and are you really concerned about weight?
if your bike is steel or alu, get the cheaper, the bike’s heavy anyway so this won’t matter. If your bike is carbon and you’re a weigth nut get the XT. I’ve had both and can honestly say I’ve found no difference in the way they change and ride but the Xt was lighter. I know some riders who won’t contemplate anything other than Xt components, this attitude is silly imo, if it works it works.

The major difference will be the carrier. If you run an alloy freehub such as a Hope Pro or Superstar, then budget cassettes will bite into them, which can cause all sorts of removal issues. SLX XT and XTR al have alloy carriers which stop this from happening.

SRAM cassettes are all compatible too, always worth looking to see whether you can pick up a PG980 for less money than an XT as they are similar quality. Try ebay’s Woollyhatshop and Ribble for comparison bargains.

i Have a 5 spot with lyriks on so weight is defo not the issue. Although its a bit of a plumper im not looking to get it any heavier 🙂 but in running a pros evo hub so the cheaper ones may be a problem.

XT it is i think 🙂

I found these pretty good:

Relatively cheap and good quality!

I now use SRAM cassettes, cheap, light and do coloured spiders!

xt is definitely the cheapest way of getting the most rings onto an ally carrier (more than SRAM 980 I think and more than SLX). it also has handy lugs on the back to catch the chain in case it drops off the back of the cassette

the alternative of course is to run a cheap cassette, gouge the freehub, and then replace the freehub with a nice shiny stainless steel one when it is finally wrecked.

I know some riders who won’t contemplate anything other than Xt components, this attitude is silly imo, if it works it works.

I agree, how narrow minded. XTR is far better! Some people eh?

after 3 years mine is in a bit of a state.

You may need to budget for new chain and possibly new chainring(s) at the front too!

You may will need to budget for new chain and possibly definitely new chainring(s) at the front too!

8 Track.

Sorry.

The XT cassette may also be kinder to your freehub if the latter is a soft alloy.

true, as I found out today with my evo hub. I get through at least 1 xt cassette and two chains a year so 3 years is pretty good going.

You’ll need a new chain too, KMC chain & XT cassette work well. KMC make many Shimano chains so it’s all good in the drivetrain hood. Chainrings too probably or prepare yourself for the dreaded ‘suck.

I like how it’s easier to blast the mud/twigs/leaves etc out of an XT cassette than a standard steel multi plate one. Saving weight on your rotating parts is good news, relative to other areas of the bike the saving of an XT cassette vs HG50 is cheap.