Broaden range and save weight with British design..
With an ever-growing number of cassette range extenders to choose from, it takes something special to stand out. And something special is just what Absolute Black is offering with this beautifully-machined 4-cog piece. Designed in England and CNC’d in Poland, the Cassette Adapter 28-40 allows for a range on par with Shimano’s forthcoming XTR group (11-40t), reduced jumps when compared to single-cog extenders, and a weight savings of up to 100g.
Weighing 50g less than the parts it typically replaces, the Cassette Adapter picks up after a standard 10s 11-34 or 11-36t cassette’s 24, replacing the top three cogs. Depending on the desired range, one then leaves off the standard cassette’s 11t or 17t cogs. This makes for 13-40 (308%) or 11-40 (364%) options. Granted, the former is actually less range than that provided by an 11-34- but Absolute Black pitch the arrangement for anyone looking for lower gears without resorting to a teensy chainring. The 11-40 makes for a useful broadening over a standard 11-36 (327%), but – as all extenders do – falls a bit short of XX1/Xo1’s 10-42 (420%).
Where most cassette extenders add 50g, Absolute Black’s removes that much weight- for a 100g weight saving over the hypothetical alternative. Given the extra design and manufacturing work required by the 4-cog design and its European manufacture, Absolute Black’s £88/$122/€105 ask seems reasonable. The 13-40t configuration requires a special lockring which will be provided free to the first 400 purchasers and available separately after that.
Available now at absoluteblack.cc.
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Ooh that looks great. Top work, good idea
Excellent, this is just what I need.
That looks brilliant, the first (rear?) photo makes it look lovely, sensible price too.
Awesome. Button pressed and ordered – proper useful bit of kit that!
13-40 avoids the need for a small chain ring
They are problem because?
They don’t look cool?
Are light in weight?
They are problem because?
Chain wrap at a guess, less chain = more wear and more droppage (that’s an engineering term)?
looks stunning, order button pressed
Can they make a 42T one for those of us with weedier legs?
“reduced jumps when compared to single-cog extenders”
How exactly?
You’re still removing a 17t sprocket to make a jump from 15 to 19T right in the middle where you don’t want jumps imo
Low end is the same: 28-32-36-40t?
“13-40 avoids the need for a small chain ring”
Only from the low end*. On the top end, if you had a 32t up front, and an 11t on the rear, with a 13t on the rear, you’d need a 38t up front to give the same top end gear. If you did 38/40 is a higher gear than 32/34 or 32/36
*but it doesn’t negate the need for a granny ring?
32t/40t its only equivalent to a 22t/27.5t, or 24t/30t. still around a gear and a half away from 22/34 or 24/36.
Okay, so it is lighter, and looks better and puts less pressure on an alu. freehub than a single extender.
I reckon as with single extenders it’d be better if you ditched the 17t AND 15t and replace with a 16t to get a compromise spread rather than a jump
If I’m running a 29er with an 11-36 cassette with a 22/38 chainset, what would be my best chainring if I went 11-40 on the cassette?
James,
Depending on the crankset, 30t is often as low as one can go- it sounds like some people want a lower range with their existing crankset while maintaining a decent chainline. As far as the need for a granny ring, that will depend on your fitness and local trails.
Made a concious effort on my ride this morning to determine how much I use my 11T sprocket, surprised to find it was only once over 22km. I think I could easily manage without the 11T for trail riding, perhaps only missing it if I needed to do any extended road sections.
Horses for courses though, depends on the terrain you ride, your fitness, and the cadence you like to pedal at.