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pottering around on my new Krampus, i think my lowest ratio (30:40) isnt low enough. There were a few hills i ended up walking up. Certainly going to want lower if i want to get bike packing this year.
Currently using an Airbike 9speed casette (11-40), with an XT mech on an Airbike goatlink extender, and a vintage (2000) XTR 9speed shifter.
Part of me quite likes the new Shimano Cues system. A bit chunkier, but much better in terms of replacement scope in the future, and in theorey long lasting. Would require a full replacement across the whole system though, and may require a new chainring too. Eugh.
Or could get a microshift 9 speed casette and possibly mech, to go onto the XTR Shifter and existing narrow wide chainring.
I guess, how does Microshift compare to Cues?
I've been using these Microshift levers (with an M8000 mech and Sunrace 11-46 cassette) for the last two years, and like them enough I'm refitting the commuter with an Advent-X shifter, cassette and mech in the next couple of weeks. I had considered a wide range 9 speed cassette and goatlink to go with an old 9 speed XT mech and shifter, but decided to go for the Microshift set-up.
Shimano 11 speed is a good balance of cost and range
Running Microshift Advent on 3 of my bikes now. No real issues* - solid, reliable, and it's cheap as chips.
*irritating skipping chain on one bike, but after swapping parts between bikes and A/Bing convinced it's nothing to do with the Microshift system.
Who needs more than 9 gears anyway? If Microshift (or anyone else) came up with a wide range 5 speed system I'd be all over that!
The SRAM 9 speed e-bike stuff looks interesting too, but the cost of the cassette!
I have Advent X on my FS bike. Seems good enough to me.
I recall shopping around for a wide range cassette from someone like Sunrace as the all steel Advent X cassette was very heavy.
The mech and shifter were pretty reasonable.
wide range 5 speed system I'd be all over that!
Rather you than me/each to their own but that'd have some horrible holes between gears.
I've been running Microshift Advent X on bike #2, a steel hardtail, Shifter, Mech and cassette all MS. Works very well, reliable and I don't worry about damaging super expensive kit.
I bought it more out of curiosity, to see if a cheap drive train would be good enough. A hearty recommend from me. It performs much better than its price tag.
Another happy user of Advent X here. Similarly bought it as a cheap why not option and was pleasantly surprised. In terms of min maxxing its spot on.
My problem with CUES is that it´s a whole separate pull ratio (and cassette spacings) from everything else shimano now. Meaning once you´ve bought into it you´re basically stuck with CUES or a whole new drivetrain, no adding a facier mech later or using an older 10 soeed shifter if you want.
For that reason alone Microshift appeals far more, their range seem to be a bit more cross compatible and generally more affordble as well as working consistently with fewer clicks and maintaining HG Freehub compatibility.
I just wish they had an option for hydraulic brakes on drop-bars, but that´s just me...
Advent X cassette, Deore 11s mech (one of the newer ones that can reach the 48 sprocket) and an old 10s shifter was the cheapest way to build up an old frame for child hauling.
It’s been great. Towing a 4 year old up a hill doesn’t mean the smoothest shifts and it’s coped well. Honestly, if that setup existed years ago I think I’d still be on ten speed on more bikes.
I did look at cues but at the time it was more expensive like for like and i’d have had to buy a shifter because it all needs to be cues
My problem with CUES is that it´s a whole separate pull ratio (and cassette spacings) from everything else shimano now. Meaning once you´ve bought into it you´re basically stuck with CUES or a whole new drivetrain, no adding a facier mech later or using an older 10 soeed shifter if you want.
According to Microshift, same is true of Advent, Acolyte and Sword groupsets.
Advent X cassette, Deore 11s mech (one of the newer ones that can reach the 48 sprocket) and an old 10s shifter was the cheapest way to build up an old frame for child hauling.
I´ve got exactly that setup on one MTB, another is using the same mech/cassette but using an 11 speed Grip shifter (with one dead click) both setups work very well. the trick is finding out what cable pull each system uses.
Tell you what might talk to your old 9speed XTR shifter OP, possibly an ´ESSA´ (U2000) mech. uses the same cable pull, supposedly only for wider-range (1x)8 speed, but shouldn´t care if it has an extra click, combined with an Advent 9 speed cassette it might just about work...
Annoyingly Shimano now have four different flavours of cable pull: MTB (dynasis -> 12speed), Road (4700 -> 12speed), Cues "1:1"(9/10/11 different cassette spacing, also covers linkglide IIRC?), old "2:1" (still about for 8 speed ESSA, and any other "legacy" stuff from the 6-9/10 speed era, lots of which they still sell)...
Apparently the newly announced tiagra 9 speed is compatible with Cues, meaning it must be 1:1 cable pull, and therefore won´t talk to any of the other Road or gravel groups, basically it´s slightly fancier Cues then. I wouldn´t be shocked if they tried to pull a similar trick on the MTB side slotting in an 11 speed version of Cues with more alloy part and different branding... Despite having said Cues was all about consolodation and killing off all the extra SKUs.
Who needs more than 9 gears anyway?
I find on a loaded bike that's on and off road in Scotland, that my 2x10 gives both wider range and more chance of being in the 'right' gear. In fact I can see why some tourers swear by 3x9...
That's today's job done, Advent X drivetrain on the commuter; Snail chainring, Sunrace chain out of curiosity. Seems ok based on a quick ride up and down the hill I live on. Too pissed for a longer test ride just now...
According to Microshift, same is true of Advent, Acolyte and Sword groupsets.
So most of their native groupsets then, (Everything else they make is marketed as shimano compatible isn´t it?)
Don´t get me wrong, I do like shimano kit I´m just dissapointed that the only lesson they learned from SRAM was to make a more concerted effort to reduce cross-compatibility of parts. Still they are a business not a charity.
“I´m just dissapointed that the only lesson they learned from SRAM was to make a more concerted effort to reduce cross-compatibility of parts”
I don’t see how you can expect LinkGlide/CUES to use the same mechs and shifters as HyperGlide gear - the sprockets are thicker to increase their durability, so more space is needed centre to centre to give space for the chain. Once you’re on LinkGlide everything works with everything else (cassettes, mechs and shifters) and the chains are standard 11 speed and any standard 9/10/11/12 speed chainrings work.
I think my ideal setup for cost, endurance and usability would be:
- Microshift 11-48 ten speed steel cassette
- Basic 10 speed KMC chain
- Shimano 10/11 speed mech
- Shimano 10 speed multi-release shifter
- Steel NW chainring.
Wonder how it shapes up compared to a full Cues setup.
interesting thread. I'm looking to replace the bits on my wife's bike which has the original SRAM bits from 2008 and they are absolutely bollocksed.
What would be the value sweet spot for something non-boost that I can stick on and keep going for another billion years? Most of it's life is spent chasing our young kids around the forest so reliability over performance. And ideally easy to buy as a full groupset (minus brakes) rather than having to peice bits together.
I’d be looking at the new micro shift mx groupset, I believe cross compatible with cues and linkglide. Will just use any 11 speed chain and hg driver.
The only real downside I’ve found with linkglide is the slower shift (compared to hg), shifters feel great, parts look smart and now the opportunity to use the micro shift mx stuff ( especially the rear mech with replaceable cage) I’d be happy using it on anything I wanted reliability and long life.
"Basic 10 speed KMC chain
- Shimano 10/11 speed mech
- Shimano 10 speed multi-release shifter
- Steel NW chainring."
This was what I used to have on both bikes - it was great! Regret moving onto 11 and 12 speed. XTR shifter, SLX short cage mech, XT cranks, KMC chain (the bling gold one because it's way more corrosion resistant), and SLX 11-36 cassette. Just worked so reliably and cost little to run.
The Microshift MX stuff sounds like it could be very good if their durability claims are honest!