[Closed] Lightweight 11-34 Cassette Recommendations

Lighter, no not really. You can get KCNC ones but they shift like crap. More functional, no.

Cheaper, yes - Sram PG-990?

GB

The KCNC's look super bling but I didnt know they didnt perform too well. Thats the last thing you want.

Does the XTR shift well and perform reliably?

I just weighed in a sram pg990(incl lock ring) @ 273gms, how does that compare?. They're still about £44 at Merlin, cheaper if you use their accumulator thing, which is back on at the mo I think. How much is a XTR cassette and how much does it weigh?

I have a couple of nice KCNC bits on my bike but not a cassette so can't comment on their shifting.
My cassette is an XTR 11-34 - shifting is A1, 100% of the time - but silly expensive of course.

XTR is 225gms but is about £98 🙁

sorry, bit nerdy this, but I just compared a shimano SLX 11-32 and 11-34, there is 34gms difference, so a 11-34 sram PG990 will maybe weigh approx. 307gms
*I'm working in old 9speed BTW

we like nerdy gram counting 🙂

Hmm, I recently made myself a spreadsheet which calculates it all and converts into lbs, I was pleased(that the old spreadsheet skills were still there albeit very simple), depressed(at the weight of my bike) and saddened(by my nerdy sadness) all at the same time.

When I was looking I found either Sram PG970 or Shimano SLX were the best value, after that the weight saving was fairly small for the extra money.

These are both around £33.

haha, I'm not going to admit to the spreadsheet, thats not to say I dont have one, but its the only way to make any impact on weight saving.

don't know what the hell it is tho [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TR-Ti-Ceramic-9-Speed-MTB-Cassette-SHIMANO-11-32T-140g_W0QQitemZ160440998589QQcategoryZ42328QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D280584305937%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6901239636586685487 ]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TR-Ti-Ceramic-9-Speed-MTB-Cassette-SHIMANO-11-32T-140g_W0QQitemZ160440998589QQcategoryZ42328QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D280584305937%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6901239636586685487[/url]

BTW, I've gone down the same road as Rich with SLX, I've got over my PG990 bling phase (SLX being only 7gms heavier) and XTR cassettes and the like are outside my scope.

It may be light but definitely don't like the look of that.

I wouldnt bother with an XTR cassette - not that light & expensive. Much better option is XT or SLX given how much they cost & weigh. Besides XTR will wear out just as quick as any other & then you have to replace it..again & again & again. Much better buy something a little cheaper which you dont mind spending the money on. I do that with all my perishables eg chainrings & cassettes. Expensive shifters & mechs make a difference but cassettes & chainrings - not really..

Don't bother listen to those who say otherwise, if you can afford XTR buy it. I've had to buy XT this time around after 4 years on XTR - and it is HARD throwing a wasted XTR cassette into the bin...

There are lighter cassettes on the market, but no idea how they perform/wear.

And whatever you buy, replace your chain as soon as it gets to .75 over, that way you'll get 3 to 4 chains out of a cassette.

Plus XTR lockrings are v.light, and can be re-used.

I was surprised that there was quite difference between XT760 & 770 when I weighed them once. Probably due to the loss of an arm from the spider.

Hope's new hub and cassette? Expensive to replace when it finally wears out but is meant to be lighter than the main competition...and if you are looking at XTR then clearly you have the cash to spend (not got an issue with thiat, if you have the cash then spend it on what you want)...so the Hope should be a potential viable alternative (although I don't know when it will be out).

Saying that, if there are only 20+ grams of difference (or whatever it is) between XT and XTR, I'd go for XT - the weight 'gain' is right at the hub so you aren't going to notice it...although the extra money in your wallet might be more noticeable...

What b r says about the chains if you don't do that already. If you do buy xtr you want to make it last. A simple chain gauge or this [url= http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=215824 ]http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=215824[/url]

well I was naive about the whole chain/drivechain wear till I recently bought a new chain. When it kept skipping off the cassette I was advised on here that it wasnt the new chains fault but my cassette, jockey wheels and front middle ring.
So while I have to replace I thought lets go as light as I possible can justify.
I have a pair of Hope Pro2's Evo/Crest Hoops on order so it'll be nice to pair it up with a new light cassette.
Guessing the hope hub and cassette all in one will be expensive.

Its a cassette and freehub in-one:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/eurobike-2010-hopes-new-cassette-with-integrated-freehub-27582

If you are in XTR money, maybe worth having a look.

mmm that is pretty. Might be worth dropping them an email to see what the release dates are looking like.

well I was naive about the whole chain/drivechain wear till I recently bought a new chain. When it kept skipping off the cassette I was advised on here that it wasnt the new chains fault but my cassette, jockey wheels and front middle ring.

Dont get the wrong impression of me, I aint rolling in it just like to bling the bike up a little if I can.Ive had the bike 18months and havent needed to spend a penny on it, but now it has been to my detriment.
Will definitely have to invest in a chain devise and keep my eye on the components there after.

SRAM XX is a work of art and weighs 185g for the 11-32t version. Seriously expensive though.

I've had my XTR cassette for about four years now and it still works fine. I replace the chain quite regularly. I think the idea that cassettes wear out is a bit of a myth.

Cassettes don't wear out? Do you ride your bike? All that terrible shifting must be my imagination then, wish I'd known this before I wasted all that cash on a new drivetrain.

Bling it up??? XTR cassette? Something no one will see? Not Bling if it isn't noticeable and in your face...

SRAM XX is a work of art and weighs 185g for the 11-32t version. Seriously expensive though.
I've had my XTR cassette for about four years now and it still works fine. I replace the chain quite regularly. I think the idea that cassettes wear out is a bit of a myth.

XX is only 10 speed, the XG999 is the 9 speed one. Significantly lighter than XTR, but 3 times the price.

The idea of cassettes not wearing out is slightly odd. Even changing chains very regularly they still wear. IMO changing chains can be a false economy unless you use expensive cassettes.

I must say I wouldn't bother with an XTR cassette unless the rest of the bike is fully blinged up!

OK so they do wear eventually, I just meant they don't wear quite as fast as I think a lot of people pressume.

Like I said, I've been using the same XTR cassette for the last four years and it's only now starting to slip with the new chain I just put on.

Whilst Ive changed chain after 4 months before and found it skipping. Depends where you ride as much as anything!

Njee we ride in the same place - but I suspect you put in a few more miles than I do 😉

I've used quite a few XT & XTR cassettes over the past 10 or 15 years and the difference in life between an XT and XTR is minimal the thing you're paying the best part of double the price for is the weight saving. (They shift exactly the same).

[s]XTR is about +£67 for approx 90gms saving over SLX by my fag packet maths. That's assuming XTR@225gms (quoted by stevo) is a 11-34weight not a 11-32. If Stevo is quoting shimano average, then the XTR11-34 might be 30gms+ more than 225gms. So, £67 for maybe 60gms saving.[/s] I need to get a girlfriend