Are XTR / XX Cassettes really worth it?

was contemplating getting a xtr or xx 11-36 cassette, but cant really see what id gain other than weight saving of minimal amount!

am i missing something? do they give better shifting? or do they actually outlast say a xt cassette by 3:1 or something? if longevitity is increased by alot then i can see why they are more expensive?

or is it literally just xtr/xx bragging rights?

No, not really IMO!

X.0 is also lighter than XTR, worth a look if you want to spend lots. XTR is less durable than XT, but I did find my XX cassette lasted really well.

Saying that I found myself not enjoying wet rides not because it wasn’t fun, but because of the £300 cassette I was destroying! If you have that sort of cash sitting about then they are the lightest workable option, but I struggled a bit with that!

Lighter. If you’re ‘bragging’ about cassettes then you’ve got issues.

if you want to shed some weight from your bike go for it but as they cost a few hundred quid for about a 100g weight saving, so roughly >£2 per gramme, I’d suggest looking at tyres, wheels, controls etc first. If everything else is as light as you can go then yeah spunk the cash on the blingy cassettes.

edit just had a look,
11-36 XX is (allegedly) 189g and can be had for £199
11-36 XT is (allegedly) 337g and can be had for £55
so you’re looking at about £1/g so not as bad as I thought, but still pretty costly.

You pays your money you makes your choice.

Apparently a weight saving of ~ 80g between XT and XTR cassettes, based on CRC pricing:
(XTR = £159.99, XT = £46.99)
That works out at approximately £1.41 per gram saved…

Cost benefit analysis?

Could you save a similar amount of weight by; taking a hacksaw to any excess seatpost?
using foam grips?
running a double/single chainring setup?
lighter tyres?
lighter tubes?
Riding your bike more and eating less?
Having a poo?
All of the above?

Don’t you get some Ti sprockets with XTR?

My XTR lasted no longer than my normal XT.

Had an xtr cassette and it lasted same time as an xt. Thankfully I didn’t pay for it but would not say it was worth it really.

Last time I had an XTR (on the bike when I bought it) the splines (Ti, I guess) wore out long before the sprocket teeth, so it started rattling around on the freehub.
Certainly wouldn’t buy one after that.

The story on the Tour de France is Wiggins used an MTB cassette for one of the mountain stages (there is a thread on here about it). It was reported to be an XT rather than an XTR.

IMO, no the XTR isn’t worth the extra money

The story on the Tour de France is Wiggins used an MTB cassette for one of the mountain stages (there is a thread on here about it). It was reported to be an XT rather than an XTR.

Tour bikes are too light for UCI regulations. Rules say weight can’t be added artificially (lead shot in tubes) so often don’t use absolute lightest parts (they have powertaps on the bikes!)

However, no performance advantage and it’s a disposable part. You’re better off saving weight somewhere else.

Don’t you get some Ti sprockets with XTR?

Yep, 5 of them, which are softer than steel, hence the cassette actually being less durable than XT.

righty – thats that sorted then 😆 cheers guys – xt it is again then!

Fsa do the slickest cassettes around ime, particularly the 990.

I think chain rings, mechs and shifters are more important. On the cheapest cassettes you do notice the tinnier sound but shifting seems about the same.

When comparing £/g remember that a cassette is a wearing part, so comparably a worse investment than the same £/g saving on a seatpost, for example, which might last you 4 times as long.

XT is a good 11-36 to go for – below that the Shimano cassettes, though not much heavier, have individual (thin) splines that will dig into an alloy freehub body.

Fsa do the slickest cassettes around ime, particularly the 990.

You mean SRAM? The 990 I had was heavier and more expensive than XT, I’d get the cheapest!

IMO F*ck no!

I’ve got full XTR 10 speed drivechain except for the cassette. I drew the line there and stuck with XT

Rules say weight can’t be added artificially

getting slightly off topic but if this is the case when did it come in, I remember seeing pics of the pros’ bikes with lead plates on the bottom off the BB shell pretty recently (only been reading roadie mags 18 months).

getting slightly off topic but if this is the case when did it come in,

This year, in deference to the fact that adding lead weight basically negates the weight limit entirely.

Cheers, agreed it seemed to undermine the point of the limit!

Once you’ve dropped weight everywhere else, then XTR cassette.

I find they last as well as XT, running 3 chains across one before replacing cassette/jockey wheels/middle-chainring en-bloc.

If you’ve the cash 🙂

My one and only XTR cassette shook itself to bits after a short period of time.

My XX still looks like new after a year and a half. Made out of 4130 Cro-Mo so much more durable than alloy or Ti.

HTH.

Not mtb but road but I found it interesting that the Sky team use Ultegra over Dura Ace as they last longer.

My one and only XTR cassette shook itself to bits after a short period of time.
My XX still looks like new after a year and a half. Made out of 4130 Cro-Mo so much more durable than alloy or Ti.

Shook itself to bits how? Be surprised if they’d not warranty that. My XX cassette was still dead after about 10 months, marginally better than XTR, but only marginal! They’re lovely bits of kit, but hilariously expensive.

I paid £110 for my 10 speed xtr cassette with my shop discount, why did i buy it? Because i wanted the best drivetrain on my bike – I was hardly going to spend nearly a grand on chainset,shifters,front and rear mech and chain and then opt for XT just to be a tight arse and save £30 or so….

I paid £110 for my 10 speed xtr cassette with my shop discount, why did i buy it? Because i wanted the best drivetrain on my bike – I was hardly going to spend nearly a grand on chainset,shifters,front and rear mech and chain and then opt for XT just to be a tight arse and save £30 or so….

It’s a bit more than a thirty quid saving on 10 speed. Chain reaction prices = £47 for XT vs £160 for XTR. That’s 3 for for the price of one. Is it 3 times lighter/better? At full RRP you’re looking at more like 4 for 1. That’s why I stuck with XT for the cassette.

I’ve had both and would say that they wear at the same rate. I change my chains pretty regularly and have an xtr cassette m970 thats 5 years old and still works well with a new chain. WIth regards the weight couldn’t now justify cost/weight difference. XT for me now.