Hi,

I’m building up a Ritchey Ascent 2018 frame, and I’m in a world of information overload and confusion RE the drivetrain.

Rear wheel is Sram XD freehub which gives me the opportunity to install a 12 speed cassette. It’s at this stage that i don’t know what setup to run, before it was easy I just decided on either full SLX or XT, and maybe a Truvativ or RaceFace crank.

Now i don’t have clue where to start, I’d like to buy second hand and go at least 11 speed. I’ll be using the bike for touring off road (is that adventure cycling, bike backing?) and will probably cover a quite a few miles on road. My plan is to do the SDW hopefully in the next few weeks.

DUB sounds good but most seem to be boost, theres GX, NX, X01, Shimano have the new gravel DT coming out so I’m totally brain fried on where to start.

I’d prefer to go 1x as its trendy these days, (although I didn’t manage to get tan wall tire) and i don’t think i’ll get the speed needed for a 2x.

(Actually, writing this down has helped me clear my thinking a bit!)

If you have an XD freehub, you can use GX, XO1 and XX1 cassettes. 11 or 12 speed. No shimano ones (though others do make XD cassettes.

Don’t know. good luck deciding and buyingin time for the SDW, and for the ride.

I just came in here to say well done on the thread title.

As Tom Howard said there are limited cassettes you can put on the freehub.

You need to decide what range you want on your cassette (and cost) and that’ll narrow it down.

11 speed sram cassettes that fit are 10-42 (which is broadly similar range to shimano 11-46). 12 speed cassettes are 10-50.

11 speed is probably cheaper in cassette and mech / shifter terms and works great – other than jockey wheels which can seize after bad weather. The solution I’ve had is to replace them with NX level bushed jockey rather than the bearing ones.

12 speed is Sram Eagle and a bit more expensive.

You aren’t limited to a sram crank necessarily with either option – although the direct mount steel sram chainrings are cheap at less than £20 and last a very long time. The GX level cassettes are also mostly steel so tend to last ages too.

Sram cranks are either DUB or GXP – with direct mount rings it’s not the crank that makes it boost or non boost, it’s the chainring offset. 6mm is non boost – 3mm is boost.

I’ve got dub and gxp across a couple of bikes – GXP gets slated a lot and seems to be hit and miss as to how long the BB’s last. I haven’t seen any issues with DUB yet and it’s meant to be better sealed.

Appropriate 11s cassette, shimano shifter/rear mech would be my choice. My experiences with SRAM haven’t been great (pivots go sloppy much faster than equivalent Shimano).

I think most of the SLX/XT 11s rear mechs can take 42T no problem. You could go 46 and get better range with 11s too (in fact if you were really spendy and want range in 1×11, E-thirteen make a 9-46 11s cassette – may need a goat link or to choose a particular 11s rear mech for that though)

@joebristol Thanks for the detailed info mate 🙂

11 speed sram cassettes that fit are 10-42 (which is broadly similar range to shimano 11-46). 12 speed cassettes are 10-50.

I think 11 speed will be the way to go, cheaper and easier for me to source 11 speed kit. Although I have seen new NX 12 speed complete kits for around £250.

You aren’t limited to a sram crank necessarily with either option – although the direct mount steel sram chainrings are cheap at less than £20 and last a very long time. The GX level cassettes are also mostly steel so tend to last ages too.

Sram cranks are either DUB or GXP – with direct mount rings it’s not the crank that makes it boost or non boost, it’s the chainring offset. 6mm is non boost – 3mm is boost.

Thats good to know, so I could purchase a DUB Boost crank and purchase a non Boost chainring – this helps open things up a bit. I like the sound of DUB as i can switch it to a few of my other bikes.

I’ve got dub and gxp across a couple of bikes – GXP gets slated a lot and seems to be hit and miss as to how long the BB’s last. I haven’t seen any issues with DUB yet and it’s meant to be better sealed.

I used Truvativ Stylo GXP cranks and BBs for years and loved them, never had issues. I did take care of the BBs though and always packed em with plenty of grease.

Thanks again for the info

@nedrapier thanks dude, its a bit of a tongue twister now I’ve re-read the title

Be wary of NX, the NX cassettes are 11-50 (12) and 11-42 (11), they won’t fit your XD Driver.

@philjunior Thanks mate

Appropriate 11s cassette, shimano shifter/rear mech would be my choice. My experiences with SRAM haven’t been great (pivots go sloppy much faster than equivalent Shimano).

I think this will be the way to go, sram cassette with shimano mech and shifter.

I think most of the SLX/XT 11s rear mechs can take 42T no problem. You could go 46 and get better range with 11s too (in fact if you were really spendy and want range in 1×11, E-thirteen make a 9-46 11s cassette – may need a goat link or to choose a particular 11s rear mech for that though)

Still not sure whether to go with the 42 or 46, will check out the 9-46 but maybe too much dosh, will also need to consider what chainring up front?

@honourablegeorge

Be wary of NX, the NX cassettes are 11-50 (12) and 11-42 (11), they won’t fit your XD Driver.

Oh sh*t yeah, thanks for pointing that out! My head hurts!

I’ve a shimano mech/shifter with GX chain and cassette in each of 11 and 12s on different bikes. If you can, just buy the 12s- 11 is fine, but 12 really is better. Feels nicer in use, the finish on things like the shifters is a step up and range goes from ‘wide enough’ to ‘a bit spare for long days in big hills’.

By comparison the difference between wide range 10 and 11 felt like a little bit more range and that was about it. I’ve never in the past ‘upgraded’ the number of speeds on the bike until the previous mech was practically falling to pieces, but I’m going to be hard pushed not to swap up to 12 on the bike currently kitted out with 11 when the current cassette wears out.

GX is equivalent SLX and XT. X01 is XTR Trail and XX is XTR Race. NX is around Deore but with the old Shimano HG freehub.

Your cheapest combination will be GX cassette and NX shift and mech although I’d be tempted to go upmarket on the shifter.

Cranks can be from anyone so long as the axle fits the BB standard.