http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27680

or http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8332

What do yer think?

I usually just get the Shimano one for compatibility

but this is almost impossible for the average punter like me who gets through so few cassettes.

I am trying to choose a 9-speed road cassette just now and have a choice of ultegra 6500 @ £35 or SRAM PG970 @ £40. Does anyone really know how to choose?

I was all set to buy the SRAM but read that it gouges the Free-hub body which put me off.

If it’s a hope hub then I think you need somethign with more sprockets on the carrier than either of those give?

Sprockets? A 9-speed cassette as 9 sprockets no?

Hope Pro3s btw…

You want a PG990 from On-One

XT has much more sprockets on a carrier so less likely to do damage to an alu. free hub body

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/transmission-gears/cassettes-mtb/shimano-xt-9-speed-cassette.html

merlin are selling the slx cassette for a few quid less…but the sram cassette costs a few quid more…. 😯

Can you tell me what 990 offers over the 980? The 980 appears to have an alloy spider (as the 990 does).

the 990 has a red spider which makes it faster

rocketman – Member
the 990 has a red spider which makes it faster

😆

Just as I thought.

Being super-critical about it the rivets that hold the cogs together on a PG980 are slightly less pefectly formed than on an XT, whereas the 990 looks like the sort of thing they made when the tooling was all new. There are probably two bins at the factory one marked ‘990’ where all the really good ones go and one marked ‘980’ where the slightly imperfect ones go.

Would not get an SLX tbh it works perfectly but has a distinctly workmanlike look to it.

cheers rocketman

There are probably two bins at the factory one marked ‘990’ where all the really good ones go and one marked ‘980’ where the slightly imperfect ones go.

The alloy spider on the 980 holds three sprockets, the spider on the 990 holds six of them. And is red. Or indeed pink, green, gold or orange. (The rest of the sprockets are ‘loose’ on both cassettes, and held on/together by the lockring.)

I suppose if you use the middle three sprockets a lot and have an alloy freehub the 990 might be worth considering. Or if like my wife you like little pink bits on your bike! If there was a good and economical supply of middly cassette sprockets as individual spares (tbh I have never really checked, but I know that sjs and rose amongst others sell shimano ones, not sure if the shifting cutouts are in the right place though) I would consider the 980 over the 990 as I seem to wear the middle three out soonest.

XT. Lighter than the 990 and Shimanoer than it too. I recommend a KMC chain (they make Shimano chains) which are well priced and come with a quick link.

OP – having a similar dilemma to you.
Decided to go XT with KMC chain.