My tuppence- I’ve only just given in and bought 11s over another 10s wide range cassette because the clutch and pivots on the mech all seem to be pretty much worn out so I’d probably need a new one of those too. Brings the difference in cost between the two options closer.

If you’re buying new, I see no point in not going 11s. If you’re going to be getting a wide range 10s you’ll very possibly want some sort of mech modification/bodge like a rad cage. Even if you only take the 11s 11-42 you have the option of the 11-46 at a later date (or some of the XD ones if you get the freehub). Why tie yourself in to something limited now when you have a clean slate?

I wasn’t bothered about the weight when I went XT 11s either (I was doing it because of a knee pain at the time and wanted the 42T)… but I am now. I know it’s all central in the wheel but I am surprised how much nicer it feels when you sling on the XT 10s instead (just set the low limiter to cut off 1st gear)… and go ride up a climb. It’s noticeable and I didn’t believe it would be.

XT M8000 rear mech works perfectly with 10 speed cassette, and expander with a 10 speed Shimano shifter.

I guess the pivot/upper jockey wheel locations are more like a radR cage.

Aye, but SRAM having better options than any of the competition can offer doesn’t make their cheaper options worse than the alternatives. If you’d have been happy with XT on your bike, there’s no reason to feel bad about “dropping down” to GX- it gives the wider range and comparable performance for a similiar price to XT.

And if you wanted XTR then the equivalent is 1180 at about £150, not the XX1 at silly money- that’d be the equivalent of XTRRR or something. (and still, XTR has a 10% narrower range to boot)

This. I’m really not sure what Shimano are up to with 1×11. I have a feeling they’re deliberately not competing because of their trickle down cycle – possibly they feel Di2 electronics, gearboxes or e-bikes will take off in the mainstream before they get the development or tooling back from entering an arms race with SRAM in 1×11 land.

The 1150 GX cassette isn’t just the same price as the XT cassette, it’s lighter – and it’s the bottom rung, fully pinned, all stamped steel job so can be expected to be longer lived too. Shifting across it is fine. I’ve got X01 on another bike and as a group it’s undeniably nicer, but most of that is the shifter and mech. That bike’s almost certainly getting a £75 GX cassette when I wear out the expensive one. I’m running the GX bike with a X1 shifter because it’s only an extra tenner, looks nicer and the old logic says that control comes from the shifter so I tend to have nicer triggers than mechs.

Dispassionately, reasons for running Shimano 1×11 are tribal, cost (keep the old free hub) and preference for one trigger ergonomic over another. Technically and in fully realised range, SRAM have them hands down beaten on this one.

vincienup – Member

Dispassionately, reasons for running Shimano 1×11 are tribal, cost (keep the old free hub) and preference for one trigger ergonomic over another.

I’m using XT shifter and mech on a sram cassette. Ironically, it used to be the other way round, I liked sram shifters but shimano 9 and 10 speed cassettes were always the smart choice.

Thing about the freehub is you can usually recoup some cost, and there’s yet another weight saving- if you care, the XD freehubs are typically about 20-25g lighter than an alu freehub body. And provided you don’t mangle it, they don’t wear in the same way either.

The XG-1150 is £95 on CRC then another £54 to convert the freehub body to XD (Pro 2 Evo – I think different bearings to my Pro 2, so would also need hub body bearings, axle and end caps to take it to Evo spec).

The XT 11-42 £60. I know it’s not the same range, but I rarely use the 11t as it is, so not sure what I’d gain with a 10t, the SRAM mechs are minging, and I don’t like the action or ergonomics of the shifters.

Sticking with XT. Had 15 months out of my M8000 11-42 across 3 chains, with a bit of re-profiling with a chainsaw file on the 42t, 13t and 15t cogs.

The 1150 GX cassette isn’t just the same price as the XT cassette, it’s lighter – and it’s the bottom rung, fully pinned, all stamped steel job so can be expected to be longer lived too. Shifting across it is fine. I’ve got X01 on another bike and as a group it’s undeniably nicer, but most of that is the shifter and mech. That bike’s almost certainly getting a £75 GX cassette when I wear out the expensive one. I’m running the GX bike with a X1 shifter because it’s only an extra tenner, looks nicer and the old logic says that control comes from the shifter so I tend to have nicer triggers than mechs.

Dispassionately, reasons for running Shimano 1×11 are tribal, cost (keep the old free hub) and preference for one trigger ergonomic over another. Technically and in fully realised range, SRAM have them hands down beaten on this one.

Turns out that NX is bottom rung, whuch is where I was getting my weight differences from.. something like 535g for the cassette.

the hub thing is interesting, it can work both ways. I was looking to get a new cx bike that had 1×11 sram but the wheels on it are crap. if I want to swap over my nicer, lighter wheels that currently run shimano then I need to factor in the freehub changes.

teethgrinder – Member

The XG-1150 is £95 on CRC

Or £75 from Tweeks or Merlin.

teethgrinder – Member

the SRAM mechs are minging, and I don’t like the action or ergonomics of the shifters.

Me neither so I use an XT mech and shifter on a SRAM 11 speed cassette.

since it passed unnoticed on page one can I just call

The same 11spd chainring/cassette/chain lasted the whole tour divide for me.

#humblebrag

😉

Fair enough (if Tweeks have it 😆 ). Would still have to convert driver, axle and bearings.

thanks everybody, i think i’m going to pull the trigger on 1×11 11-42

sunrace or shimano?

Interesting that so many people have such varied experiences of the same kit.

It must be either bodging home tinkerers, crap LBSs or frames with unusual chain lines.

I run a 1×10 Sunrace (11-42) with the most basic of Deore clutch mechs and my LBS says it’s the best working system they’ve put together….cost all in?….less than £100.

By all means spend more but its not necessary if setup properly!

I run a 1×10 Sunrace (11-42) with the most basic of Deore clutch mechs and my LBS says it’s the best working system they’ve put together….cost all in?….less than £100.

They must have updated the mech as the xt on my 11-42 conversion would have ripped itself apart without the rad cage (vwey common observations from the lbs – I fitted it myself so no wool over eyes)

It’s still not near the gx for feel though.

I run a 1×10 Sunrace (11-42) with the most basic of Deore clutch mechs and my LBS says it’s the best working system they’ve put together….cost all in?….less than £100.

Similar experience, running 11-40 (shimano cassette with a SS expander) using an M615 mech, it works well and cost very little, I wouldn’t fancy stretching it to a 42t sprocket TBH but 11-40 (32t chainring) is perfect for me right now…

Having said that, if I had the spare cash I would probably just opt for XT 1X11 with an 11-46 just because I’m not much into SRAM…

mikewsmith – Member

They must have updated the mech as the xt on my 11-42 conversion would have ripped itself apart without the rad cage (vwey common observations from the lbs – I fitted it myself so no wool over eyes)

The standard, medium cage XT 10 speed’s always been able to do 11-42, or at least for as long as you could buy 42T expanders it has (I was a pretty early adopter) It does vary depending on chaingrowth and exactly where and how the mech’s located on the bike- mech capacity isn’t just about gears.

The radcage repositions the jockeys but it doesn’t really do anything drastic to the mech. Basically it makes it work better- fixes the shifting etc and means you don’t have to go so mad with the B screw

It wouldn’t on a lot of bikes around this way, it is too sensitive for chain growth for it to be a shoe in though.

Yeah, I’m sure it could make the difference- same thing that destroyed so many short cage zees. “But it says it can do 36T!”

Anyway there is a certain smugness to see the SRAM haterz on their smaller range heavier kit blissfully unaware of the nice stuff from SRAM 🙂

Fit a granny and stop messing about.

dirtydog – Member
Fit a granny and stop messing about.

Why I have all the gears I need (and the same range as adding a granny to an old 9sp setup

i’ve been running a FR Zee mech on 11-42 for about 750 miles now. works perfectly.

i’ve been running a FR Zee mech on 11-42 for about 750 miles now. works perfectly.

Can we then assume that it’s not universial and therefor the frame and suspension design will play a huge part in that then?

who knows. I was surprised it actually worked when I fitted it but it was all I had a the bottom of my spares box so I gave it a go.

Zee worked on a 40t on my Spitfire.

thanks everybody, i think i’m going to pull the trigger on 1×11 11-42

sunrace or shimano?

Why not 11-46? Then you can go with a slightly bigger chaining and get a better top end.

mikewsmith – Member

Can we then assume that it’s not universial and therefor the frame and suspension design will play a huge part in that then?

Yup, exactly that.

The XT 11-42 £60. I know it’s not the same range, but I rarely use the 11t as it is, so not sure what I’d gain with a 10t, the SRAM mechs are minging, and I don’t like the action or ergonomics of the shifters.

You would also put a smaller ring on the front so the 10t would be used.
You would lose a bit of weight.
And depending on the chainring chosen, you would gain either a higher top gear or a lower bottom gear vs a 11-42….

The perfect system IMO is Sram GX cassette 10-42 on XD freehub hub, with XT M8000 mech and shifter.
Second best is a sunrace 11-46t cassette, your old free hub and a larger front chainring.

Question I have, and apologies if this has been covered but I’ve not seen it in here or via other searches. Is it possible to use a GX rear mech with a 11-46t cassette?

Main reason I ask is I prefer sram and picked up a GX mech for £70 yet current wheels are almost £90 for the XD Driver. The GX mech says maximum big ring on the back is 42.

Can I just use a longer than normal b screw??

Why not 11-46? Then you can go with a slightly bigger chaining and get a better top end.

Too much gap between 37 and 46 cogs IMHO, I’d rather have a closer gap and push the bike if it gets really steep.
Maybe a 11-44 could be a sweet spot

BTW I’m using road shifters (it’s a drop bar)

The Altus M310 rear derailleur is no doubt not helping, but I despise the shift to the bailout Megarange 34T sprocket (from 26T 2nd) on the Wazoo default cassette, even though it gets barely any use since replacing the hideous Vee Mission Commands.

1st ride on the Shan with 1×10 last night – 32t Absolute Black oval and 11-42t Sunrace with XT shifter/mech.

Had no issues with shifting – adjusted the barrel once to fine tune.

Range wise, didn’t notice any difference at the low end to my Capra with 1×11 – 32t round/e-13 9-44t. Was spinning out a bit at the high end though

I run 1×11 and it all works fine if the cables are new but it can soon lose accuracy once things get older and muckier.

I’m actually tempted to go back to 10spd, just because it’s more consistent.

[XTR shifter, XT mech, 30t oval, Sram 10-42 cassette]