Which 11 x cassette for longevity? XX1 or X01

Need a new cassette, which will last longer from your lots experience?

11 speed?

If so and you can fit a Shimano driver, I’d go XT or XTR. Fraction of the price and way more durable.

Friend of mine’s XX1 set up is shot after just 7 months and LBS wants £400 to replace!! 😮 (cassette, chain and chainring I guess).

My choice would be XTR – £120ish, £10 KMC chain, £30 chainring from Works Components or wherever. Or XT cassette at £60ish.

XTR has titanium sprockets vs steel and alloy mix for XX1, yet still cheaper.

Okay a bit heavier, XT a bit more. Doubt I’d notice the difference.

Gx, 12 months old, lots of km lots of weather 2nd chain and going strong. Gx is a similar price to xt and significantly lighter.

XT 11-42 is only 5% heavier than GX and is between 20-30% cheaper. When you consider that the XD freehub is heavier to begin with…though the XT cassette is ugly…

When you consider that the XD freehub is heavier to begin with…though the XT cassette is ugly…

Is it? Felt lighter

IMHO,and if you’re riding a wide variety of trails, the 10,as opposed to 11, is very important (unless you get a cassette with a big cog (46etc) and you can run a 32/34 chainring)….I had my XX1 for over a year and loved it with a 30 chainring. I had my XT + 42 expander and hated the,pedalling out on the flats/downs.

My Gx is still going strong and showing little wear after 11 months.Has outlasted the N/W ring up front (not slipping,but dropping).

Yeah I’m keen on keeping the 10 tooth so that rules out XT/XTR.

Never understood the 10 cog myself. I’ve had 10 on some, 11 on others. Never noticed any difference even when spinning out on the road. If fast flat out top end is required (I only ever find I get to that on road sections), then maybe bigger chainring or go 2x.

XD driver is lighter than Shimano freehub body.

XTR has titanium sprockets vs steel and alloy mix for XX1, yet still cheaper.

XTR has alu/ti/steel. The cassette weighs more than XX1, and the ti sprockets are softer. It is cheaper than XX1, but there are no other advantages whatsoever. There don’t need to be, that’s sufficient for many. I rarely use the 10 off road, by it’s nice to know it’s there. My Xx1 cassette has done 2500 miles, which is fine for me.

Never understood the 10 cog myself. I’ve had 10 on some, 11 on others.

If you do the numbers it’s a big jump and a significant extra gear, the feel may not be there but it is different.

but there are no other advantages whatsoever

Compatibility with Shimano freehubs, providing a lot more options for wheels without having to swap drivers or finding no XD option available / in-stock, plus upgrading from 10 speed to 11 doesn’t mean new freehub or even new wheel.

The price difference though is massive. As I say, friend is being quoted £400 to replace the set after just 7 months on XX1. That kind of money every 7 months just rules it out for me.

Did he ask about cost or weight?

I don’t think there is a lot of difference between x01/xx1. I run x01 and I get 2500-3000 swapping chains every 800 or so.

I’m still using X01 after 2000 miles of gunk, mud and road use.

I love my XD clicking sound as walkers can hear it before I ring my bell.

I’m only limited by amount of wheel choice but it’s still gaining market ground.

Running 1×11 Rival CX and XTR mtb. Like XTR range but the Rival is good for training and one shifter.

The price difference though is massive. As I say, friend is being quoted £400 to replace the set after just 7 months on XX1. That kind of money every 7 months just rules it out for me.

But he doesn’t need the xx1, gx is a very good cassette and a fraction of that price.
The xd freehub is a bit of a red herring though, any new wheel worth buying has it as an option, it’s only really shimano not playing ball.

The price difference though is massive. As I say, friend is being quoted £400 to replace the set after just 7 months on XX1. That kind of money every 7 months just rules it out for me.

That’s stupid though. You’re looking at the price of an XX1 transmission against an XTR cassette, and it needn’t be aevery 7 months if you’re not retarded/don’t do insane mileage. Mine’s nearly 3 years old.

On CRC (can’t be arsed looking everywhere just to prove a point) XX1 is £225 and XTR is £125. So the £400 transmission replacement would be £300. It’s significant, but not massive. Combine with the fact that if he killed XX1 in 7 months he’d go through XTR faster, as ti sprockets wear quicker.

To answer the OP I’d go XX1. There’s no real difference in cost, weight or materials. Longevity has no real difference, but X01 has the black finish and looks awful within minutes, whilst XX1 looks fine.

Thanks for all the replies/debate!
Does it matter what chain you use with XX1/X01 with regard to lifetime of the cassette?
SRAM recommend the XX1 chain for both.
I’ve been using a SRAM PC1170 on my previous set up and the chain seems to last a long time. (Longer than my Hope 10-44 cassette anyway) so I’d be happy using that again unless a XX1 chain will wear the cassette less.

I’ve always stuck with the XX1 chains. They’re not the cheapest but they seem to last pretty well.

So pulling the stats

Type Brand Model Added Removed Distance
Chain SRAM 11sp 11sp GX May 15, 2016 901.5km
Cassette Sram GX Oct 1, 2015 2,713.9km

Which means chain 1 did about 1800km of mixed stuff, standard GX whatever came, replaced with the cheapest SRAM 11sp chain which is about to be retired due to it being collateral damage during the chainring snapping incident.
I see no need to worry much more about it…

Ditto, but no, you can use anything.

njee20 – Member
XD driver is lighter than Shimano freehub body.

Not on a Chris King it’s not.

Fair enough. It is on everything else.