Quantcast

What cassette do you have on your DH rig?

Biffff

Monkey
Jan 10, 2006
913
0
Just an update to my issue I described with my Dura Ace XO combination.
I just installed a new KMC X9 Sl chain today, and it completely cured the dead zone in my shifting. I was previously using Sram chains. The KMC chain shifts 10 times better!
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
822
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
IRC 9spd 11-28 with the 28 cut off the spider and the 11 replaced with an aluminum spacer. It is now a 7 spd 12-25. This gives a straighter chainline when I'm in the 12 or 25 than I got with a 9spd 12-25. Less rub on the chain guild, never skips under power and bumps, perfect steps between gears so I can shift one cog at a time.
Up front a 39T for DH or a 35T for freeride. I HIGHLY recommend this setup.
 

Muerto

Chimp
Oct 30, 2009
36
0
Sweden


Stripped down SLX cassette, 12-21t cogs paired with some carbon spacers. The cogs seem to hold up fairly well, being a trials rider at heart they've had to withstand the occassional pedalkick and static gap... (Yeah, on the DH bike.)
 

gratiflying

Chimp
Apr 12, 2007
70
0
been running duraace 11-27 (swap 14 for new 11) and 11-23.

but thinking every time i double shift i should drop a few gears to 6-7 speed. curious what ratios the 6-7 speeders are running? presumably u can't run 11 anymore or does chainline really make much difference? 36/11 seems like the perfect top gear and a bigger ring upfront seems unnecessary... thoughts
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
822
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
I've always had problems with 11Ts skipping when putting down power at top gear speeds over real DH terrain on several different frames. I see lots of other people without 11s so I'm not the only one. 38-40/12 is a usable gear to attain real speed.

If you're putting out a lot of power and your high speed sections are rough you'll notice the improvement of a larger cog and straighter chainline.

My 7spd cassette is 12-14-16-18-20-22-25.
 
Last edited:

-C-

Monkey
May 27, 2007
296
10
Dura Ace 11-23. Ebay bargain!

Been toying with dropping down to maybe 6spd. I never use all the gears anyway. I may sneak the new bike under 40lbs (just) if I do that!!
 

Nozzes

Chimp
Mar 10, 2009
22
0
Dura Ace 11-21.Shifts faster and it's a really nice weight saving over a mtb cassete.
For the Megavalanche I use a 11-32 XT,always with 36t up front.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog


Stripped down SLX cassette, 12-21t cogs paired with some carbon spacers. The cogs seem to hold up fairly well, being a trials rider at heart they've had to withstand the occassional pedalkick and static gap... (Yeah, on the DH bike.)
pretty cool setup man, so how does the shifter interact with the lesser amount of gears?
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
822
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
Just fine. With a 7 spd cassette the limit screws on my X9 derailleur are just long enough. Because I have a gear indicator I use shifts 1-7 (just don't shift to 8 or 9 cuz that results in a slack cable) but if you don't have an indicator use 3-9.
 

SPDR

Monkey
Apr 21, 2006
180
0
Engerland
9spd Dura-Ace cassettes are cheap... I got mine (12-25) brand new for $80

6spd's on SS hubs is old news, I ran that a longggg time ago. Pro2SS is most prime for it.
Igz

I've thought about doing this for a long time as it seems like the perfect solution for a strong & light back end but when I tried the shorter cassette on my regular Pro II, I couldn't get the X0 mech to work with less than 7 or 8 (I forget which) gears as the adjusting screw fell off the front of lower "limit pad" and the screw started taking chunks out of the side of it.

How did you get it to work?
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
Just fine. With a 7 spd cassette the limit screws on my X9 derailleur are just long enough. Because I have a gear indicator I use shifts 1-7 (just don't shift to 8 or 9 cuz that results in a slack cable) but if you don't have an indicator use 3-9.
ok i was thinking that was the proper method, i am curious as to the answer to the response above me, i could see myself doing something like this for the upcoming season, i love simple...DH bikes are complicated enough, great spot to help lesson that.
 

Muerto

Chimp
Oct 30, 2009
36
0
Sweden
pretty cool setup man, so how does the shifter interact with the lesser amount of gears?
No problems at all. Needed to change one of the stop screws to keep it from overshifting the smallest sprocket. Also had to make sure the shifter was at the stop (as it normally would be on the smallest sprocket) when on the 12t, otherwise it didn't shift too well. It doesn't make sense but that's what I and the best local mechanic figured, and it solved the problem. (At midnight a friday night, local time, my ability to explain stuff like this isn't the best.)

Would like to change to a super short cage mech though... Maybe a roadie 105 ss cage would fit the slx mech... Need to try that.
 

igz-

Monkey
Nov 30, 2008
265
0
Santa Cruz
Igz

I've thought about doing this for a long time as it seems like the perfect solution for a strong & light back end but when I tried the shorter cassette on my regular Pro II, I couldn't get the X0 mech to work with less than 7 or 8 (I forget which) gears as the adjusting screw fell off the front of lower "limit pad" and the screw started taking chunks out of the side of it.

How did you get it to work?
Yo dude!

I actually found a longer limiting screw that had the same thread pitch as the normal ones and just used that! Also, a tad more ghetto way is let the shifter click up 3 times before you tension the cable to the derailleur and thus you can only shift up 7 times and have 3 dead gears on the bottom!

Cheers :thumb:
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Just an update to my issue I described with my Dura Ace XO combination.
I just installed a new KMC X9 Sl chain today, and it completely cured the dead zone in my shifting. I was previously using Sram chains. The KMC chain shifts 10 times better!
I have seen issues cured like that before, my bike as well when I went from a sram to shimano DT recently..... I had a fairly new Sram chain, decided to keep it at first..... damn thing just wouldnt shift right in the mid range.... finally I gave up, replaced with shimano chain..... All teh difference inthe world. Just still seems that no matter how "compatible" something is, there are still differences, Like products still go best with like products.

Good to hear you have it all situated
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Yo dude!

I actually found a longer limiting screw that had the same thread pitch as the normal ones and just used that! Also, a tad more ghetto way is let the shifter click up 3 times before you tension the cable to the derailleur and thus you can only shift up 7 times and have 3 dead gears on the bottom!

Cheers :thumb:
The longer limit screws ar ethe way to go. They are really easy to get ahold of actually. Like you and others have said, just start off your bottom gear as normal when you go through setup, the stopps should keep you from over shifting
 

igz-

Monkey
Nov 30, 2008
265
0
Santa Cruz
Also, Dura-Ace chain on Dura-Ace 12-25 cassette is what I run.

XO shifter/derailleur.

My shifting is absolutely impeccable.
 

BmxConvert

Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
715
0
Longview, Washington
I combine 2 different cassettes to make up 1 on my DH bikes.

I use a 12-27 Ultegra for the top 4 or 5 gears on the aluminum carriers.
Then I use Sram PC990 for the higher ratio cogs. They tend to be lighter than the stock Ultegra and I can get an 11t high gear.

In the end I end up with a 11-27 set up that's slightly lighter than a 12-27 Ultegra cassette.

(With the left over gears I put together a 12-34T cassette for my trail bikes)

I've been running these combos for 2 1/2 years now without issues.

-Kevin
 

SPDR

Monkey
Apr 21, 2006
180
0
Engerland
Yo dude!

I actually found a longer limiting screw that had the same thread pitch as the normal ones and just used that! Also, a tad more ghetto way is let the shifter click up 3 times before you tension the cable to the derailleur and thus you can only shift up 7 times and have 3 dead gears on the bottom!

Cheers :thumb:
Thanks for the advice igz, I might try and get a longer screw and try that method out, there's no way I could got for the dead clicks options - it'd annoy the hell out of me :D
 

joelsman

Turbo Monkey
Feb 1, 2002
1,369
0
B'ham
Not racing, but I use a 33t front 11-34 cassette, and don't find that I need any higher gear except at really high speed sections at whistler, all my local stuff it is plenty, and i pedal up the hill a lot. i would like a lower gear for going up, 11-36 9sp cassette would be sooooo sweet.
 

johnnypop

Chimp
Aug 24, 2006
86
0
San Jose/Santa Barbara
I've been riding the 11-28t HG-80 Shimano all season on my Enduro and Demo... only time I don't like it is on steep climbs on the Enduro, for DH I think it's got the best usable gears for me at least. And it's not super spendy.
 

FullMonty

Chimp
Nov 29, 2009
96
0
36t ring and 11-32 PG980. Happens to have an HG50 chain on it at the moment. Shifts well enough for me.

The bike came stock with a 12-23, but for a lot of my riding, it's more coasting and then you have to slow for a really tight technical section, on the 11-32 I'm usually in the 4th cog, which I think is a 23. Anyway, if I'm racing at a level where tight ratios are important, I'll pick up a corncob, but a range of gears is more useful for me.