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What cassette do you have on your DH rig?

SthFRider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2008
218
0
Atlanta,Ga
Simple. What cassette are you guys running? Any you would recommend that are better for downhill applications, lighter, stronger, etc.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
Tiagra 11-23 (or maybe 11-25, I can't quite remember). With a Tiagra SS derailleur. Works wonderfully, and it's cheap! not sure what the weight is...
 

Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
i have head owned several road cassettes.

Shimano Tiagra 12-23T great cassette not to expensive,not the lighest but for a budget road cassette they are good to go.

SRAM PG970 11-21T is by far the best sram cassette i ever head,it's light only 169g and the quality is top notch for a SRAM cassette.Sligthy more expensive as a Tiagra but so much lighter/better.

Shimano 105 11-23T since i couldn't get the 11-21T,the quality is better than a Tiagra and they are quite expensive(not as a Dura Ace).Shifting with my XO went pretty smooth.

I now have a Dura Ace 11-23T on my DH bike and the quality has improved over the 105 big time,my XO shifts eaven smoother than with the 105.Fantastic cassette and the quality is realy high end with some cogs made out of Titanium.
 
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manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
best performance/cost combo is the ultegra, like said above the dura ace is damn nice but $$$. I cant see anything working better than a high end road stack.
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara

SthFRider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2008
218
0
Atlanta,Ga
Or find a used one.

I got my Dura Ace 12-25 for under $100 on craigslist. Guy used it a few times and didn't like the gear range.

Also bought a Ultegra for my practice wheels on craigslist for $25, few rides old as well.
Very true

Why does everyone ride road cassettes. Im guessing its because they are light weight. But most of them are 10 speed. I guess you would just have to run a 10spd chain but thats not really an issue. Just curious to why people run 10spd road cassettes instead of 9spd mtb cassettes.
 

igz-

Monkey
Nov 30, 2008
265
0
Santa Cruz
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.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
I ride mine not because of weight, but more because of the gear ratio. With a 34 or 36 tooth front chainring, a 11-23 (or 25) caseette, you get more useable gears and you can run a short cage derailleur. Short cage derailleurs are lighter and stronger and can deal with whacked out alignment much better. In reality, for most DH users, on a DH bike there is no need for a 38 tooth ring and 11-34 cogset...
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
Shimano HG80 SLX/Saint 11-28.
Pretty nice cassette. Decently light, al/ti cassette body friendly, and a nice spread of gears.
I've previously run 12-27 Ultega cassettes, I missed my 11 tooth. There's a more noticeable change of gears too, it seemed I needed to double shift more with the Ultegra.
 

Biffff

Monkey
Jan 10, 2006
913
0
I'm running a Dura-Ace 11-23 with an XO short Cage. I love the ratios, and how it shifts at the bottom, and the top, but the upshifts lag in the middle for some reason. Xo shifter, XO RD, Nokon full length housing, with a new cable. Lots of hours spent dialing the tension and limits. I have the exact same setup on my trail/FR bike only with a XTR cassette, and don't have this problem.
 

crohnsy

Monkey
Oct 2, 2009
341
0
T Bay
I'm running a Dura-Ace 11-23 with an XO short Cage. I love the ratios, and how it shifts at the bottom, and the top, but the upshifts lag in the middle for some reason. Xo shifter, XO RD, Nokon full length housing, with a new cable. Lots of hours spent dialing the tension and limits. I have the exact same setup on my trail/FR bike only with a XTR cassette, and don't have this problem.

Your derailleur hanger might be tweaked just alittle bit. Does it lag while in repair stand or just when riding?
 

Runner

Monkey
Sep 21, 2007
377
0
CT
I'm running X.0 to short cage X.0 with jagwire in-between; the cassette is 5 speed 11-20. For downhill only, it works really well.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
4 bikes, 4 11-23s. Tried and true for DH and racing. cant pedal uphill for ****. Front chainrings are between 36 and 42
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Sram PG-970 DH 11-26
Sram PG-970 DH (11-26) 269g.
Same as the above for me..... It shifts nice, and it was free



I ride mine not because of weight, but more because of the gear ratio. With a 34 or 36 tooth front chainring, a 11-23 (or 25) caseette, you get more useable gears and you can run a short cage derailleur. Short cage derailleurs are lighter and stronger and can deal with whacked out alignment much better. In reality, for most DH users, on a DH bike there is no need for a 38 tooth ring and 11-34 cogset...

Not that your front chain wheel, or cassette has anything to do with what derailluer cage you can run. Your just compensating for the extra chain needed to go from top to bottom, rule of thumb<and is pretty good one>short for a single up front, medium for a double, long for a tripple. There is of coarse the math you can do to make sure the derailluer's capacity will take up the chain slack........But it really isnt an issue with DH bikes.... your more concerned with chain growth as it goes through the suspension
 

frango

Turbo Monkey
Jun 13, 2007
1,454
5
I've been using 9spd Dura-Ace 11-21 with 34t ring for urban riding and 38t for mountains. It was light (ca. 160g) and pretty cheap. But, I lost my bike with the cassette.
To save some money and my knees ;) I decided to get SLX 11-28 cassette. It weighs 230g and is cheap :)
 

Biffff

Monkey
Jan 10, 2006
913
0
Your derailleur hanger might be tweaked just alittle bit. Does it lag while in repair stand or just when riding?
I wish it was that simple. My hanger is true. I've had the issue since my frame was brand new (Demo), and on my previous frame, and the problem dissapears when my other cassette is used. Its not a deal braker for the Dura-ace is its only the middle cog that does it.
I've experimented with B-tension is well. I wish I could have the ratios and weight of the Dura-ace with the shifting performance of the XTR.
 

joelsman

Turbo Monkey
Feb 1, 2002
1,369
0
B'ham
I use a 11-34 980 I think, I pedal up hill and with a wider gear ratio I shift less on the way down.
 

SthFRider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2008
218
0
Atlanta,Ga
Thanks for the input fella's. It seems the dura ace 11-23 with a 36 ring up front seems to be the ticket. Would that set up be okay with a medium cage derailleur. I just bought an x9 medium and don't feel like buying a new short cage. I may have to change to that set up once i get the money. I had to buy a new chainguide the other day which set me back some seeing as i am a broke college student.
 

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
Thanks for the input fella's. It seems the dura ace 11-23 with a 36 ring up front seems to be the ticket. Would that set up be okay with a medium cage derailleur. I just bought an x9 medium and don't feel like buying a new short cage. I may have to change to that set up once i get the money. I had to buy a new chainguide the other day which set me back some seeing as i am a broke college student.
I think I will 'copy' you; the 38/12-34 thing is weaksauce; Ill ditche the 38 for a 36 and get a 12-23 (11-23, I will use a fresh 11 and lock ring I have 'in stock'!) then I can use the 12-34 on a trail bike.

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