SRAM MTB 1x11 refresh

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Discussion

tjdixon911

Original Poster:

1,911 posts

237 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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My drivtrain is at a point of needing a bit of a refresh, my bikes a Canyon spectral purchased late 2014, I've been through a few chains but now my casette is looking worn and my rear mech jockey wheels seem to have a tendency to seize..

The bike is x1 equipped.

SRAM do a xg-1150 (GX spec) and xg-1180 (X1) cassette which have a c.£100 price difference, is the 1180 worth that much more?

I'm struggling with replacement 12t jockey wheels, not many around and the ones i find costing £30-40.. Are ceramic ones worth the money? I've had a few SRAM ones seize but never shimano..

A bit of man maths tells me to get a whole new group set but I know I shouldn't!

Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

198 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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With SRAMs over priced cassettes it maybe cheaper to get a more reliable XT drive train bundle from Chain reaction. Can you change hebfreehub on your wheel?

tjdixon911

Original Poster:

1,911 posts

237 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Herman Toothrot said:
With SRAMs over priced cassettes it maybe cheaper to get a more reliable XT drive train bundle from Chain reaction. Can you change hebfreehub on your wheel?
This was an option I had been looking at, I have original SRAM Roam wheels, unsure if the freehub is changeable.

ETA - I had thought of the option of running an XT groupset with a SRAM Cassette..

Edited by tjdixon911 on Sunday 26th February 09:08

joema

2,648 posts

179 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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If you don't mind the weight of an XT cassette go for it. Sram X1 and XX1 are expensive because of the machining of it from one piece of metal.
GX offers a good compromise.

Also replace your chain before you need to. Apparently the cheaper 11 spd chains use a softer metal and will take less toll on the cassette as it wears down itself

neenaw

1,212 posts

189 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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I've just upgraded to 11 speed on my hardtail and in the end I went for the XG-1150 cassette. The price wasn't too bad at £75 or so and I already had the XD driver so didn't have to buy that. I'm running it with XT 11 speed shifter and rear mech as I don't like Sram shifters.
From a weight point of view, it's something like 390g compared to the XT cassettes which I think were nearer to 500g.

On my FS bike I've got an XX1 cassette fitted. The cassette was part of the XX1 groupset I bought when it was first launched back in early 2013 from what I remember. It's done god knows how many thousand miles through all weathers and has had a new chain fitted every 1000 miles or so, I reckon the cassette must have done at least 5000 miles and has never skipped or slipped and still shifts smoothly so from that point of view, it hasn't been bad value for money.

I don't know about the new 11 speed XT cassettes but I know that in the past with 10 seed XT cassettes I've found them to only manage a couple of chains before they're slipping and need replaced.

When I replace the XX1 cassette on the FS bike, I'll probably replace it with the X01 cassette as it's virtually the same apart from the colour and they drop down to about £130 or so every now and again on Amazon so not too expensive.

tjdixon911

Original Poster:

1,911 posts

237 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
quotequote all
neenaw said:
I've just upgraded to 11 speed on my hardtail and in the end I went for the XG-1150 cassette. The price wasn't too bad at £75 or so and I already had the XD driver so didn't have to buy that. I'm running it with XT 11 speed shifter and rear mech as I don't like Sram shifters.
From a weight point of view, it's something like 390g compared to the XT cassettes which I think were nearer to 500g.

On my FS bike I've got an XX1 cassette fitted. The cassette was part of the XX1 groupset I bought when it was first launched back in early 2013 from what I remember. It's done god knows how many thousand miles through all weathers and has had a new chain fitted every 1000 miles or so, I reckon the cassette must have done at least 5000 miles and has never skipped or slipped and still shifts smoothly so from that point of view, it hasn't been bad value for money.

I don't know about the new 11 speed XT cassettes but I know that in the past with 10 seed XT cassettes I've found them to only manage a couple of chains before they're slipping and need replaced.

When I replace the XX1 cassette on the FS bike, I'll probably replace it with the X01 cassette as it's virtually the same apart from the colour and they drop down to about £130 or so every now and again on Amazon so not too expensive.
Thanks, with the GX cassette being only c. £15 more than the XT and lighter it may be worth sticking to that and look to get an XT mech and shifter, everything else can remain... only means I'll have to have an extra clamp on my bars as I'm guessing the guide brakes won't carry an XT shifter.

My cassette isn't jumping yet so I could probably hold off on replacing it just yet.

W00DY

15,492 posts

226 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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GX 1150 cassettes are the ones to get as they're all steel unlike the heavier XT or more expensive 1180 which means you don't have to feel guilty about using the granny gear,


Vantagemech

5,728 posts

215 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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My SiL needs to replace her drivetrain as the chain is shot along with the chainring and would therefore assume the cassette is not far behind. She has found she cant get the derailleur to drop to 10th, even with the adjustment screws turned out. Im assuming its simply excessive wear - you can almost lift the chain off the front sprocket which is also badly "hooked".
Ive heard stories of the 1150 becoming noisy as they are riveted together whereas stated above on the 1180 the smallest 3 are cut from billet. However the £130 price difference and 100g would sway me to the 1150. Anyone had such issues with them?

neenaw

1,212 posts

189 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Vantagemech said:
Ive heard stories of the 1150 becoming noisy as they are riveted together whereas stated above on the 1180 the smallest 3 are cut from billet. However the £130 price difference and 100g would sway me to the 1150. Anyone had such issues with them?
I can't say I've heard or read of any problems with the cassettes but I'm not sure if I know of anyone running one.
I think that there are issues with many of these things but it's just luck of the draw if it affects you. I know that when the new 11 speed XTR was launched a few people complained about creaking noises from the cassettes but then others had no issues whatsoever.
I've never had any issues with excessively noisy 10 speed cassettes that are riveted so hopefully this will be the case with the 1150.

snotrag

14,459 posts

211 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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I've got 11 speed Sram GX on my main bike, after running Shimano XT for years I'm really pleased. Appears to be wearing well and shifts excellently for a 'mid-range' set of parts.

Fluffsri

3,165 posts

196 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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Vantagemech

5,728 posts

215 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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I have the Sunrace 11-42 as a 10 speed on my Stumpy, Sram are 10-24 so have a better top speed.
I cant fault the Sunrace, behaves much better than the option of a bigger 1st and lose the 16t.
She has ordered the bits from CRC, so we will see of it makes a difference with the mis-shifting.

Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

198 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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Regards Sunrace I've the cheap steel one ms3 11-42 on one bike with XT & rad cage and an 11-40 mx3 alloy biggest ring more expensive but fine on a standard mech on another. People you will see in reviews often complain of the chain dropping down the cassette from the biggest ring on back pedaling. Personally I think who cares, other than maybe 1/4 ratchet I never do anyway. However testing this the cheap steel doesn't do it and the more expensive alloy big ring one does. So if you are a back peddler and don't care about a few grams get the cheaper version. :-)

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Tuesday 28th February 20:44

Vantagemech

5,728 posts

215 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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I spend a silly amount of time fannying about setting my gears up - a mate loaned me his hanger straightening bar insisting mine would be bent - which it wasnt...
Ive never had shifting issues with the Sunrace, but I am running a 32t oval N/W chainring up front with the Specialized chain guide. I have XT shadow+ but never switch it on. I was informed its only supposed to be used when youre using one ring and expect the chain to hit the stays.

Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

198 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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Clutch mechs can be run on dual ring setups, what they don't like is oval rings as each pedal stroke pulls the mech forward causing premature clutch ware or so the theory goes, in practice not sure how quickly it'll really ware. I only run single rings on my mtb, narrow wide ring (Amazon is a great supply of £11 Chinese rings that are indistinguishable from Absolute black logo excepted) and a clutch mech and the chain will never drop. I'm more than happy with my Sunrace cassettes.

Vantagemech

5,728 posts

215 months

Wednesday 1st March 2017
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I was told the opposite! The clutch doesn't like the extreme for say going small > large chainring as it loads the clutch up. On my XT it also makes the shifting stiffer at the lever, so I leave it off. It's a bit of a half baked idea really and it I replace the derailleur I won't get + again.

Vantagemech

5,728 posts

215 months

Saturday 4th March 2017
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Well, helped to fit the bits today, all £290 of it!
One word of advice, do not look on google to see how the X1 cable comes out, if you do youll spend hours like I did rebuilding the bloody shifter smile

Happily all is working, new chain etc has cured the mis-shifting and now selects all 11 gears. What was alarming was how much of the smaller segmented teeth were almost 1/3 worn away on the cassette. Still, if you will spend silly money to save a few grammes...