XT Cassette

[stapfam]

I am always trying to fit the best replacement for worn out parts on the Dale MT. The rear sprocket needed changing and today was the first ride out with the replacement XT 11/32 rear cassette. I have used these before but generally use LX as they are more readily available at my LBS. However, the new XT was bought on the internet at a lower price than I would pay at my LBS for the LX. Ride was good and this is the first ride out in anger for about 3 months Off-road. Still plenty of mud about but the tracks are drying out a bit. Everything going well until a slightly clunky change, and we lost 2 gears on the cassette. All it felt like was a slipping within the gears on the biggest two sprockets. thought it was just mud, or a stone stopping the chain from engaging properly, and as it was near the end of the ride, just carried on not using those two gears. Cleaning the bike and the top two gears that caused the problem are bent. Now I have bent the same two sprockets on a 12/34, but this is the first time I have bent this sizing.

Any one else heard of this problem before? All I can put it down to is a winters worth of twice a week at the gym trying to build up leg strength. Either that or the quality of Shimano XT has dropped and the lighter XT cassette is now not man enough for a Tandem

[TandemGeek]

You've really got to be a finese rider to keep an XT cassette from failing. The spider with riveted sprockets just doesn't have enough "meat" compared to the LX. I say this as one of the few teams who have gotten away with running 11x32t XT cassettes, both 8 and 9 speed on our Ventanas and, before that, on our '98 C'dale MT3000.

[LV2TNDM]

I saw this subject a few days ago, but forgot to read your post.
We've had good luck with the XT 12-34 cassettes. And we've destroyed five freehubs, so we generate some torque. But we're not super-beefy (200lb. male, 110 lb. female), so take that for what it's worth. However, I should add that one of our XT's developed a creaking while climbing in the second-largest cog. It hasn't gotten worse in over five years, but I keep an eye on it anyway.
I have, however, destroyed an XTR cassette on my single. Folded the three largest cogs. I was maneuvering the bike around a tight hairpin climb when all hell broke loose. Cassette failed and the rear wheel pulled a couple of nipples through my Mavic CrossMax rim. I was thrilled when Shimano replaced the cassette under warranty - it was the first Ti model, which had separate cogs and spiders. The replacement cogset is just like the XT, but with Ti cogs and has proven to be more durable.
I'd stick with the LX, since it's steel through and through. What does Santana have to say on the issue?

[Brian]

The LX is probably much more durable due to it's solid design. We used the XTR with the Ti cogs, and had no problems. Now we have a SRAM, again no problems. You may need to "Downgrade" back to LX. Go figure.