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11 speed cassettes

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View Poll Results: What 11 Speed cassette do you prefer?
11-25T
1
1.20%
11-28T
18
21.69%
11-30T
17
20.48%
11-32T
47
56.63%
Voters: 83. You may not vote on this poll

11 speed cassettes

Old 09-20-24 | 08:51 AM
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Not sure what was so difficult about the op’s poll.
he gives some specific choices what would you prefer. If none just don’t vote.
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Old 09-20-24 | 08:55 AM
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Originally Posted by jadmt
Not sure what was so difficult about the op’s poll.
he gives some specific choices what would you prefer. If none just don’t vote.
^^^This.
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Old 09-20-24 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by wheelreason
None of the above, 12-25 or 12-27. Asking end users what they want to see in product (and acting on it) sounds like a good idea, but isn't.
Why not market a "build your own" with extra cogs, (you know sprockets) spacers, and maybe a toy like a Happy Meal.... "Know your customer"
So how do you get to know your customers in the digital age?

Also, if you read the original post, it isn't about what we will offer (we will make them all) it's about setting a production schedule. I've always felt that sticking a wet finger in the wind was rarely a waste of time. YMMV.
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Old 09-20-24 | 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
We won't do any 1st position 12T as it requires completely different tooling for not only the cassettes but also the lockrings. It's just not worth the investment for us.
12-32 user here. Prefer lesser gap in the middle of the cassette than I'd miss an 11s cog. YMMV if running a more gravel based crank with smaller than a 50/34 front.
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Old 09-20-24 | 10:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
They are .machined from a single piece of alloy and are therefore lighter than Shimano.
They look attractively priced (eg. vs someone like Prestacycle), but can you explain the rationale for a rider weight limit? I'm scratching my head on that one.
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Old 09-20-24 | 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
They look attractively priced (eg. vs someone like Prestacycle), but can you explain the rationale for a rider weight limit? I'm scratching my head on that one.
post #22
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Old 09-20-24 | 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by big john
post #22
ahh missed that. so in reality us flat n'slow riders don't really have to worry :-)
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Old 09-20-24 | 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
ahh missed that. so in reality us flat n'slow riders don't really have to worry :-)
I don't know. Do you often hit 1500 watts?
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Old 09-20-24 | 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
12-32 user here. Prefer lesser gap in the middle of the cassette than I'd miss an 11s cog. YMMV if running a more gravel based crank with smaller than a 50/34 front.
In an ideal world (that's the one where I sleep on big bags of money) we'd offer more options including first position 12T. In this world, however, I have to be more pragmatic.
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Old 09-20-24 | 01:11 PM
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Originally Posted by jadmt
Not sure what was so difficult about the op’s poll.
he gives some specific choices what would you prefer. If none just don’t vote.
This is America, jack. I cast a write-in ballot.

And who is Mr. Dopilina anyway? Is he related to Mr. Dobalina or something?

Last edited by indyfabz; 09-20-24 at 01:14 PM.
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Old 09-20-24 | 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
I am setting cassette production for 2025 and, with more 12 speed on the market, I am wondering what we should set as a priority.

So, if you are still running 11 speed Shimano/Sram, what gearing do you prefer?

See the attached poll for results and thanks to the BF braintrust.
I voted 11-28. My current 12sp cassette is a 11-29, but I couple that with a 48/32 crankset. I have very little use for even a 50/11 top gear - at least a 48/11 might see some action
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Old 09-20-24 | 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
In an ideal world (that's the one where I sleep on big bags of money) we'd offer more options including first position 12T. In this world, however, I have to be more pragmatic.
Well, you could look at it as a way to corner the market by being basically the only (aside from Campy) manufacturer offering 12x## cassettes. Everybody else offers 11t starting cassettes. Let them
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Old 09-20-24 | 05:05 PM
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Your gear ratio is a RATIO of the size of the chainring with the size of the cog. The ultimate ratio depends on both, so without specifying the chainring size, the question is meaningless. Or maybe you're assuming a chainring size.

My tandem's drivetrain has 52/42/30 chainrings, and the cassette is 11-40.
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Old 09-20-24 | 05:42 PM
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All of my bikes with cassettes tend to be 34-50 or 36-52 and paired to 11-28 cassettes. I used to be into 11-32 but found In rarely used the 32 cog and the slightly tighter spread of the 28 just suited me better.

In didn't vote. Instead, I am posting so that I can advocate for only one tooth jumps on the small end of the cassette where the % change from gear to gear is the biggest from one to the next. Big jumps in tooth count on the big end aren't a problem because of how the ratios scale.

An 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32 might be popular with strong 34-50 riders who would spend the bulk of their time in 14, 15, 16, 18 or just buckled down for climbing mode.

I don't expect such a cassette to ever be made, but why not throw it out there, right? 🤷

Last edited by base2; 09-20-24 at 05:48 PM.
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Old 09-20-24 | 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
Well, you could look at it as a way to corner the market by being basically the only (aside from Campy) manufacturer offering 12x## cassettes. Everybody else offers 11t starting cassettes. Let them
We have made Campy 11spd 12-27 and 12-28 in the past but they just weren't that popular with the Campy set. I think we still have some but we won't make any more.
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Old 09-20-24 | 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by base2
An 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32 might be popular with strong 34-50 riders who would spend the bulk of their time in 14, 15, 16, 18 or just buckled down for climbing mode.

I don't expect such a cassette to ever be made, but why not throw it out there, right? 🤷
It's just so crazy it might work!
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Old 09-20-24 | 09:31 PM
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11-34 with 34-50 crank. Very civilized.
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Old 09-21-24 | 12:34 AM
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I swapped out my 11-32 cassettes on both of my bikes for 11-28s. But obviously the answer depends on both the cyclist and the route. I have Shimano drive trains but am using SRAM cassettes because I like the grear spacing a bit better on the SRAM 11-28.
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Old 09-22-24 | 01:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Random11
I have Shimano drive trains but am using SRAM cassettes because I like the grear spacing a bit better on the SRAM 11-28.
What is it you like better?
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Old 09-22-24 | 03:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
What is it you like better?
The SRAM has a 16 tooth gear the Shimano is missing. I'd rather have that gear than have closer spacing in the big gears.
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Old 09-22-24 | 05:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Random11
The SRAM has a 16 tooth gear the Shimano is missing. I'd rather have that gear than have closer spacing in the big gears.
fwiw, the 12s shimano 11-28 I looked at, had only single tooth differences all the way up thru the 19t. But 11-28 only seems available in DuraAce, and nobody seems to have in stock. However, even the 11-30 has single teeth changes thru the 17t.
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Old 09-22-24 | 06:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
fwiw, the 12s shimano 11-28 I looked at, had only single tooth differences all the way up thru the 19t. But 11-28 only seems available in DuraAce, and nobody seems to have in stock. However, even the 11-30 has single teeth changes thru the 17t.
It's not much of a difference, I admit, but enough that I prefer the SRAM cassettes. I haven't checked the availability of Shimano 11-28. My drive trains are Ultegra, and the SRAM cassettes work fine. Completely compatible. If 11-28 isn't available in Ultegra, that would seem to be another reason to use the SRAM cassette.
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Old 09-25-24 | 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
They look attractively priced (eg. vs someone like Prestacycle), but can you explain the rationale for a rider weight limit? I'm scratching my head on that one.
I have bought four 11-speed Prestacycle (prior version, not the current Pro version) stainless steel cassettes (12-28 twice, 11-34, and 11-25) for < $100 each. The smaller three are each lighter than their Shimano Dura-Ace counterparts which have 6 stainless steel cogs + 5 titanium cogs. BDop cassettes are aluminum alloy and are thus even lighter, but aluminum wears faster.
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Old 09-27-24 | 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
I have bought four 11-speed Prestacycle (prior version, not the current Pro version) stainless steel cassettes (12-28 twice, 11-34, and 11-25) for < $100 each. The smaller three are each lighter than their Shimano Dura-Ace counterparts which have 6 stainless steel cogs + 5 titanium cogs. BDop cassettes are aluminum alloy and are thus even lighter, but aluminum wears faster.
So what you are saying is that you have no experience with BDop cassettes but are comparing them to cassettes that are no longer offered? And that the new cassettes from Prestacycle are far more expensive? In fact they seem to be about 70g heavier and twice the price?

Gee, you could buy TWO BDop cassettes for nearly the same price and I hear those BDop fellas are swell guys.
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Old 10-01-24 | 07:21 AM
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Currently run a customized 12-32 Miche because Shimano stubbornly refuses to give me 14t and 16t. I don’t often run out of rpm at 12t, so an 11t wouldn’t be my first choice, but I could live with it provided the cruising range is adequately covered. Unfortunately, I don’t think one can do 11-17 as a corncob without ridiculous gaps to get to 32t.

I used to run 12-29 when I never encountered anything beyond 10% on the east coast… now one of my favorite rides hits 12-14% for a few hundred meters…
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