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Our Recommendations
Once you’ve put some serious miles on your bicycle, it might be time to replace your cassette. If the teeth in your most-frequently used cogs look more like sharp teeth rather than the rounded humps of your little-used cogs, it’s time to replace the cassette. Sometimes it’s possible to replace individual cogs instead of the whole cassette, but not all cassettes have replacement parts, and it’s often better to replace the entire thing. Ask your local bike mechanic what’s best for your bike. Below is our recommended list of bicycle cassettes. We’ve added a helpful video at the end of this post and we recommend you carefully read through REI’s instructions for sizing, replacing and maintaining bicycle cassettes.
1. Shimano Ultegra R8000 Cassette
- Cog Sizes: 11 – 40 t, 11 – 42 t
- Cog Material: aluminum and steel
- Hub Type: Shimano or SRAM 11-speed Compatible
- Recommended Use: mountain bike
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years
- Purchase at Amazon
Taking design cue’s from Shimano’s Dura-Ace line, the new Shimano Ultegra R8000 11-Speed Cassette offers optimum performance and durability, smooth shifting, and plenty of gearing options, all at a great value.Features: 11-Speed Cassette Available in an 11-30T, 11-32T or 14-28T Wide gearing options Trickle down technology from Shimano’s Dura-Ace line . paired this cassette with a GX shifter and a GX derailleur. The GX cassette is a lot heavier than the X01. It is only compatible with 12-speed chains like the SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-Speed Chain.
2. SHIMANO CS-6700 Ultegra Bicycle Cassette (10-Speed)
- Alloy sprocket carrier
- A more rigid aluminum carrier keeps the cogs in check when making shifts under load
- Better shifting performance thanks to more robust shifting tolerance
- Updated gear sprocket design
- It weighs 208 grams
- Purchase at Amazon
Shimano’s Ultegra-level cassettes are one of the gems of cycling components. Significantly cheaper than the top-line Dura-Ace offerings, they’re also more durable, and only slightly heavier. And, they’re heavier in the center of a wheel, where their effect is negligible. Shimano’s improved its shifting ramps on this iteration, too, meaning the fabulous shift quality you expect from the Japanese component giant is even better than you remember.
3. SHIMANO 6800 Ultegra 11-Speed Cassette
- HG-EV 11-speed cassette sprocket
- Rider tuned wider gearing options
- Includes lock ring
- Made in Japan
- HG-EV 11-speed cassette sprocket
- Rider tuned wider gearing options
- Includes lock ring
- Made in Japan
- Purchase at Amazon
The Shimano 6800 cassettes are decent weight, shift really well and wear better than Dura Ace. These are go-to cassettes in all sizes. They work really well with the rest of the 8000 group set.
4. SHIMANO HG51 8-Speed Cassette
- 8 speed
- 302 grams
- Purchase at Amazon
5. Shimano CS-5700 105 10-Speed Cassette
- Aluminum carrier for 3 largest cogs
- Nickel plating increases durability
- Drilled out cogs help reduce weight
- Includes locking
- Shimano Reference Number: CS-5700
- Purchase at Amazon
The new 105 front derailleur leverages the wide inner link design introduced at the Dura-Ace level to assertively move the chain. Combined with the improved chain guide shape, silky smooth and seamless shifts can be made even under the heaviest of loads.
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