SROAD lightweight cassettes

[jonathanf2]

So I received a 2nd Spedao/SRoad cassette from the Lexon store which I purchased during the last sale, this cassette doesn't appear to be skipping. I'm wondering if the 1st cassette (which I returned) had a bad 12t cog causing it to skip? Anyways, just to verify, does everyone else's cassette make more noise in the 1st-2nd small cogs compared to a standard cassette?

[Michi]

Update on my creaking 12sp cassette - more than 1000km later, the creaking still hasn't returned since I put thread lock on the interface between the spider and the cogs. So fingers crossed that I fixed the issue. Still, it seems that this interface, where the cogs are riveted to the spider can be a weak spot.

As for shifting and wear - it's been good. Not in any way inferior to cassettes from Shimano/Sram/Campag that I've been using in the past. The rainbow finish still looks like new.

I suppose I ran into the same problem: have a 12speed 11-50 cassette. Been running it for aprx. 1500km when a creaking started and quickly became quite loud. Dis- and reassembly (with mounting paste) stopped the noise for 100...150km. It is a once-per-rearwheel-revolution creak. Where did you apply the locktite exactly? I see the steel cogs somehow mounted to the aluminium part... but no gap where I could apply any the Loctite. Also which loctite did you use? Some gap-filler? Thanks a lot for any hint!

[hsaus]

So I received a 2nd Spedao/SRoad cassette from the Lexon store which I purchased during the last sale, this cassette doesn't appear to be skipping. I'm wondering if the 1st cassette (which I returned) had a bad 12t cog causing it to skip? Anyways, just to verify, does everyone else's cassette make more noise in the 1st-2nd small cogs compared to a standard cassette?

I have an 11 speed 11-32T Spedao/Sroad cassette. No skipping or unusual noise on any cogs.

[Fish #6]

I have an 11-speed 11-32 SROAD cassette. It's been on my main bike for two years, it's just coming up on 16,000 km and I've had no issues whatsoever. It's used with 4 waxed chains in rotation and pretty well looked after.

[ausmtb8989]

I have a SROAD 11-42 MTB cassette and no issues so far after 3 months of riding

[zerstorer]

A Sroad cassette is definitely noisier than a normal steel cassette because it's hollowed out inside. Have been using one for about 5000km and it's still in good condition.
For those who was, if you experience skipping on some cogs, sometimes it can be due to wax buildup on the cassette. Just scraping it clean will solve the skipping.

[Serge_K]

I had noise on the second to last cog of a 11-32 i installed after using an 11-34 because i had to put the 11-34 on another bike for a bit. I didn't adjust the RD cage nor did i resize the chain. I suspect the reason is that: i didn't adjust the RD cage, and maybe to a lesser extent because the chain is too long. I'll update this if i can't get rid of the noise. I think that more often than not, people with noisy drive trains are due to user error rather than equipment.
I've been using those chinese alu & steel extra light cassettes.
Also, in one instance, 1 of the tiny torx screw at the back of one of them was getting loose. I think going fwd i'll loctite these before installing the cassette for peace of mind.
There are a lot of bolts on a bike that i find benefit from getting loctite.
And indeed, you have to monitor wax buildup, it happened to me once and it can build up quite fast.

[Michi]

Thanks for picking up the topic again! To be more precise regarding the type of cassette: it is this one https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005001874227807.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.89.201b5c5fm3ZIaJ&gatewayAdapt=glo2deu (hope the link works... how can I create those short links?) It is a one-piece cog design machined from steel, installed on a aluminium carrier. Just the smallest cog is a separate one. From the message I commented ybove I read that there was a similar design referred to, and the fix was to apply Loctite.
Now I put some Loctite 641 to the area where the steel and the aluminium part are in contact. Not sure whether it has a chance to intrude and cure...

[Lovewookie]

I have the SPEDAO version of this cassette, 11-42 11 speed MTB and have just opened up a refund request.
it's nice, well made and light. shifts great, but after only about 200 miles it's started to click, which developed into a creak. Further inspection one of the point where the sprockets are attached to the carrier has some movement. it's not loose, but there is definite movement under load.
they're only attached using small brass rivets vs large steel rivets holding sprockets on to say, shimano alu carriers.

may be bad batch, but it's a risk certainly.
replacing with a XT shimano one instead

[Serge_K]

at the back of the cassette, there are 3 small screws (i have the half alu, half steel ones). i had one instance where one screw was getting loose. i loctite-d everything and it's been fine since.
i hope you're not asking a refund because a screw you can tighten & lock is getting loose?

[Fish #6]

I have an 11-speed 11-32 SROAD cassette. It's been on my main bike for two years, it's just coming up on 16,000 km and I've had no issues whatsoever. It's used with 4 waxed chains in rotation and pretty well looked after.

Died after 16,600 km. Developed the familar click/creak, which serves me right for my praise back in April. Nonetheless, pretty good service.
Inspection showed that the spider/carrier had cracked alongside several of the rivet holes. The material here is very thin, so in hindsight an obvious weak point.

I've installed the identical SROAD (now sold as SPEDAO) replacement I bought nearly two years ago, but in future would look for a cassette with a more robust interface between aluminium spider and steel monobloc.

[jonathanf2]

The only appeal of the Spedao cassettes is that they offer bigger range HG/XD cassettes. At this point for road cassettes, I would go with the Goldix/ZTTO lightweight steel cassettes with the beefier torx screw cog spider.

[Lovewookie]

at the back of the cassette, there are 3 small screws (i have the half alu, half steel ones). i had one instance where one screw was getting loose. i loctite-d everything and it's been fine since.
i hope you're not asking a refund because a screw you can tighten & lock is getting loose?

No, mine was like the one above that cracked, it's just small brass rivets. I really wished they had done the same as the road ones and used small torx bolts as that may have been a much better solution, maybe...I still have the fear from when old M900 cassettes were assembled using miniature chainring bolts, that just wouldn't stay tight.

[amphibulus]

The only appeal of the Spedao cassettes is that they offer bigger range HG/XD cassettes. At this point for road cassettes, I would go with the Goldix/ZTTO lightweight steel cassettes with the beefier torx screw cog spider.

I just tried the Goldix 12 speeds 11-34T on a Shimano 105 Di2. First it shift poorly, it makes your Shimano shift like a SRAM. Second it's impossible to index properly. If I was micro adjusting to have it quiet in the top range, it was shifting poorly in the low range or simply not shifting. I did check my hanger with the DAG-2.2 and everything is straight. I'm back on my heavy 105 cassette for now, but it shift smooth.

When you compare the tooth profile of the Goldix vs Shimano it's very different. The design Shimano use is much more complex.

[Sebastian]

I'm using the SROAD cassette with the weak riveted connection for about 7000k now on my VB-R218. It shifts great. It did creak but I put in a hell of a lot of Loctite which quietened it down. No troubles ever since.

Nevertheless, I too bought the Goldix 12sp cassette pictured above because of the better designed spider/cassette interface. And while it's kind of alright, I'm having a hard time too to get it to shift absolutely smooth. There's always one or two rough gears when shifting towards the smaller cogs. It shifts but the chain sometimes sort of "jumps" onto the next smaller cog rather roughly. Inconsistency is the best way to put it. You shift into the same gear ten times and it works like 9 times out of ten - but that one time you get a crunchy kind of "KLONK". I did blame it on my LTWOO er9 so far but it might just be the cassette. The Ltwoo is heavily customizable for each individual gear but despite that it's hard to get it to shift this cassette as smoothly as I would like it to. Shifting towards the bigger cogs is no issue at all because the RD slightly overshifts and then aligns itself with the cog.