Author Topic: 11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T  (Read 929 times)

jhearrtot

11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T
« on: March 31, 2024, 12:33:48 PM »
Hey y'all!

This is my first post here so please be gentle with me  ;D

I'm currently using a SRAM XG1150 10-42T cassette which weights 390g on my scale.

This was initially a temporary cassette until I can get my hands on an XG1195 or an e13 XCX plus cassette to complete my weight weenie build.

Unfortunately, I can't justify the price for either so I'm currently looking for an alternative for my 1x setup on my road bike.

I'm not too sure about the quality with these SPEDAO cassettes but they are lighter and cheaper than my XG1150 at the moment:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006397636360.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.3f4938daYIudaI&mp=1

I've noticed as well that the HG version is significantly lighter than the XD version for about 40-50g, so I'm leaning more towards the HG cassette since I've got both HG and XDR splines available.

Your thoughts? Or is there a better option?



nicklej

Re: 11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2024, 02:48:31 AM »
Overall I prefer XD over HG. It is a better interface and doesn't wear out. As for Speedao, nto used those myself. I have used ZTTO pre-covid when XG cassettes were running out and I needed something. Definitely not as refined as SRAMs own product both in durability and shifting performance but SRAMs prices are stupid right now.

If you're in the UK you could look at Airbike - I've used their stuff for a while and been happy overall, they sort of fall between AliX and SRAM/Shimano in terms of overall product performance.

jhearrtot

Re: 11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2024, 09:00:56 AM »
Overall I prefer XD over HG. It is a better interface and doesn't wear out. As for Speedao, nto used those myself. I have used ZTTO pre-covid when XG cassettes were running out and I needed something. Definitely not as refined as SRAMs own product both in durability and shifting performance but SRAMs prices are stupid right now.

If you're in the UK you could look at Airbike - I've used their stuff for a while and been happy overall, they sort of fall between AliX and SRAM/Shimano in terms of overall product performance.

Thanks for your insights! I'm actually liking my XD setup but just leaning towards HG due to the weight difference. Might reconsider my options and probably just stick with my current setup for now.

dsveddy

Re: 11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2024, 10:06:52 AM »
The SPEEDAO 1-piece cassette is a design that's been sold under a lot of different brands including S-ROAD and ZTTO. It's a solid unit, I've bought 3 of this specific kind of cassette in HG guise, used them for road, CX, and commuting. It's a solid-performing ultralight cassette for the price. I'll echo the sentiment that they aren't as refined, but I haven't managed to put noticeable wear into any of my units so far.

Contrary to nicklej, I actually prefer the HG design. In the XD/XDR design, the cassette is clamped to the splines (near the hub) by the threads, and all static forces are cantilevered off these splines. (you could argue that some force transmits through the sleeve, but since this is a sliding component, it will only transmit force if the cassette flexes into it--potentially causing wear and creaking)

There's also the issue that the soft aluminum threads on these XD/XDR bodies are super-fine and susceptible to cross-threading. OEM SRAM MTB cassettes are manufactured with super tight sleeves that are almost impossible to turn without using a lot of force, making it very hard to feel the engagement of the threads. I've watched a couple bodies get damaged in this way. The GOLDIX XDR cassette that I've used doesn't have this tight-sleeve problem, interestingly. 

The other issue is that since XD/XDR is a system of moving parts, arguably the manufacturing tolerances of the system need to be stricter in order for the system to work properly. The HG cassette is much simpler to manufacture in comparison. When you're buying cut-rate equipment on AliEx, it's generally safer to buy the design that has fewer moving parts and lower demands on precision.

Lastly, HG splines do not really wear with these one piece cassettes. The main reason HG splines wear is that when you use cassettes with loose cogs (and fail to tighten them properly, which everyone does), the force applied to the spline is only distributed along the width of a single cog. One piece cassettes have solid engagement splines spanning the the width of ~2 cogs on each side. This means all forces are transmitted to the freehub splines over a much wider area compared to single cogs. I've been using one-piece cassettes for around 8 years now (SRAM Red before the SROAD cassettes), all freehubs I've put these one-piece designs on look virtually brand-new.

If you don't have a pressing need for a 10T cog (i.e. 1X bike with large demands for range) I can't really recommend pushing for XD/XDR, but I also won't recommend against it.

jhearrtot

Re: 11 Speed Cassette Recommendations - XD 10-42T or HG 11-42T
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2024, 11:52:54 AM »
The SPEEDAO 1-piece cassette is a design that's been sold under a lot of different brands including S-ROAD and ZTTO. It's a solid unit, I've bought 3 of this specific kind of cassette in HG guise, used them for road, CX, and commuting. It's a solid-performing ultralight cassette for the price. I'll echo the sentiment that they aren't as refined, but I haven't managed to put noticeable wear into any of my units so far.

Contrary to nicklej, I actually prefer the HG design. In the XD/XDR design, the cassette is clamped to the splines (near the hub) by the threads, and all static forces are cantilevered off these splines. (you could argue that some force transmits through the sleeve, but since this is a sliding component, it will only transmit force if the cassette flexes into it--potentially causing wear and creaking)

There's also the issue that the soft aluminum threads on these XD/XDR bodies are super-fine and susceptible to cross-threading. OEM SRAM MTB cassettes are manufactured with super tight sleeves that are almost impossible to turn without using a lot of force, making it very hard to feel the engagement of the threads. I've watched a couple bodies get damaged in this way. The GOLDIX XDR cassette that I've used doesn't have this tight-sleeve problem, interestingly. 

The other issue is that since XD/XDR is a system of moving parts, arguably the manufacturing tolerances of the system need to be stricter in order for the system to work properly. The HG cassette is much simpler to manufacture in comparison. When you're buying cut-rate equipment on AliEx, it's generally safer to buy the design that has fewer moving parts and lower demands on precision.

Lastly, HG splines do not really wear with these one piece cassettes. The main reason HG splines wear is that when you use cassettes with loose cogs (and fail to tighten them properly, which everyone does), the force applied to the spline is only distributed along the width of a single cog. One piece cassettes have solid engagement splines spanning the the width of ~2 cogs on each side. This means all forces are transmitted to the freehub splines over a much wider area compared to single cogs. I've been using one-piece cassettes for around 8 years now (SRAM Red before the SROAD cassettes), all freehubs I've put these one-piece designs on look virtually brand-new.

If you don't have a pressing need for a 10T cog (i.e. 1X bike with large demands for range) I can't really recommend pushing for XD/XDR, but I also won't recommend against it.

Very well explained! I'll take these into considerations! Thanks!