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So I'll be buying a used GX RD and Shifter from here for my Kona Unit as single speed and fat with bad knees just isn't working for me.
I've got an el-guapo rattlesnake rear hub that I'll build into the wheel at the weekend, it's got a Shimano freehub, as does the stock one.
Weight isn't a concern on an already chunky 27+ steel rigid bike but I also don't want to ruin the bike with it, and I do need to lift over gates and stuff on cheeky trails which I ride a bit.
Important to me is a nice shift, reliable, durable, affordable.
Called my LBS earlier and Shimano are making it impossible for them to be competitive against our friends in Ireland, or other outlets, as much as I want to support them, I didn't ask about SRAM but suspect it'll be the same story.
My options appear to be
PG1130 NX 11-42 cassette and sram solid link chain
Sunrace alloy spider 11-42 cassette and any 11 speed chain (plus link if shimano)
SLX m7000 11-42 cassette and 105/SLX chain plus link
Have I missed anything? And is anyone offering a stellar deal on anything like the above at the moment
Sunrace 11-46 works fine with my gx rear mech. A wee bit of extra range compared to a 42t.
Pretty much. Once you're on the old Shimano freehub body, 11sp options are reduced to the SRAM NX, Sunrace or Shimano XT/SLX.
The NX is a bit of a lump but is all steel so if you plan to hammer the 42t it'll outlast any of the others here. My experience of the M8000 11-42 cassette wasn't great, I wouldn't recommend one unless it was a budget option.
So, SLX M7000 or the MX8. It's worth noting that CRC are only currently holding the 11-40 and 11-46 at under £50 (43.99 and 49.99) and the 11-42 is only available in black chrome at £67.99 so if you want to stay around the £45 price of the SLX you're going to have lose or gain a gear- either of which the GX RD should cope with (see the Singletrack article on this recently).
Chain is a bit of a different story and more of a 'what do you like?' question. I've tended to reflexively fit the SRAM PCX1 but the build I'm hovering over right now has a KMC chain simply as I've always liked them.
Sunrace 11-46 works fine with my gx rear mech. A wee bit of extra range compared to a 42t.
I'd focused on 42t because the 46t I rode felt like I'd lost a chain when spinning up a hill and shifting to the top. However I didn't realise the Sunrace uses has more progressive steps than the Shimano I rode.
What chain did you go for? And how's it wearing?
Apologies for the stealth ad, but I have an 11-42 nx that I was going to advertise soon, taken off a new bike as swapped ratios. Drop me a PM if interested.
No need to apologise at all. I've PM'd you Neil.
Got a virtually immaculate GX mech here...
I've got a brand new XT 11-42 here going too.
Sorry mods!😏