Morning, building up my new bike soon and trying to go with new components where possible, are the German sites like Bike-discount.de still the go-to places to get this done on a budget? They certainly appear to be the best stocked.
Following that, I need a GX casette because I have an XD drive hub but I’m generally a shimano guy so will be using Deore 12 speed mech and shifter (wanted SLX but stock isn’t there)
The casette will come with a GX chain which I understand is all compatible, but what about cranks?
Currently going back and fore between GX and SLX - SLX are lighter but GX look beefy and reassuring. Do the SRAM chains work with the shimano chain rings? Or should I stick with GX cranks?
The only thing you can't do is run Shimano chains on sram cassette or cranks. Otherwise go for it.
That’s the sort of definitive answer I could have done with before trawling through a load of drivetrain forum posts over the last week with every feasible permutation having been reviewed. Thanks!
Presume budget inhibits you from going full sram? I know opinion is divided in the multitude of threads.
I and the people I ride with certainly prefer Eagle to shimano 12. All on GX to XX1 though. SX ok, functional but very heavy. NX the same just less heavy.
No compatability issues though between gx cassette and sram chain and shimano. Just make sure you get the 50T cassette not 520% range 52T. Most current single 11/12 speed chainsets and chainrings will work. Not shimano chain on sram though.
Given pricing I would go GX 52T 520% cassette, rear mech and shifter.
Bike Discount
Bike24
R2Bike
All good from current orders. I along with riding cos tend to use Bike24 and R2Bike and all sram kit comes retail boxed within 1-3 days usually.
I’ve heard that you might be better off with a Sram shifter with a Shimano rear mech - the spacing of the cassette Sram vs Shimano is slightly different.
Sram chain runs better in mud than Shimano - I’ve tested that recently.
If you go gx cranks make sure you go for dub over gxp as the bearings last longer. The standard direct mount Sram chainrings are really good - steel ones are cheap and go on forever.
If you go Shimano make sure you go xt bb not deore - they’re better sealed.
Edit - I’ve found Tweeks have had good stock of Shimano 12 speed recently. Mantel often good for Sram. Get your order in ASAP before the Brexit carnage and potential duties charged.
not strictly true. You can use a 12 speed sram chain on shimano cassettes, but you wont get the same shifting performance or shifting under load. needs to be a hyperglide plus chain. i would just go full shimano
Worth looking at how much a Shimano freehub would be? What's your rear hub?
not strictly true. You can use a 12 speed sram chain on shimano cassettes, but you wont get the same shifting performance or shifting under load. needs to be a hyperglide plus chain. i would just go full shimano
Posted 1 minute ago
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I found the Shimano 12 speed chain was noisy and skipped about a bit as soon as it got a bit muddy - although it shifted well when clean. Just swapped to an xx1 chain and it’s much happier in the mud and still shifts pretty much perfectly. So I think I’d take a Sram chain over Shimano everyday of the week (plus oil slick 😎).
Ok, whilst I’m not driven by budget I do have a finite number to spend (basically I sold my bike to find a new one but the deal fell through on that so I’m bikeless and rushing into it!)
I could afford to go full GX but I had that on my old bike and wasn’t particularly enthused by it, I like shimano brakes (going for 4 pot deores) and I like clean bars so want ispec EV fixings. Shimano kit is generally lighter.
My wheel is a syncros X40 one (they’ve not arrived yet) bought off eBay last weekend because they came with tyres and they’re 40mm rims - I hadn’t thought about getting a microspline hub as the wheels are a few years old and I doubt they have one to fit.
So we’re stuck with a SRAM Casette.
I suppose I could get a set of Guide brakes and use matchmakers on GX but then I need to lower my spend on saddle, dropper and bars/stem... hence running with Deore.
Does that answer everything that’s been asked?
As long as it works I don’t mind (and yes I’ve got the 50t cassette in my basket) mixing things but I don’t really want a sram shifter and shimano mech - might as well go for full SRAM at that point.
Might just have to flip a coin and press order!
Did my pre import tariff order last month. Mantel came out cheapest for me for SRAM stuff once postage cost taken into account. Also charge to credit card in pounds so no extra fees.
Bugger, placed my order and the Deore 4
Pot brakes weren’t in stock so my plans that all stemmed from the I spec EV have been thrown in mtb chaos... 🙂
Could go SLX twin pots but then there’s also XT... decisions decisions!
I’d go slx 4 pots over slx or xt 2 pots I think. I’m sure I’ve seen deore 4 pots in stock somewhere recently but can’t remember where. I think Tweeks have them listed as ready within 5 days or something like that so might be worth giving them a call to see what that actually means.
My bike originally came SRAMed, but I have swapped the rear mech and shifter to XT/XTR.
X01 crank and GX cassette and it works fine, no issues, even in mud.
In your position I'd go GX crank over shimano so the rings are all matching with the chain.
The SRAM chains are supposed to be much more efficient than the Shimano equivalents so I'd stick with that
@joebristol having done a bit more checking on the website it’s because I ordered the 4 pot front and 2 pot rear set, and the 2 pots are out of stock. So they’ve refunded me that part of the order and when I get back to it I’ll get the 4 pot set which are in stock.
Went for GX Cassette and chain, SLX cranks in 165, XT BB, Deore shifter & mech, and will be Deore brakes.
Just found a dropper post 2nd hand that might mean I can sneak this build in under budget and then I’ll see you up at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods once you’ve built your Marino and I’ve built my Wulf.
Sounds like a plan! Mines going to be a bit shorter and steeper than yours if it’s a Sick Wulf essentially. Mine’s only 11 speed - just stuck the 10-42 cassette on tonight which seems diddy vs the 10-51’s I’ve fitted on other bikes recently
Mine’s going to be longer and slacker, and way way way heavier, running 2.8 Nobby Nics with my Yari’s it’s going to be a monster truck. And I can’t wait!
Mine’s going to be longer and slacker, and way way way heavier, running 2.8 Nobby Nics with my Yari’s it’s going to be a monster truck. And I can’t wait!
Posted 14 hours ago
Sounds ideal for Ashton Court lol! Much better for the steeps in Leigh Woods though.
My last hardtail built up about 28lbs which I liked - this one is probably having a heavier frame (no idea how much it’s going to weigh - should be butted 725 but imagine it’ll be over engineered if anything) but has lighter components. If it could come out about the same I’d be happy. I’m running 2.6” tyres - Magic Mary in the front (which weighs a chunk more than the wheel it’s going on) and a Forekaster on the rear with a Rimpact which I hope will be light / fast rolling and not get loads of punctures - but not run one before.
