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Is it me, or is there a lack of XD 12s Cassette options that aren't £150+...?
(Cheap XD freehub Syntace wheel mistake....)
yeah thats what held me off buying the wheels mx40 freehubs are about £80 so they become less of a bargain!
https://hopkinsoncycles.co.uk/product/cassette-sram-eagle-xg-1275-12-speed-10-50t-wide-ratio/
145? They also last for ages so the pounds per mile isn’t too bad.
However, I can get the HG version for £80.
I've even emailed Syntace as thier HG freehub for the hub is out of stock, and they replied to say that lots of people are converting to HG and they have sold out again...
I should have checked myself, but son has a post pandemic bought specialized with SRAM chain, derailleur, cassette and logo on the hub, brakes, everything - and an HG freehub lurking...gah.
I have had good results with AliExpress 12 speed xd cassettes. Come to about £65-70 delivered when on offer and lighter than GX.
Shifting not quite as smooth as GX, but a lot better than the price would suggest.
Fwiw I use genuine X01 chains with them.
A microsplie freehub and a deore cassette was my solution. About £100 with the bonus of better shifting!
Ive been running one of these on my hardtail with no issues, costs £66
Ive seen them advertised as various different names
MTB Road Bike 12 Speed Cassette 9-50T Bike Freewheel For GX EAGLE XD UK | eBay UK
Think the cheapest I could find when I bought a few months ago was Alpinetrek for around £140. Couldn't see any on the site now though?
Exactly the same GX cassette was nearer £100 last time I bought one. 😣
If you're not bothered too much about weight, 12s 9t to 50t cassettes can be had on AliExpress for about £35-40. All steel gears other than the 50t which is alloy. About 500g.
Should be pretty robust. I've had similar HG cassettes from AliExpress which have been fine and shift OK.
Bumping
Lordgun has the GX 1275 for £130. Not cheap by any means but they're a reasonable weight and last ridiculously well. Like, to the extent that I don't even really know how well they last, because they need replaced so rarely. I'm pretty sure I've only replaced one in the whole time I've been on 12 speed.
The no-name ones seem fine tbh, I have one on the spare bike and while the shifting is nowhere near Shimano or SRAM, neither was the price, and it does seem to be lasting. It was waaaay heavier than claimed, it was supposed to be 500g and came in something like 650g, and you generally lose the 10t which is a big part of the benefit.
Another option might be E13? They're not cheap at all, though they often come up on deep discounts, I got my last for £100. But they're a proper high end cassette, light and excellent shifting and you get the 9t for more range, and while they're not quite as durable as GX you can replace half the cassette at a time. Though I think that's a gimmick tbf, by the time the alu half was worn out on my first one the steel half was tired. Still, it's top end stuff for midrange price and that's got an appeal. Fitting is a bollocks mind you.