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The SRAM 11 speed cassette has a better 10-42 range than the Shimano 11-42. Are the physical (not gear ratio) gaps between the cogs the same, and if so is there any reason not to use a Shimano M8000 mech (plus shifter) at £60 rather than a SRAM XO1 mech at an eye watering £207? Its not just the initial cost, but the big bill if you trash a mech which is not too difficult
I know that the SRAM cassette needs the XD driver but I am speccing a new bike so that's not a big issue. And yes the XO1 cassette is massively more expensive than the M8000 but I get through less than one per year so I can live with that
Yes
No
I have SRAM GX on both FS bikes Alex, one with a sram cassette, one with XT. Both work very well, I'll stick with GX mechs for the foreseeable.
I'm running XXTR and it works great. XX1 cassette with XTR shifters and mech.
And yes the XO1 cassette is massively more expensive than the M8000 but I get through less than one per year so I can live with that
As an aside, how many rear derailleurs do you get through a year? Your argument would suggest quite a few!
Personally I prefer the shift action of SRAM, so will be sticking with it. Have built a few bikes for others though using SRAM 10-42 cassettes with XT or XTR derailleurs and everything works absolutely 100% fine.
Thanks guys. Have been on Shimano for the last 4-5 years, but did like the feel of SRAM XO1 on a demo bike recently. Crisper and more "decisive" than Shimano. Big cost difference compared to Shimano so need to decide whether its worth the extra £140.
Mboy, to answer your question I did go through a spate of trashing rear mechs but have only done one in the last 4 years. Could be a combination of slightly better skilz and the shadow rear mech which is probably not quite so exposed as the old ones
If I go with XO1 SRAM mech the other issue that raises is whether to go 1x12 Eagle rather than 1x11. The Eagle cassette is £60 more than 1x11 but the cost difference between mechs, shifters and chains is negligible. Apart from the extra 50t cog, any big positives or negatives between the two? I had heard that the Eagle stuff wears slower and runs quieter?