11-28 cassette

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buddha

Veteran
I have a 53/39 up front and have the Sram 11-28 cassette.
(I bought it because it was on offer at wiggle, has shallow freehub splines - unlike shimano, and I thought I could do with a lower gear, just in case)
I was wrong on the last point, and have never used the 28t. Even the 25t has only been used a couple of times, and that was when I couldn't shift down the front mech. That's on a 20% climb, and I'm a fat ar$e!
The gaps between gears is annoying, but when it wears out I've got a nice ultegra 25-14 waiting as a replacement.
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
I have a 53/39 up front and have the Sram 11-28 cassette.
(I bought it because it was on offer at wiggle, has shallow freehub splines - unlike shimano, and I thought I could do with a lower gear, just in case)
I was wrong on the last point, and have never used the 28t. Even the 25t has only been used a couple of times, and that was when I couldn't shift down the front mech. That's on a 20% climb, and I'm a fat ar$e!
The gaps between gears is annoying, but when it wears out I've got a nice ultegra 25-14 waiting as a replacement.
[/quote

You went up a 20% climb using 53/25 ? Youre arse may be fat but your legs must be pure muscle :biggrin:
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
I don't want a third ring to be jumping between,

Hope that helps.

Can't comment on SRAM as I've never used it, but IMHO you've missed half the point of a triple. You can stay in the middle ring 90% of the time, even with a close ratio cassette, but you have the option of bailing out to the granny when the hill gets steep. It's with a double that you're forever "jumping between"
 

Garz

Squat Member
Location
Down
An 11-28 coupled with a COMPACT chainset will get you up a cliff and many people would say it's a more elegant solution than a triple.

Quite true, I would agree with this bearing in mind the cyclist being reasonably fit, however if your unfit or carrying pannier's/load then "get you up a cliff" is a bit exaggerated. There are some brutal hills or lung busting long & steep ones out there to cover, but in the main if your not travelling over hilly terrain you will be fine.
 

Fattman

Active Member
Location
Roydon, Essex
Got Mrs Fattman a SRAM 11-28 (10 speed) to go on her shiny bike for hilly Sportives. Gearing was a-ok, the 11 made for fast downs, the 28 for easy ups.

However we just recently replaced it with a Shimano Ultegra 11-28 cos the SRAM one was (a) noisy and (b) clattery in the shifting (just could not seem to get it quite right). The new one is, apparently, 'much much nicer'. This is with Ultegra 6700 short-cage rear mech, 4-yo Dura-ace shifters, SRAM chain.

If you l[url="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.labicicletta.com/edatcat/uploads/sram_force_cass.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.labicicletta.com/edatcat/us/tlsstore.cgi%3Fuser_action%3Ddetail%26catalogno%3DUS-SRAMCASS&usg=__5Zv4BleRlPzobO9JFx0LnOoECVE=&h=666&w=804&sz=98&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=xFxftx3BtuwxxM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=151&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsram%2B11-28%2Bcassette%2B2010%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1907%26bih%3D990%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=756&vpy=664&dur=360&hovh=204&hovw=247&tx=134&ty=112&ei=oCDlTJygOsqxhAf-8J3HDA&oei=oCDlTJygOsqxhAf-8J3HDA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=63&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0"]ook at the design[/url], the SRAM cassettes have missing teeth which assist with the shifting, the Shimano ones make do with ramps and offset/shortened teeth. This may explain the difference in our experience.

FWIW, for 'proper' rides I too run with a compact and an 11-28, and it makes a big difference having that escape gear when the gradient tips over about 17% - can stay in the saddle longer and much less likely to blow the legs, leaving you quicker away at the top of the climb!

Matt
 
SRAM seems better than Shimano (just) at the same price point IME. TBH they're both pretty good.
They are completely interchangeable on the freehub - same splines, same spacing.

This is not 100% true.

When Shimano brought-out 10sp, they kept the same spline pattern, but they also increased the spline depth.
This was because on the initial 10sp Dura Ace and Ultegra wheels (e.g. WH7800 and WH6600), they went to an alu freehub in order to save weight - and alu not being as strong as steel, they increased the spline depth.

Thus Shimano 10sp cassettes (DS, Ultegra or 105) have deeper spline grooves than 8 or 9sp cassettes.

Later Ultegra and DA wheels (WH7850, RS80, etc) reverted back to steel or have titanium freehubs and have reverted back to the shorter splines (and the lower-spec 105, Tiagra, etc wheels like WHR500, RS10 & 20) always had steel freehubs with shorter splines.

Thus this limited range of Shimano wheels, and some aftermarket wheels from Easton, Zipp, etc which had similar longer-spline freehubs, are called 10sp only as you can't get the shorter-spline 8sp or 9sp cassettes on them

Whereas the Shimano 10sp cassettes with the longer grooves will happily fit on the wheels with the shorter splines (and if a steel freehub all is well, but some aftermarket wheels like Planet-X's from a couple of years ago which have short-spline alu freehubs, have reported that the splines get a bit chewed-up)

SRAM never adopted the longer splines, their 10sp cassettes have the short spline groove, so won't fit on these 10sp-only Shimano wheels.
 
OP
OP
lmow20

lmow20

If it ain't titanium, it's not that cool.
Location
Swindon
cheers, thats helpful

Got Mrs Fattman a SRAM 11-28 (10 speed) to go on her shiny bike for hilly Sportives. Gearing was a-ok, the 11 made for fast downs, the 28 for easy ups.

However we just recently replaced it with a Shimano Ultegra 11-28 cos the SRAM one was (a) noisy and (b) clattery in the shifting (just could not seem to get it quite right). The new one is, apparently, 'much much nicer'. This is with Ultegra 6700 short-cage rear mech, 4-yo Dura-ace shifters, SRAM chain.

If you look at the design, the SRAM cassettes have missing teeth which assist with the shifting, the Shimano ones make do with ramps and offset/shortened teeth. This may explain the difference in our experience.

FWIW, for 'proper' rides I too run with a compact and an 11-28, and it makes a big difference having that escape gear when the gradient tips over about 17% - can stay in the saddle longer and much less likely to blow the legs, leaving you quicker away at the top of the climb!

Matt
 
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