# Shimano 11-46 cassette



## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Shimano's new XT 11-46 cassette is finally available and offers you nearly the same range Sram does since 2012 with their 10-42 cassettes (418% vs. 420%)

However, when looking at the gear spacing I couldn't believe my eyes:
11-42: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42
11-46: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-46

YES, they just added 4 teeth to the biggest cog! Now a 16% jump is followed by a 24% jump!








Shimano used to advertise their 11-42 cassette with "This cassette is specifically designed with a wide gear combination and *carefully balanced ratios*..." and rejected 1x11 drivetrains for long time due to their huge gear steps and now they're doing this??

Pictures of proof that this technological monstrosity really does exist:















Now Shimano XT "technology" has finally evolved to this:








That's a huge letdown (again, after that uninspired 1x11 in the first place). Now Shimano is on a path to become the "Nokia of bicycle industry".


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

oneup shark is the way to go for increased shimano range! this cassette is just absurd!

was excited when first heard about it, but simply replacing 42 by 46 doesn't make any sense!


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

I've doubts that my Sram Rival 1 rear derailleur will clear the 50T cog of the OneUpShark.
Unfortunately there's no modified cage for SRAM yet. There is another OneUp 45T Kit available but that will give you a rather smallish 42-45 jump at the expense of bigger steps towards the top end range.

The perfect 11-46 cassette IMO:
11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-33-39-46
I figured that out myself, it's not so hard Shimano!


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

Looks like Shimano chose the easy way out on this cassette.


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## 06HokieMTB (Apr 25, 2011)

Boo.

Looks like Sun Race's new MX8 wide-range cassette is the winner



> Sunrace MX8 Mega Wide Range 11-46T
> 
> 11 Speed Cassette Black
> 
> 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

I used to love Shimano in the 90s and 2000s but since Sram released the XX in 2009 and XX1 in 2012 they are so much behind it hurts so see half baked products like the 1x11 XT


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

06HokieMTB said:


> Boo.
> 
> Looks like Sun Race's new MX8 wide-range cassette is the winner


I wouldn't trust a southern European company whose products mostly look like a cheap Shimano knock off. Gearing steps alone are worth nothing if the cassette wears faster than light due to inferior materials / manufacturing.

They even fail to provide basic documentation on their website and where can you actually buy that mystery 11-46 cassette?


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

Steel Calf said:


> I used to love Shimano in the 90s and 2000s but since Sram released the XX in 2009 and XX1 in 2012 they are so much behind it hurts so see half baked products like the 1x11 XT


I like Sram and Shimano stuff, but the Sram cassette prices are insane! I went with the Shimano XT 1x11 w/ 42t for $66 shipped to my door.....$66 BUCKS!! I would consider Sram cassettes, but the CK XD driver is over $200.

I plan to use the ecomar kit to mod my x9 shifter, and pair it with the 46t shimano cassette for unstopable hill climbing greatness @ 1/10th the price you suckers are paying!


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## 06HokieMTB (Apr 25, 2011)

It's just barely been released. Guys are getting the 11-46T stuff through UK shops, yes... ebay UK as well. Besides, where can you buy this Shimano 11-46 monstrosity yet? 

I've had my hands on 4 Sunrace MX 10 & 11-spd cassettes and they are good quality and pretty much on par with the Shimano XT offerings


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

Steel Calf said:


> I wouldn't trust a southern European company whose products mostly look like a cheap Shimano knock off. Gearing steps alone are worth nothing if the cassette wears faster than light due to inferior materials / manufacturing.
> 
> They even fail to provide basic documentation on their website and where can you actually buy that mystery 11-46 cassette?


I had great results with their 10speed cassette. And 150miles on the 11-46. Shifts on par with xt.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

06HokieMTB said:


> It's just barely been released. Guys are getting the 11-46T stuff through UK shops, yes... ebay UK as well. Besides, where can you buy this Shimano 11-46 monstrosity yet?
> 
> I've had my hands on 4 Sunrace MX 10 & 11-spd cassettes and they are good quality and pretty much on par with the Shimano XT offerings


they have it in stock in Germany at bike-components.de

still unsure if I should deface my CX bike with this thing, the huge 46 cog wouldn't even enable me to upsize my front chainring to 42 as due to the large 46-37 gap at the low end I'm basically missing a low gear in between


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## Billy Mumphry (Jun 24, 2013)

This just has the feel of a band-aid solution. When I heard about this I assumed it would be 40-46; with this I don't even get how it's going to get onto that massive gear from the 37. 

I will say I really like the XT 1x11; I prefer Shimano shifting, didn't want to spend Sram money and didn't want to change my driver body. I think the 11-42 is mostly fine, but this is a step back for them rather than a step forward.


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

Steel Calf said:


> due to the large 46-37 gap at the low end I'm basically missing a low gear in between


that's the big issue sizing up the front ring would make me ride much more often in the 46 than I currently ride in the 42


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

I know it's more expensive but the XTR 11-40 cassette with the OneUp 45 is ideal, IMO. 
Shifting is phenomenal (goes into the 45 every bit as smooth as the other gears) and I think the gear range is really ideal going up on the cassette: 35, 40, 45
It's sort of the best of both worlds: you get the 40t (which on my bike is enough in most circumstances) and then a nice bailout gear (45) when you need it. 
I highly recommend it.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

jon123 said:


> I know it's more expensive but the XTR 11-40 cassette with the OneUp 45 is ideal, IMO.
> Shifting is phenomenal (goes into the 45 every bit as smooth as the other gears) and I think the gear range is really ideal going up on the cassette: 35, 40, 45
> It's sort of the best of both worlds: you get the 40t (which on my bike is enough in most circumstances) and then a nice bailout gear (45) when you need it.
> I highly recommend it.


good catch but it's far more expensive (new XTR cassette + kit needed!) and I gonna ride on two aluminum cogs instead of one. If money wasn't an option I'd just rebuild the rear wheel with a XD compatible hub and run a Sram 10-42. That 10cog is just genius


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## PlanB (Nov 22, 2007)

jon123 said:


> I know it's more expensive but the XTR 11-40 cassette with the OneUp 45 is ideal, IMO.
> Shifting is phenomenal (goes into the 45 every bit as smooth as the other gears) and I think the gear range is really ideal going up on the cassette: 35, 40, 45
> It's sort of the best of both worlds: you get the 40t (which on my bike is enough in most circumstances) and then a nice bailout gear (45) when you need it.
> I highly recommend it.


How is the shifting in the higher gears? I used a One Up 1x10 setup last year and while the 42 expander cog shifted great, replacing the 17 and 19 with their 18 cog made for annoyingly hesitant shifting down there. I replaced their awful cog with a Wolftooth and eventually a 9s XT cog, but could never get it perfect. It was an acceptable hack job, but I can't imagine buying an 11s XTR cassette then settling for sub par shifting in the higher cogs. Is the new expander conversion better?


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## boomslang64 (Feb 18, 2015)

PlanB said:


> How is the shifting in the higher gears? I used a One Up 1x10 setup last year and while the 42 expander cog shifted great, replacing the 17 and 19 with their 18 cog made for annoyingly hesitant shifting down there. I replaced their awful cog with a Wolftooth and eventually a 9s XT cog, but could never get it perfect. It was an acceptable hack job, but I can't imagine buying an 11s XTR cassette then settling for sub par shifting in the higher cogs. Is the new expander conversion better?


Are you sure you timed the 18t right? My oneup gear shifts like the rest.


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

Steel Calf said:


> good catch but it's far more expensive (new XTR cassette + kit needed!) and I gonna ride on two aluminum cogs instead of one. If money wasn't an option I'd just rebuild the rear wheel with a XD compatible hub and run a Sram 10-42. That 10cog is just genius


I'm one of those who tried the XX1 cassette/chain with the XTR rd. Others have made it work to their liking. I wasn't one of them. 
At times it was ok, even pretty good, but it was wildly inconsistent. Shifting would go from smooth to clunky and loud. I gave up and went full XTR. 
One guy I've been talking too who's also trying to make it work says his system got considerably better once he ditched the XX1 chain. 
Also -- and this is for me and the bike and trails I ride -- the 10t was basically unusable (I like a 32 chainring upfront). The 11t is better suited and while I'm still not in it a lot when I am it is better for me than the 10t



PlanB said:


> How is the shifting in the higher gears? I used a One Up 1x10 setup last year and while the 42 expander cog shifted great, replacing the 17 and 19 with their 18 cog made for annoyingly hesitant shifting down there. I replaced their awful cog with a Wolftooth and eventually a 9s XT cog, but could never get it perfect. It was an acceptable hack job, but I can't imagine buying an 11s XTR cassette then settling for sub par shifting in the higher cogs. Is the new expander conversion better?


Better than it was with their 10 speed for sure. I had the OneUp 42 on my 10 speed and that replacement cog you're referring to was the weak link for sure. The 42t was excellent though. 
Here the 45 is perfect as I mentioned. Goes in and out of it seemlessly. 
The 18t on the 11 speed has been very good. Probably not as perfect as the other gears but very close. Certainly not a deal breaker.



Steel Calf said:


> I used to love Shimano in the 90s and 2000s but since Sram released the XX in 2009 and XX1 in 2012 they are so much behind it hurts so see half baked products like the 1x11 XT


I disagree. 
Granted feel is a very personal thing, I think Shimano shifting is far superior: smoother, quieter and lighter. Everyone has their preference - Shimano vs SRAM.


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## PlanB (Nov 22, 2007)

boomslang64 said:


> Are you sure you timed the 18t right? My oneup gear shifts like the rest.


Yes. I tried about a hundred tweaks that were discussed here extensively back then... I even adjusted the "clocking" of an XT cog by filing the wide spline. The ramps will never truly line up so it's always a compromise position. It worked, but it required just that little extra push on the lever... I'm interested in the new Shark setup for the range, but I'm not interested in hesitant shifting again.


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## PlanB (Nov 22, 2007)

jon123 said:


> I'm one of those who tried the XX1 cassette/chain with the XTR rd. Others have made it work to their liking. I wasn't one of them.
> At times it was ok, even pretty good, but it was wildly inconsistent. Shifting would go from smooth to clunky and loud. I gave up and went full XTR.
> One guy I've been talking too who's also trying to make it work says his system got considerably better once he ditched the XX1 chain.
> Also -- and this is for me and the bike and trails I ride -- the 10t was basically unusable (I like a 32 chainring upfront). The 11t is better suited and while I'm still not in it a lot when I am it is better for me than the 10t
> ...


Good to hear. Thanks.


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## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

I'd just like for Shimano to make the 11-42 cassette lighter. The price of an XX1 cassette is just not justifiable for me. I can afford it and the extra for the XD driver but for what? Will I notice the weight? Probably not. And considering every SRAM component I've had has failed and needed warranty repairs I don't have faith at all in their entire group set. So I make do with my 11-42t XT and it's flawless shifting, long wearing, quite adequate gearing and reasonable price and try to forget it weighs half a kilogram.

I'm tempted by the E13 and Hope 11 speed cassettes but so much alloy and still heavier than XX1 seems like a poor compromise.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Hey if you keep comparing XTs pricing with Srams most expensive XX1 offering I'll start with equally unfair comparisons like XTR 11-40 vs GX 10-42 cassette:

The GX cassette is much cheaper (nearly half the price!), just a little heavier (394g vs 330g) but offers a much wider gearing range (420% vs 363%)

Compared to the Sram X1 cassette on my MTB the XT 11-42 cassette looks and feels like a cheapo product, the XD driver enables Sram to offer a lighter constructed cassette with a 10cog, Shimano just cannot keep up with that by sticking to an inferior design principle, their new cassettes are just more of the old with an additional 42cog, no real innovation here


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## PlanB (Nov 22, 2007)

I replaced my XT 11-42 cassette with the XG 1150 and it's been great so far (two months in). Shifting is great with my XTR m9000 stuff, the 10-42 spread is noticeably more useful, every cog is steel and it's still 40g lighter than XT. Assuming it holds up for at least a season (I suspect it easily will) I'd call it a winner.


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## MiWolverine (Jun 15, 2009)

Oh yippee, another SRAM vs. Shimano thread. We don't have enough of those.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

That 46T does look a bit odd and out of place.:skep:


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## NorCalTaz (Nov 12, 2013)

I have been running the Wolftooth 45T GC Cog using the XT 11-40 as the base cassette. For me, the gear range is ideal and the 40t cog is a great climbing gear most of the time and the 45t has proved a great for bail-out/grinding. I took a look at the 11-46 gear ratio's, the jump from 37t to 46t is too much and seems to be a quick fix to answer for SRAM's Eagle debut. 

At this point in time, I am going to stick with using my current 11-45 setup. Hopefully SRAM will drop the ridiculous cassette prices (~$349 Eagle) and Shimano will stop putting out stop gap fixes trying to play catchup. Just my two cents.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

NorthSideOf50 said:


> and seems to be a quick fix to answer for SRAM's Eagle debut.
> 
> Hopefully SRAM will drop the ridiculous cassette prices (~$349 Eagle) and Shimano will stop putting out stop gap fixes trying to play catchup. Just my two cents.


...quick fix to SRAM's Eagle debut?

The XT 11-46 cassette (418% range) only brings Shimano on par with a Sram 1x11 10-42 cassette (420% range)
It only took them 4 years (!!) to catch up with Sram in that regard.

Srams 1x12 10-50 Eagle offers 500% range and plays in a different league. If Shimano continues to stick to their free hub design they may countershoot with a 750g 11-55 cassette by 2020.


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

^correct in my opinion as well! shimano has outstanding shifters and rd, but their cassettes are a joke, at least they are cheap at $60


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

anyone know if this one is the real deal or a knockoff? 
Sunrace CSMS8 11 46T 11 SPD Wide Ratio Cassette M8000 M9000 XX1 X01 x1 GX Usable | eBay
I have a sunrace 11-40 10 spd on another bike and it works just fine, glad theyre making this now I was holding out for the shimano but i dont like that giant step to the biggets cog.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

If it's coming out of Taiwan...it should be legit. If it's coming out of China and the cost is way below the "street price"...then it may be sketchy.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

dwyooaj said:


> anyone know if this one is the real deal or a knockoff?
> Sunrace CSMS8 11 46T 11 SPD Wide Ratio Cassette M8000 M9000 XX1 X01 x1 GX Usable | eBay
> I have a sunrace 11-40 10 spd on another bike and it works just fine, glad theyre making this now I was holding out for the shimano but i dont like that giant step to the biggets cog.


it's a real thing but the spacing is even worse than Shimanos 11-46 IMO

it should be:

11-13-15-17-19-22-25-29-34-39-46

damn it!!


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Its spacing is 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46t. I think thats better than the shimano. Just ordered one


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

not really. The spacing at the low end is too close while the spacing at the high end is too gappy

you can visualise my numbers here: www.ritzelrechner.de


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Will sram 11 spd derailleurs work with this with a longer b screw? They say max cog 42 but i use a 10 spd sram der. rated for 36t with my 40t cassette and its fine, even room to spare.


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Steel Calf said:


> not really. The spacing at the low end is too close while the spacing at the high end is too gappy
> 
> you can visualise my numbers here: HTML5 Gear Calculator


I dont care about gapppines at high end.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

dwyooaj said:


> Will sram 11 spd derailleurs work with this with a longer b screw? They say max cog 42 but i use a 10 spd sram der. rated for 36t with my 40t cassette and its fine, even room to spare.


I think it should work with 1x Sram.

The 46cog has 16mm more diameter than the 42cog so you'll need 8mm more clearance for the upper pulley to clear the 46cog


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

med cage, right? stated 35t max capacity, exactly what the cassetes diffrence is.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

dwyooaj said:


> med cage, right? stated 35t max capacity, exactly what the cassetes diffrence is.


No I ride a Sram Rival 1 Long Cage on a CX bike. It's got same length/capacity as Sram MTB 1x11 derailleurs but with a different cable ratio.

It's built for a 10-42 cassette but I think due the huge offset of the upper pulley (X-Horizon) it should also clear the bigger 46cog


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Everyone on this thread who already has a cassette with a 45 or 46t cog, what deraillers are you running? sram x-horizon x1 or nx deraller w longer b screw will work with 46t cog right?


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## richde (Jun 8, 2004)

Steel Calf said:


> Shimano just cannot keep up with that by sticking to an inferior design principle


People would lose their **** if Shimano made something that wasn't backwards compatible.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

GRPABT1 said:


> I'd just like for Shimano to make the 11-42 cassette lighter. The price of an XX1 cassette is just not justifiable for me. I can afford it and the extra for the XD driver but for what? Will I notice the weight? Probably not. And considering every SRAM component I've had has failed and needed warranty repairs I don't have faith at all in their entire group set. So I make do with my 11-42t XT and it's flawless shifting, long wearing, quite adequate gearing and reasonable price and try to forget it weighs half a kilogram.
> 
> I'm tempted by the E13 and Hope 11 speed cassettes but so much alloy and still heavier than XX1 seems like a poor compromise.


Agree with your first statement. Not sure why Shim can't make a "Trail" version of their xtr cassette, with a 42t. Why they stopped at 40 is a mystery.

The xtr cassette is reasonably priced and light enough. Shifts great. They could keep a nice spread by going with a 12t on the bottom. Old xtr cassettes use to have an option of a 12 or 11t at the bottom - but that was back in the 9sp days when we ran a silly 44t front ring.


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## Graveldad (Mar 31, 2015)

Miker J said:


> - but that was back in the 9sp days when we ran a silly 44t front ring.


Lol, now we run a 46-50t cog, THAT looks silly to my old eyes!


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Miker J said:


> Agree with your first statement. Not sure why Shim can't make a "Trail" version of their xtr cassette, with a 42t. Why they stopped at 40 is a mystery.
> 
> The xtr cassette is reasonably priced and light enough. Shifts great. They could keep a nice spread by going with a 12t on the bottom. Old xtr cassettes use to have an option of a 12 or 11t at the bottom - but that was back in the 9sp days when we ran a silly 44t front ring.


Define reasonably priced?

Shimano already played every trick in the book to make the XTR cassette as lightweight as possible while sticking to the old freehub body design, they're using softer titanium and aluminum cogs who gonna wear much faster than steel yet the cassette is only 16% lighter but still 50% more expensive than a full steel Sram XG 1150 cassette which offers far more gearing range (363% vs. 420%). I'm not even talking about Shimanos new 11-46 cassette which is probably the worst product they ever released.

not sure what you mean with having a 12t cog??


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

Delete


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

I am getting a fairly nasty grinding noise on my lowest two cogs on my XT cassette, any ideas? Using Sram XO1 RD and I don't think my chain is to short, shifting is fine, only thing I could think of is B-screw adjustment, but idk. 

I need to grease everything up this wknd, hopefully that helps. Otherwise its kinda embarrassing climbing in granny gear with this thing making silly noises.


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

jonshonda, probably b screw.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

either b screw or chain too long. Without pictures hard to say


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Just installed sunrace 11-46 11 spd cassette with SRAM gx der. And sram chain. Der works great still plenty of b screw adjustment left. Shifts nicely. Chain drops if I backpedal a few turns but not really an issue when riding.


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## Peter Strenk (Jul 25, 2016)

dwyooaj said:


> anyone know if this one is the real deal or a knockoff?
> Sunrace CSMS8 11 46T 11 SPD Wide Ratio Cassette M8000 M9000 XX1 X01 x1 GX Usable | eBay
> I have a sunrace 11-40 10 spd on another bike and it works just fine, glad theyre making this now I was holding out for the shimano but i dont like that giant step to the biggets cog.


CSMS8 is all steel version, 11-46T weights 534g (cheaper, heavier)
CSMX8 11-46T has alu the largest ring, weights 465g (more expensive, lighter)
http://www.sunrace.com/files/catalog...2011-Speed.pdf
both comes metallic and black version (the black paint comes down pretty fast and it is ugly imo)


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

Does anyone know if the XTR m9000 derailleur will work (work really well, I should say) with the 46t ring?


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

WoodstockMTB said:


> Does anyone know if the XTR m9000 derailleur will work (work really well, I should say) with the 46t ring?


I'd say as good as the xt will


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

WoodstockMTB said:


> Does anyone know if the XTR m9000 derailleur will work (work really well, I should say) with the 46t ring?


I can't speak about the 46 but I'm using a medium cage XTR with OneUp 45t and shifting is superb. In fact I'd say it shifts in to and out of the 45 as smoothly as any gear. 
I'd also recommend NOT using the Goatlink 11. It made zero improvement in any of the gears and took away smoothness and refinement during much of the shifting.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

jon123 said:


> I'd also recommend NOT using the Goatlink 11. It made zero improvement in any of the gears and took away smoothness and refinement during much of the shifting.


Goatlink increases the distance from upper pulley to cassette thus causing less precise/slower shifting on smaller cogs. It's not needed here anyway as the XTR works with a 46T cog


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

I installed the goat link, it improved my shifts with the sunray 11-46. It was a little slow going into smaller cogs. It was an improvement, but not needed.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

Compettivecyclist said September for the 11-46. Backordered from ChainReaction...any word when these will come widely available? My guess is CC answered my question, but maybe folks here know something


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## tony92231 (Oct 13, 2015)

Sunrace CSMS8 11 46T 11spd Wide Ratio Cassette Fit for Shimano M8000 SRAM GX BK | eBay


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## dthomp325 (Feb 15, 2007)

I'm running m8000 1x11 with an X01 cassette and AB chainring, and I have to say it's fabulous.

XT derailleur + shifter is noticeably better than GX and X1 (although some of it maybe due to the cassette) and cheaper than X01, plus has more clearance than Sram (sticks out less from the frame) and the clutch applies more force than Sram. M8000 shifts fast and, unlike older Shimano, the shift levers and detents feel solid.

Sram's x-dome cassettes are still the best. One piece = light and stiff with responsive shifting. Sram's lower end pinned cassettes and all of Shimano's heavy cog cassettes seem like cheap entry-level parts in comparison. Xdome + XD is engineering/manufacturing porn.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

dthomp325 said:


> I'm running m8000 1x11 with an X01 cassette and AB chainring, and I have to say it's fabulous.
> 
> XT derailleur + shifter is noticeably better than GX and X1 (although some of it maybe due to the cassette) and cheaper than X01, plus has more clearance than Sram (sticks out less from the frame) and the clutch applies more force than Sram. M8000 shifts fast and, unlike older Shimano, the shift levers and detents feel solid.
> 
> Sram's x-dome cassettes are still the best. One piece = light and stiff with responsive shifting. Sram's lower end pinned cassettes and all of Shimano's heavy cog cassettes seem like cheap entry-level parts in comparison. Xdome + XD is engineering/manufacturing porn.


what?? coming from the same bike with the same spec I think there must have been some blue pill in the shimano package for you to draw that conclusion


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## coot271 (Sep 15, 2010)

Steel Calf said:


> I wouldn't trust a southern European company whose products mostly look like a cheap Shimano knock off. Gearing steps alone are worth nothing if the cassette wears faster than light due to inferior materials / manufacturing.
> 
> They even fail to provide basic documentation on their website and where can you actually buy that mystery 11-46 cassette?


bikeman.com has the sunrace 11-46 in stock for 79.99...................mysterious.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

Anyone actually using the Sunrace or the XT 46t cassette? I ordered the XT cassete but now I'm thinking I made a mistake since the jump seems pretty big from 37 to 46, especially since I also want to go up to a 34T in the front from a 32T. 
Now i'm thinking all the gears will be noticeably harder and then shifting to the 46 will be too low expect in the steepest climbs.


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

Read post #48. I think the sunrace is the better call.


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## BigRugger03 (Jul 28, 2014)

Yes, I have been using the Sunrace 11-46 cassette for a few months now. 

I looked at the XT cassette and the huge jump, and decided on the Sunrace for that reason.

I am patiently awaiting a lighter, tricker XTR 11-46.....but until that happens, I really do like the Sunrace and it shifts great; just as good as my XTR cassette with a one up expander (which worked great as well).


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

matadorCE said:


> Anyone actually using the Sunrace or the XT 46t cassette? I ordered the XT cassete but now I'm thinking I made a mistake since the jump seems pretty big from 37 to 46, especially since I also want to go up to a 34T in the front from a 32T.
> Now i'm thinking all the gears will be noticeably harder and then shifting to the 46 will be too low expect in the steepest climbs.


Depends where you live and what kinda shape you are in. Was riding a 11-40, but grabbed an 11-46 Shimano just recently.

I thought the 37 to 46 would be bad, but its not. Jumps fine. I have only ridden on dirt road/Class 4 (i.e. ancient unmaintained roads here in VT) so I have not ridden the cassette on my normal single track.

Since the final 3 cogs are 32-37-46 vs the 31-35-40, I am feeling pretty good with it other than the 441g weight as I don't seem to be getting any stronger each year I get into my 40s.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

Thanks for the input guys, I ordered the Sunrace from amazon and will cancel the order for the XT 11-46 ( it wasn't going to be in stock for another week or so anyway). I'm currently on the XT 11-42 with a 32T oval in the front, and going to the 46 and up to a 34T oval would just make things harder and not give me any more usable gears than the ones I use know. For the trails I ride, I end up on the last three cogs all most of the time and hopefully the new setup will let me ride farther down the cassette while gaining a little more low range.


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## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

I'm glad the sunrace cassette is available because that XT 11-46 just looks horrible. I'm sure it will work fine, but the aesthetics are vomit inducing. People need to remember though that a large jump in the lower (high tooth count) gears has less effective jump to range percentage. So jumping 9 teeth or whatever isn't such a big deal cadence wise. That said I think it's primarily designed as a bail out gear to be used rarely and mainly for recovery. As it is I barely use my 42t cog with a 32t oval chain ring but a 46t will allow me to use a 34t chainring and gain some top speed


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## Roadsters (Jul 7, 2008)

Steel Calf said:


> Shimano's new XT 11-46 cassette is finally available and offers you nearly the same range Sram does since 2012 with their 10-42 cassettes (418% vs. 420%)
> 
> However, when looking at the gear spacing I couldn't believe my eyes:
> 11-42: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42
> ...



























That's pretty crazy. Years ago I decided to just stay with 22/32/44-tooth chainrings, and I really don't want to give up the small gaps provided by my 9-speed Dura-Ace cassettes. I use 12-27 (183g) for off-road and 11-21 (147g) for around town.

Since I've done what I reasonably can to keep the weight of my bikes down, the 22x27 lowest gear (with 26-inch wheels) works fine for me. If it's too tall, sometimes it's faster and easier to just get off and walk.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Roadsters said:


> View attachment 1092175
> 
> 
> View attachment 1092176
> ...


Not impressed. I think you oversaw that this is basically a 1x11 thread. Easy for you to argue that a 11-27 cassette is enough when it gives you 490% range with that triple crankset front.


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## Roadsters (Jul 7, 2008)

Steel Calf said:


> I think you oversaw that this is basically a 1x11 thread.


You are choosing to overlook the fact that the title of the thread is "Shimano 11-46 cassette".



Steel Calf said:


> Easy for you to argue that a 11-27 cassette is enough when it gives you 490% range with that triple crankset front.


That was the point, as well as the fact that the new products and marketing of a profit-driven corporation don't always result in a worthwhile improvement for everyone.



Steel Calf said:


> Not impressed.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

Roadsters said:


> View attachment 1092175
> 
> 
> View attachment 1092176
> ...


But, how do you clear logs, boulders and other obstacles which are now left on the trail because the predominant chainring is 32?


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Roadsters said:


> You are choosing to overlook the fact that the title of the thread is "Shimano 11-46 cassette".


What I meant is that the Shimano XT 11-46 cassette is a 1x11 product, it does not work with a 2x/3x crankset. This thread is dedicated for people who already run a 1x setup and may consider the new cassette as an upgrade to increase range.

You can stick to your guns here:
http://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-s...ll-best-option-all-purpose-riding-999749.html


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## uzurpator (Dec 8, 2005)

Steel Calf said:


> What I meant is that the Shimano XT 11-46 cassette is a 1x11 product, it does not work with a 2x/3x crankset.


Because?

With 47T of stated capacity on the SGS mech you should be able to couple 11-46 with 2x chainset of 10T front difference.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

uzurpator said:


> Because?
> 
> With 47T of stated capacity on the SGS mech you should be able to couple 11-46 with 2x chainset of 10T front difference.


According to Shimano the 11-46 cassette is a 1x only product. Yes, the XT derailleur offers 47T capacity but with a 3x crankset / 11-40 cassette in mind. Capacity is one thing, upper pulley clearance to clear that 46T cog another.

One could argue about the practical use of running 26/46 as lowest gear but I actually think you're right and it may work on a 2x though someone else brave enough would need to test that out


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## uzurpator (Dec 8, 2005)

All XT 8000 series rear derailleurs will handle 11-46 cassette. For 1x shimano recommends GS mech anyways - with 39T of capacity.

26/46 is an equivalent of 22/38, which, on ever increasing wheel sizes, is not much lower then 22/34 on 26" wheel.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

uzurpator said:


> All XT 8000 series rear derailleurs will handle 11-46 cassette. For 1x shimano recommends GS mech anyways - with 39T of capacity.


on a 1x11 setup. The derailleurs upper pulley offset (which is the same on GS and SGS) is the defining factor here because it is needed to clear the 46T cog in the first place which is controlled by correct chain length, not its cage length/capacity.

By running a 2x crankset the chain has to be longer to accommodate big-big gearing combinations thus reducing clearance, it may work though with some limitations in mind. I once installed a XT 11-42 on a gravel bike with a 34/46 crankset and it was a tight fit with a reversed b-screw and a derailleur hack in place.


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## uzurpator (Dec 8, 2005)

Steel Calf said:


> on a 1x11 setup. The derailleurs upper pulley offset (which is the same on GS and SGS) is the defining factor here because it is needed to clear the 46T cog in the first place which is controlled by correct chain length, not its cage length/capacity.


I know.



> By running a 2x crankset the chain has to be longer to accommodate big-big gearing combinations thus reducing clearance, it may work though with some limitations in mind. I once installed a XT 11-42 on a gravel bike with a 34/46 crankset and it was a tight fit with a reversed b-screw and a derailleur hack in place.


This is not an issue in practice. With properely set chain length, the worst that can happen is some minor slack on the small/small gear combos, most likely eliminatig them from being usable.

I have a customer who runs Rad-Cage XT setup with 11-42 rear and 35/21 front. He is unable to use 4 smallest cogs on the cassette when using the granny. With SGS cage on the 8000 series, he should be able to use all gears. Or he could switch to tighter front rings and 11-46 cassette.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

I am actually liking the gearing in this cassette. Works well for my weaker/older legs.

However, I'm trying to clean up my shifting. I'm doing great from 11-32, but getting a bit clunky at 37 and really noisy and grumpy at 46.

Lots of chain noise. Messed with limit and B-Screw. my chain feels super taught at 46. I measured for my chain length using the BIG-BIG method and the calculation using the Park Tool Method:

Simple Equation: L = 2 (C) + (F/4 + R/4 + 1)
L = Chain length in inches. Round the final result to closest whole inch figure.
C = Chain stay length in inches, measure to closest 1/8". Use chart above to find decimal measurement.
F= Number of teeth on largest front chainring.
R= Number of teeth on largest rear cog.

Both came out with the same chain length (56" I think?), but I'm wondering if adding an inch would give me less stiff feel when in the 46t.

Anyone else finding the same issue?

Maybe I'll take a viddy and link to it.


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## Lonecrow (Jun 20, 2011)

sounds to tight, wrap chain around biggest cog and and chain ring 
pull tight and add two links..round up if anything if you have to.
I am running the 11-42 cassette and its pretty smooth in both the
37 and 42.
I am looking to upgrade to the 46 next spring and I think it
it will work fine for me too.


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## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

uzurpator said:


> All XT 8000 series rear derailleurs will handle 11-46 cassette. For 1x shimano recommends GS mech anyways - with 39T of capacity.
> 
> 26/46 is an equivalent of 22/38, which, on ever increasing wheel sizes, is not much lower then 22/34 on 26" wheel.


I guess everyone has a different definition of how low is too low. In a past life I had a 3x 26er with 22/34 as the low gear. It was good for comedic value and nothing else. If I hit that gear by accident on a climb I was dead in the water.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

JACKL said:


> I guess everyone has a different definition of how low is too low. In a past life I had a 3x 26er with 22/34 as the low gear. It was good for comedic value and nothing else. If I hit that gear by accident on a climb I was dead in the water.


You must be strong (and funny).

If this gearing reduces my fatigue (especially over a 50mi race that has more up than down), I'm all over it like white on rice. I'm lucky if I have time to ride 2x a week and was never and will never be a strong endurance rider.

I'm LOVING it and if they could match SRAM with a 10-50, I'd be all over that. Just don't like SRAM as much. If I can make people laugh, its was a good $100 investment.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

I put on the Sunrace cassette and the 34T chainring. There are no problems getting up to the 46 cog with the short cage XT m8000 rear derailleur. I haven't ridden on it yet since the trails are muddy but can't wait to see how it rides.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

I think I have a bent RD cage. The cage is angled out and becomes more pronounced as I get into the upper gears. If I push the cage inboard, the clunking stops and pedaling is quiet. I found the lower pulley to be catching on the chain plate before falling into the space between links. No use of the limit screws or barrels adjuster seems to alleviate the issue without screwing everything else up.

I'll compare this week when it arrives to see if in fact the issue.


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

FYI Jensen now list the xt 11-46 cassette


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## BigRugger03 (Jul 28, 2014)

Do you mean the XT 8000 11-46? I was hoping for the release of the XTR 11-46...


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## streetrocket (May 17, 2010)

Went here to ask if the 11-46 xt cog will work on a 2x (38/28) xt crank. But seems like i will be the test pilot for this one lol. Purchased this today to be installed on my spez epic. Currently just waiting for the bb adaptor for shimano. I need this gear range for biking around my area so i hope it works.










Old drive train was a 2x10 sram system 38/24 cranks paired with a praxxis 11-40 cog.

Did some calculations and seems like my old 2x10 setup just has about the same gear range as this new 2x11 (if all goes well).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

streetrocket said:


> Old drive train was a 2x10 sram system 38/24 cranks paired with a praxxis 11-40 cog.
> 
> Did some calculations and seems like my old 2x10 setup just has about the same gear range as this new 2x11 (if all goes well).


Why did you do the switch in the first place if the range is about the same?
Why all the hassle?


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## streetrocket (May 17, 2010)

Steel Calf said:


> Why did you do the switch in the first place if the range is about the same?
> Why all the hassle?


Well after some kms i broke off some teeth from that praxis cog and it started slipping. They replaced it under warranty but after some kms same thing again. So just put the original 11-36 xt cog back for a while. Then was offered a good price for the 2x11 xt whole group set ($430usd), so just went for it.


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

streetrocket said:


> Went here to ask if the 11-46 xt cog will work on a 2x (38/28) xt crank. But seems like i will be the test pilot for this one lol. Purchased this today to be installed on my spez epic. Currently just waiting for the bb adaptor for shimano. I need this gear range for biking around my area so i hope it works.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Can you confirm us that the two largest cogs are 40 and 46 teeths? and they are alumminium? The differents colors in them make me wonder.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

OscarAM said:


> Can you confirm us that the two largest cogs are 40 and 46 teeths? and they are alumminium? The differents colors in them make me wonder.


he probably can't as the two largest cogs on the XT 11-46 are 37 and 46 and both are supposed to be made from aluminium


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

I have it and I am pretty sure the 37 is aluminum as well, but I could be mistaken


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

WoodstockMTB said:


> I have it and I am pretty sure the 37 is aluminum as well, but I could be mistaken


I just checked and you're right, the 37 and 46 are both made of aluminium.

Maybe you can test it out with a magnet


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## streetrocket (May 17, 2010)

Well happy to report after couple of rides so far so good. Using a mid cage rd, but definitely better on a long cage so will replace soon as i find one.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

Thanks for posting your results! This is awesome! I've been wondering if the 11-46 could be used in a 2x11 setup. How do you like the gear spacing?

I think it's funny reading about the complaints on the first page about the gear separation. Do you seriously think that Shimano doesn't know what they're doing? The reason their cassettes shift as smooth as butter is because of carefully chosen tooth counts. They didn't just randomly pick gears. Everyone has their own idea what they think would be better, but I'm sure Shimano tested it to no end before they decided it was ready for the masses.

Also, to answer why they made this...I'm pretty sure they're tired of losing sales to SRAM. This cassette is an excellent answer. I wouldn't be surprised if their 12-speed cassette has a fifty-something tooth cog on it, but guess we'll have to wait a few more years before it trickles down to XT/SLX.

I'm on their 10-speed XT 11-36 with a Wolftooth 42 and 16 with a SRAM X9 Type 2.1 rear derailleur, and I can tell you that the 16 ruins Shimano's buttery smooth shifting (but not to a point where I'd remove it to go back). Shifting in and out of the 42 is perfect though. I have no doubt that the 11-46 shifts as smooth as butter throughout its range of perfectly selected cogs. Try it before you dis it.



streetrocket said:


> ...Well happy to report after couple of rides so far so good. Using a mid cage rd, but definitely better on a long cage so will replace soon as i find one...


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## eshew (Jan 30, 2004)

I am guessing in the future they'll have 2 cassettes one with less gaps down low, and another with less gaps up top. It really depends on the rider, are you an agressive hill climber that loves the ups, or are you a trail rider that just wants to make it up and have closer ratio's when you're pedaling level or down.

But it's a moot point for me. Sadly I can't quite stomach spending the money for a larger cog for my 1X10, although I could certainly use it as my 34t NW ring combined with my 36t rear gets a bit rough when it gets really steep. But I've still got my 24t on the front crank, so I can always jump off, pop down the chain and pedal up again. Does the job and saves me some $$ for future upgrades when everyone finally gets this thing figured out and my old stuff wears out.


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

BigRugger03 said:


> Yes, I have been using the Sunrace 11-46 cassette for a few months now.
> 
> I looked at the XT cassette and the huge jump, and decided on the Sunrace for that reason.
> 
> I am patiently awaiting a lighter, tricker XTR 11-46.....but until that happens, I really do like the Sunrace and it shifts great; just as good as my XTR cassette with a one up expander (which worked great as well).


BigRugger03: Are you using the OneUp Shark cage on your XTR rd? (looks like it in pic)


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## furryfootstool (Jun 16, 2016)

matadorCE said:


> Anyone actually using the Sunrace or the XT 46t cassette? I ordered the XT cassete but now I'm thinking I made a mistake since the jump seems pretty big from 37 to 46, especially since I also want to go up to a 34T in the front from a 32T.
> Now i'm thinking all the gears will be noticeably harder and then shifting to the 46 will be too low expect in the steepest climbs.


I have the shimano 11-46t on my 29'er hardtail. i'm using a m8000 shifter and derailleur and it shifts just fine. i rode today and i only need to use the 46t twice to get out of two steep climbs. i don't know why everyone is making a huge fuss about it, the bail out gear works just fine. i still know a ton of people who use 10spd with 36t as their biggest cog. the 46 works, most people are just number weenies or haven't tried it yet. i don't see a actual legit complaint other than numbers. go and try it, if it sucks, sell it and get something else


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## furryfootstool (Jun 16, 2016)

streetrocket said:


> Well happy to report after couple of rides so far so good. Using a mid cage rd, but definitely better on a long cage so will replace soon as i find one.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


i was using almost that exact setup with the 34/24 xt crank. i decided to go to a 1x11 with the 11-46 cassette and i'm still really happy with it.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

furryfootstool said:


> I have the shimano 11-46t on my 29'er hardtail. i'm using a m8000 shifter and derailleur and it shifts just fine. i rode today and i only need to use the 46t twice to get out of two steep climbs. i don't know why everyone is making a huge fuss about it, the bail out gear works just fine. i still know a ton of people who use 10spd with 36t as their biggest cog. the 46 works, most people are just number weenies or haven't tried it yet. i don't see a actual legit complaint other than numbers. go and try it, if it sucks, sell it and get something else


I went with a Sunrace instead, better gearing for what I ride. I did an XC race this weekend and because I went up to a 34 on the front and the Sunrace 11-46, I felt like I had enough high end for the flat sections and enough low for the punchy climbs.


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## rrrrrok (Jan 9, 2016)

Anyone tried the 11-46 with a Rival 1 RD? Official spec says it'll work up to 10-42, but who knows...


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

rrrrrok said:


> Anyone tried the 11-46 with a Rival 1 RD? Official spec says it'll work up to 10-42, but who knows...


Rival 1 long cage works with XT 11-46 cassette


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

streetrocket said:


> Well happy to report after couple of rides so far so good. Using a mid cage rd, but definitely better on a long cage so will replace soon as i find one.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Can anyone tell me how many links in the chain they are using for a 46t cassette with 24 and 34 t chainrings in a 2x set up?

This is interesting. I am going to try this on my wife's bike. If it works like crap I will be in the dog house. But if she can clean more climbs she will be a happier camper! She's no weakling, but hates hike a biking.


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

Jack Burns said:


> Can anyone tell me how many links in the chain they are using for a 46t cassette with 24 and 34 t chainrings in a 2x set up?
> 
> This is interesting. I am going to try this on my wife's bike. If it works like crap I will be in the dog house. But if she can clean more climbs she will be a happier camper! She's no weakling, but hates hike a biking.


With chain stay length, this isn't a very useful question. With a 10 tooth difference you probably could run this cassette. You may have a bit of binding or loose chain in the cross chaining gears.


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## jasonb67 (May 16, 2011)

*Its good*

Fwiw, this cassette is great. Yeah, there's a big jump at the end that could be refined, but when you need that gear the relief is welcome! Having a 46t at the top enabled me to run a 32 up front, where I would've gone 30. It shifts great with xt derailleur and shifter. Don't overthink it. It's great.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Cerberus75 said:


> With chain stay length, this isn't a very useful question. With a 10 tooth difference you probably could run this cassette. You may have a bit of binding or loose chain in the cross chaining gears.


yep you're right...was thinking out loud...But curious anyway. Adding the bigger cassette and a link is adding weight. A 1x11 is making more and more sense these days. No wonder SRAM does what they do. I like the 1x11 I have on a bike and have a bit of Eagle envy.

I will go out and count the links on the bike and figure on adding a link. I need to know because I rotate 4 chains to help the drive train last, and I will have to add a link to the ones in rotation, or start over.

Bike Wagon has high end SRAM OEM chain on sale for $25, but they are only 107 links long with no master link. So I was thinking about that.

We single speed as well, and I wonder if those worn 11 speed chains can single speed? Sounds like a bad idea.


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

Jack Burns said:


> yep you're right...was thinking out loud...But curious anyway. Adding the bigger cassette and a link is adding weight. A 1x11 is making more and more sense these days. No wonder SRAM does what they do. I like the 1x11 I have on a bike and have a bit of Eagle envy.
> 
> I will go out and count the links on the bike and figure on adding a link. I need to know because I rotate 4 chains to help the drive train last, and I will have to add a link to the ones in rotation, or start over.
> 
> ...


With single speed (it's been years) the only experience with I have is BMX. We slid the wheel back tight when chain stretch. But got more wear on gears. I would used something the size of 8speed. Lasts forever.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

I've seen a lot of complaints about the jump from 37t to 46t but if you look at gear inches or ratios it's the same as shifting from 28 to 32t, and the jump from 11 to 13t is 3 times greater than 37 to 46t. So depending on ones riding style I could see it making perfect sense.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

I have just counted the links on the chains of our two FS bikes, a Santa Cruz 5010 and a Stump jumper 6Fattie.

The 5010 with Shimano 2x11 has 108 links.

The Six Fattie with SRAM 1x11 has 110 links.

We are getting the Sunrace cassettes. 

The 5010 looks like it will need more links, and the small chainring and small cog combination will be slack. I know she uses that gear, by accident, so it could be a problem if it derails, and makes a lot of noise.

My 6Fattie will stay the same when running the 27.5+ wheels. I have a 29" wheelset for wet conditions that the 11-46 cassette will be used on a Shimano freehub. It looks like I might not need to add links, but we shall see. That way I can run the 27.5+ wheels without an issue.

It's an expensive experiment, but I like playing around with the stuff.

We are strong climbers. We single speed.

But some of the places we ride have long technical climbs that are more fun to have bailout gears.

Smaller chainrings are not an option for our set-up.

If it doesn't work out well, i am not sure what to do with the Sunrace parts. None of our other bikes could use them.

Ordered them from Taiwan today. They won't be here until December. I will post results after they get installed and ridden. I will also find the Sunrace threads later and post there too.


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## Lonecrow (Jun 20, 2011)

Looking at pics of the 11-46 the 37 cog looks anodized ,is that now made
of aluminum also?


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

Yes, 37 and 46 are Aluminum, rest is steel


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## Appalachian (Apr 12, 2006)

Everyone keeps talking about the jumps in the last gear and that the sunrace should be better. I can find the shimano for ~$71 after activejunky inside the US. Best I see on the lighter sunrace is $75 and shipped from china. also I have heard of the sunrace big ring folding over. Shimano has solid reliable history in their smaller offerings. I think I have it figured out on which one to experiment with, but before I pull the trigger. does anybody have experience on both in the 46t big cog flavor?


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

I'm no gearing nerd. I just want as easy a top end as I can get. I don't see and issues with the jump.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Appalachian, you are so right, and I want to know how they will fair in comparison with each other as well. My Google-gu is lagging. It would be a no brainer to get a Shimano cassette over Sunrace especially if XT is cheaper and domestically available. So Jack Burns was wrong to order Sunrace from Taiwan. But that's cool, as long as they arrive eventually. Seeing as how multiple wheelset are in Jack's garage, undoubtedly another Shimano cassette will be welcomed in the coming year.


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## bosbik (Aug 29, 2011)

hi, has anyone tried the 11-46 with the sram GX RD?


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

Installed mine today with shimano m8000 sgs Rd. No issues with shifting a day riding around the street shifts are fine and smooth. Came off a 11-42 XT cassette.


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

*Works with 11-45 Shimano*

GX 11S derraileur works great with a 11-45 (XTR 11-40 + WolfTooth 45T + 18T extender).


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## Andrew8404 (Nov 20, 2011)

Have the 11-46 with XT set up on my Yeti SB6c. There is no big jump and is smooth gearing throughout! Super impressed and really happy with the price too!









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bosbik (Aug 29, 2011)

OscarAM said:


> GX 11S derraileur works great with a 11-45 (XTR 11-40 + WolfTooth 45T + 18T extender).
> 
> View attachment 1107604


great!...the 11-46 should work then..did you need to push in the b-screw on that set up?


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

bosbik said:


> great!...the 11-46 should work then..did you need to push in the b-screw on that set up?


I jump from 1X10 with a 11-42 to this so I don't know. But there is some more turns available (like 1/3 of total), I have heard that SRAM 11S RD works with a 11-50.


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## bosbik (Aug 29, 2011)

OscarAM said:


> I jump from 1X10 with a 11-42 to this so I don't know. But there is some more turns available (like 1/3 of total), I have heard that SRAM 11S RD works with a 11-50.


oohhh...so your GX is a 10sp?


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

bosbik said:


> oohhh...so your GX is a 10sp?


No, it's a 11 speed GX RD.


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## bosbik (Aug 29, 2011)

OscarAM said:


> No, it's a 11 speed GX RD.


great.. i plang to get the gx and pair it with my xt 11-46


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

First ride today on my 11-46 with new xt chain, year old xt m8000 sgs RD and new one up oval 32t chainring.

Shifts just like any other xt cassette (replaced a 11-42). Jump to 46t was seamless and enjoyed having it. Quiet and crisp...


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Today I just installed an 11-46 on my 6Fattie Stumpjumper.

Maybe this is the wrong thread to post in, because I put a Sunrace cassette on. But I think it's worth it for the Shimano version subscribers to know...I will post more details on the Sunrace thread later.

Anyway, it's a different hub/wheelset than what I have been running. White boost hubs and i45 Scrapers.

I did not have to lengthen the chain, having previously run Sram 10-42 and Shimano 11-42 on a plus and 29er rims. They both worked well.

So the Sunrace didn't work right away because I needed to adjust the limit screws and b-tension. as well as the cable adjustment.

I got it to work, and look forward to a big ride tomorrow. Today I did a shakedown ride, and it worked flawelessly after a lot of fiddling.


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## ztbishop (May 11, 2009)

First ride on the M8000 11-46 Cassette and 30T chainring. 
Once I moved an XT (701) chain to the drivetrain, I had no backpedal issues. 
Regarding the big jump from 37-46, I didn't notice. It honestly felt right, like I didn't need anything in between. 
I only had time to ride for 30 minutes before the rain kicked in.

For those of you on the Sunrace, do you notice the bigger jump in the upper range?
11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-26-40-46
(mainly the 15-18-21)

Where the shimano has:
11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-28-32-37-46
(tighter in the upper range 15-17-19-21)

I'm sure they both work great, but I was concerned with the gaps being more noticible on the Sunrace once up to speed.


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## Aglo (Dec 16, 2014)

^^^ I run a Sunrace 11-46 with a 30t chainring.
I don't feel any major jump in all the cassette range.
I sure some will feel it, but to me all the jumps seems ok, I'm sure the XT cassette jumps would also feel ok to me, because the jumps in the upper range are made when I'm spinning in low grade uphills, or going downhill.


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## Craw (Feb 10, 2004)

I just installed an 11-46 cassette, XT M8000 RD, and Shifter over the weekend. Came off a 1x10 XT setup (Originally a 2x10). 

Install was easy, and straightforward. I was concerned with backpedaling issues but I'm able to backpedal with no issues. 

I didn't do anything with my front ring and crank. I did have to adjust the clutch tension a little because shifting to the dinner plate in the back was a little tough. It was fine with the clutch disengaged. 

As for the jump from the 37t to the 46t, it wasn't bad at all.

Overall, really pleased with the setup so far.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Sunday's ride was great. Made a ride of 4k feet of climbing and 21 miles.

The Sunrace really performed well and felt natural. The steps in gearing are good.

My chainring is 28t so this is very low gear. Suits me as the Bike is quite portly in full plus mode.

I was also testing a 3.25 tire on the front. It was trippy. I think the mass also helped keep the front planted better on climbs. That's absurd in a way, because added weight. Opinions aside, it is a fact I had fun and cleaned some difficult DH with more confidence.

Having low gears doesn't mean always using them.

But I do spin out. If I raced, which I don't, the set up would be bad. If I am coasting out at a speed slower than I could comfortably go, I either accept it, or spin crazy fast like I do single speeding.


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

ztbishop said:


> First ride on the M8000 11-46 Cassette and 30T chainring.
> Once I moved an XT (701) chain to the drivetrain, I had no backpedal issues.
> Regarding the big jump from 37-46, I didn't notice. It honestly felt right, like I didn't need anything in between.
> I only had time to ride for 30 minutes before the rain kicked in.
> ...


I ride the 42T and I too did not think the big jump on the new 46T would be a problem. Still I was waiting for some *rea*l ride reviews like yours.

That Shimano 'Tighter" zone, the (13-15-17-19-21), That zone Is where tight matters to me.


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## mn_biker (Jul 26, 2013)

Add me to the list of satisfied customers of the Shimano XT 11-46 cassette. Shifting feels completely normal going up to the 46t cog and I have zero issues with back pedaling. If you are on the fence... go for it, you won't be disappointed!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

Which length derailleur works the best with the 46?


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## Coal-Cracker (May 4, 2010)

Vegard said:


> Which length derailleur works the best with the 46?


I've been using a medium cage with no issues.
I believe that a medium cage is the consensus with the 11-46 (Shimano 1x11).

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

Vegard said:


> Which length derailleur works the best with the 46?


From SRAM 11S RD there is just one size, named large. For Shimano there is GS and SGS (large) and GS is enough for a 11-46 singlechainring and the shorter the better, SGS should work to try a 2X11 setup with 11-46 (anyone?) with a big range available I think.

As you can deduce from what WolfTooth recommends, because the 49T expander works even with the GS, what is necessary is a more offset pulley, so they make one as seen here:
49T GC Cog and WolfCage Kit for Shimano 11-speed ? wolftoothcomponents.com


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## el cap (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I'm going with the GS mid cage and 11-46 in my 1x11 setup.


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

el cap said:


> Thanks for the info. I'm going with the GS mid cage and 11-46 in my 1x11 setup.


I run the gs mid cage with 11-46 with no issues..

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## el cap (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks! Where is the best place to order the 1146t cassette and gs rear derailleur? Jenson or Chain Reaction?


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## el cap (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks! Where is the best place to order the 1146t cassette and gs rear derailleur? Jenson or Chain Reaction? What size front ring are you running?


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

Either is good

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## woody.1 (Jun 10, 2008)

yeti575inCA said:


> I run the gs mid cage with 11-46 with no issues..
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


What size is your front chain ring?


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

woody.1 said:


> What size is your front chain ring?


32 T round but now on a one up 32t/34t oval with no issues.


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## dmac1 (Jun 20, 2014)

Anybody have any chain drop issues with the Wolftooth approach?

Also, seems to me, for climbing alot (I live in Colorado) that the 37-42-45 would be better than just jumping from 37 to 46. Any thoughts on that? My current low gear is 30 up front and 42 rear and its ok for most stuff, but I need lower for the steeps.

Thanks!


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## Coal-Cracker (May 4, 2010)

I thought the jump would be too much also, but the first test ride showed it to be a non-issue. 
Honestly, the jump really isn't that bad. 

Look at it like this: plan to do most of your climbing in the 37, with the 46 as a bail-out gear.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

dmac1 said:


> Also, seems to me, for climbing alot (I live in Colorado) that the 37-42-45 would be better than just jumping from 37 to 46. Any thoughts on that?


Seems like it would be but ratios change as the gearing gets lower, 37-46 is less of a jump than 11-13.

BikeCalc.com - Bicycle Gear Ratio Chart


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## dmac1 (Jun 20, 2014)

Coal-Cracker said:


> I thought the jump would be too much also, but the first test ride showed it to be a non-issue.
> Honestly, the jump really isn't that bad.
> 
> Look at it like this: plan to do most of your climbing in the 37, with the 46 as a bail-out gear.
> ...


Glad to hear it works well...but I want my 42! I climb in it alot currently, but its not enough...if my next option to 46 is 37, I'll be pushing...or spinning like crazy.

This is why I think the Wolftooth alternative is good for me....I'd have 37-42-45. I've currently got a 30t chainring and if I could get to 45 or 46 in rear it almost equates to the granny on my other bike with a triple chainring. As it is, I'm not very close.


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## chumanji9 (Mar 7, 2013)

I had the same experience with the 37 to 46 jump. It was too much during the steep climb. I find myself spinning out or the jump cause such a torque on the rear that I would break traction. I ended up going with the sunrace setup. It has a 36-40-46 setup. I find the sunrace ratios better for climbing and the shimano ratio is better at the speedy end.


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## el cap (Jul 22, 2009)

Do you still need a longer B adjustment screw with the Shimano M8000 GS med cage rear derailleur with the Sunrace 11-46t? I read that from some eBay sellers of the Sunrace 11-46t cassette.


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## GTBusso (Aug 25, 2016)

el cap said:


> Do you still need a longer B adjustment screw with the Shimano M8000 GS med cage rear derailleur with the Sunrace 11-46t? I read that from some eBay sellers of the Sunrace 11-46t cassette.


Mine works fine with that set up and a 34 front ring, no longer B screw required.


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## chumanji9 (Mar 7, 2013)

I have a 32T front ring, and I didn't need a longer B-Screw on my M8000


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## sdm74 (Jan 27, 2013)

I just installed my xt drivetrain, I'm coming from a 2x . I have a 73mm bb and put spacer on non drive side to move chain ring in closer. I have no back pedaling issues (only on rack so far) but I hear a "tinny metal to metal sound" is that the aluminum cog making that noise or something wrong? Also how does the 1x system last with the cross chaining? Was worse with spacer on drive side that's why I flipped it.


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

sdm74 said:


> I just installed my xt drivetrain, I'm coming from a 2x . I have a 73mm bb and put spacer on non drive side to move chain ring in closer. I have no back pedaling issues (only on rack so far) but I hear a "tinny metal to metal sound" is that the aluminum cog making that noise or something wrong? Also how does the 1x system last with the cross chaining? Was worse with spacer on drive side that's why I flipped it.


"tinny metal to metal sound" Make sure you got 5 to 6 mm clearance between the cassette's 1st gear teeth and the derailleur's upper jocky wheel. I had to readjust this when I moved my M8000 from my old bike to my new one.
Shorter derailleur hanger I assume.

And that leads me to this part,"how does the 1x system last with the cross chaining?" Rode this cassette and chain for a full year on my FS bike and have now moved It all to my new Plus bike. I see minimal cassette wear and my Race Face Narrow wide will last another full year easily.
What Cross Chaining ? It's a 1x system,,,
I center lined my chain ring with the middle cassette gear,,gear #6, 5 above and below. Did this with 1 mm spacers to move the chain ring Inboard and got a perfectly straight chain line In 6th.

If you spend more time In the lower half of the cassette line It up with gear #5

This bike shipped with a 2x10 XT system. It came right off after one ride as I cannot stand all that front derailleur noise and chain slap as that XT system had no clutch. jumping down to the front granny ring took too long and I was loosing far to much forward momentum...

I can back pedal in the granny gear but In that gear I am climbing the steep stuff so no backpedaling needed anyway.

I'm using that baked on teflon coated shimano chain and after a full year of weekly rides It shows no damage and only minimal stretching per the Park tool chain stretch guage. No need for replacement yet..

32T ring up front
11-42 cassette,
M8000
Scott Scale 720 Plus:








I still use the Lizard skin because in 10th and 11th gear the chain Is so close to the chain stay.. I have a silent drive train and all the climbing gear I need but I do ride in 11th on the fire roads,, when I have a tail wind


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## sdm74 (Jan 27, 2013)

Osco said:


> "tinny metal to metal sound" Make sure you got 5 to 6 mm clearance between the cassette's 1st gear teeth and the derailleur's upper jocky wheel. I had to readjust this when I moved my M8000 from my old bike to my new one.
> Shorter derailleur hanger I assume.
> 
> And that leads me to this part,"how does the 1x system last with the cross chaining?" Rode this cassette and chain for a full year on my FS bike and have now moved It all to my new Plus bike. I see minimal cassette wear and my Race Face Narrow wide will last another full year easily.
> ...


Thanks for the info!!! Appreciate it. I figured out it was the paws in the new hope 4 hub making that high pitch noise. But while chain moves on cassette it does have a sound to it, occasionally. I have a hg? Shimano chain,said recommended for this cassette. Also how many links did you cut from your chain?


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## allblkscott (Aug 8, 2014)

BigRugger03 said:


> Yes, I have been using the Sunrace 11-46 cassette for a few months now.
> 
> I looked at the XT cassette and the huge jump, and decided on the Sunrace for that reason.
> 
> I am patiently awaiting a lighter, tricker XTR 11-46.....but until that happens, I really do like the Sunrace and it shifts great; just as good as my XTR cassette with a one up expander (which worked great as well).


Is that the oneup cage on your derailleur for the 50t?


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

In case anyone is planning on throwing one of these M8000 11-46 cassettes into a drop bar setup, I put one on my RXC with a Rival 1 long cage and it works perfectly (44T absoluteBLACK narrow-wide direct mount oval chainring, 1x11). I actually preferred the gear spread on this M8000 versus the SunRace Mx8 because my RXC is primarily a road bike (I have a separate gravel bike) and I will be riding 90% of the time in the 7 or 8 smallest cogs with the 44T ring, so I'd rather have a tight spread down there and then just have a bailout and a mega-bailout for the occasional really steep hill (I live and ride in South Jersey--not a lot of steep hills to speak of).

That being said, my gravel bike and my hard tail are 1x10 and both running the 10-speed SunRace 11-42 cassettes and they work very well for me with a more even spread since I ride the bigger cogs a lot more on those bikes/trails.

-Ed


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Just setting up a brand new build. Specialized Stumpy Expert 29 boost. I bought an XT 8000 11-46 cassette and an XTR 9000 GS 11 spd RD. I haven't got my chain on yet but just mocking/ sizing things up during this build has me questioning whether the GS derailleur is compatible with the 11/46? I went this direction under the assumption the 37T capacity of the GS would work. Again, haven't completed the set-up but with cable attached to XTR 11 spd shifter, my H/L limit and B screws roughed in, it appears that the RD is maybe maxxed and doesn't have the ability to tuck under that 46 pie plate. Anybody else successfully running the same combination? I haven't completed set-up for fear of needing to exchange the RD.


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Just setting up a brand new build. Specialized Stumpy Expert 29 boost. I bought an XT 8000 11-46 cassette and an XTR 9000 GS 11 spd RD. I haven't got my chain on yet but just mocking/ sizing things up during this build has me questioning whether the GS derailleur is compatible with the 11/46? I went this direction under the assumption the 37T capacity of the GS would work. Again, haven't completed the set-up but with cable attached to XTR 11 spd shifter, my H/L limit and B screws roughed in, it appears that the RD is maybe maxxed and doesn't have the ability to tuck under that 46 pie plate. Anybody else successfully running the same combination? I haven't completed set-up for fear of needing to exchange the RD.


Officially the XT m8000 rd is the only one compatible with 11-46. XTR is thru 11-42 officially but I thought I saw people using your set up.

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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

yeti575inCA said:


> Officially the XT m8000 rd is the only one compatible with 11-46. XTR is thru 11-42 officially but I thought I saw people using your set up.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


Shimano's site info shows the identical 42 top / 11 low for the XT 8000 GS series, too. In fact nothing on the site shows 46 low capability aside from the oddball RD-XT 8050 which I believe is a Di2?


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

According to this page, it should be compatible (search for "xtr").

Landed: Shimano XT 11-46 Cassette ? ChainSlap



Oh My Sack! said:


> ...I bought an XT 8000 11-46 cassette and an XTR 9000 GS 11 spd RD. I haven't got my chain on yet but just mocking/ sizing things up during this build has me questioning whether the GS derailleur is compatible with the 11/46?...


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

Below is a link to the Shimano's product info, the XTR M9000 is listed at supporting the 46 like both XT M8000 and SLX M7000.

2016-2017 SHIMANO Product Information Web


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## ckspeed (May 25, 2012)

You should be fine with the xtr gs deraileur and the xt 11-46t cassette. This, assuming that you are set up for a 1x11. My xtr shifter and deraileur set up is with the e13 tr race cassette 9-46T on my Ibis Mojo 3.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks for the info, gang. Especially the link Aresab. With all the Google Foo I threw at this last night, I would have thought that compatibility chart would have popped up or it could have been linked to their product info page. Looks like I'll proceed with assembly today and see if I can't get this to pedal!


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## Slow poke (Jul 23, 2013)

Was it compatible? Did you get it to work? I have the same setup and am about to order a cassette?

QUOTE=Oh My Sack!;13040446]Just setting up a brand new build. Specialized Stumpy Expert 29 boost. I bought an XT 8000 11-46 cassette and an XTR 9000 GS 11 spd RD. I haven't got my chain on yet but just mocking/ sizing things up during this build has me questioning whether the GS derailleur is compatible with the 11/46? I went this direction under the assumption the 37T capacity of the GS would work. Again, haven't completed the set-up but with cable attached to XTR 11 spd shifter, my H/L limit and B screws roughed in, it appears that the RD is maybe maxxed and doesn't have the ability to tuck under that 46 pie plate. Anybody else successfully running the same combination? I haven't completed set-up for fear of needing to exchange the RD.[/QUOTE]


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

Aresab said:


> Below is a link to the Shimano's product info, the XTR M9000 is listed at supporting the 46 like both XT M8000 and SLX M7000.
> 
> 2016-2017 SHIMANO Product Information Web


That info link is great, I was searching for that specs too, thanks :thumbsup:


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Slow poke said:


> Was it compatible? Did you get it to work? I have the same setup and am about to order a cassette?


Yes, it works. No problems at all. Just got my first ride on it yesterday in between storm systems that have been pounding us.


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## 274898 (Nov 29, 2005)

It makes sense having the wider range with the 11-46T just like the SRAM Eagle cassette. The reason is that you can use a larger chainring in front and still be able to climb steep stuff and not be spinning out on faster sections. A lot of the pros on the Enduro World Series have gravitated to the Eagle 1x12 system a lot because of that reason.


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

aliikane said:


> It makes sense having the wider range with the 11-46T just like the SRAM Eagle cassette. The reason is that you can use a larger chainring in front and still be able to climb steep stuff and not be spinning out on faster sections. A lot of the pros on the Enduro World Series have gravitated to the Eagle 1x12 system a lot because of that reason.


That's exactly why I chose this cassette for my 1x11 road bike build!










-Ed


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## CKnapp1983 (Mar 4, 2016)

A couple questions about this cassette:

I am looking at the Trek Stache 7, which comes with a SRAM GX rear derailleur. I was hoping to swap to the 11-46 for a lower gear. Is this cassette only compatible with Shimano's derailleurs? 

If it is compatible would I need to lengthen the chain by one link? The Stache comes with a 10-42 cassette.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Not sure if you'd see/feel much difference between an 11-46T and a 10-42T. If you need lower gearing, you might consider a smaller chain ring.

AFAIK, any recent-series** 11-speed derailleur (SRAM or Shimano) should work just fine with a competing 11-speed cassette. The shifter, however, will need to be the same brand (or at least pull rate) as the derailleur.

** By "recent-series," I mean the latest generation of Shimano and SRAM clutched derailleurs that have been optimized to accommodate wide-range cassettes without modification (e.g., GoatLinks, RADr cages, extra-long B screws, etc.). I think just about every 11-speed mech either company makes right now would qualify.


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

CKnapp1983 said:


> A couple questions about this cassette:
> 
> I am looking at the Trek Stache 7, which comes with a SRAM GX rear derailleur. I was hoping to swap to the 11-46 for a lower gear. Is this cassette only compatible with Shimano's derailleurs?
> 
> If it is compatible would I need to lengthen the chain by one link? The Stache comes with a 10-42 cassette.


As long as you have a long cage version of the derailleur, it will work, but the better option is just to use a 10% smaller chainring if considering 10-42 vs 11-46.

That will not necessitate changing driver bodies on your rear wheel from XD to standard like changing from the 10-42 to the 11-46 would. Or are you building up a second wheelset and looking to avoid XD?

-Ed


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## CKnapp1983 (Mar 4, 2016)

Yeah after researching a bit more it seems like getting a 28T chainring would be much easier. It gives almost the same exact gear ratios and is cheaper and easier to install.


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## Slow poke (Jul 23, 2013)

CKnapp1983 said:


> Yeah after researching a bit more it seems like getting a 28T chainring would be much easier. It gives almost the same exact gear ratios and is cheaper and easier to install.


What about a oval 30t?


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

Yes, exactly.

-Ed


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

CKnapp1983 said:


> A couple questions about this cassette:
> 
> I am looking at the Trek Stache 7, which comes with a SRAM GX rear derailleur. I was hoping to swap to the 11-46 for a lower gear. Is this cassette only compatible with Shimano's derailleurs?
> 
> If it is compatible would I need to lengthen the chain by one link? The Stache comes with a 10-42 cassette.


ok, so you are looking to replace the GX cassette (420%, 395g) with Shimano 11-46 (418%, 465g)?
I assume it is because you have wheels without XD Driver? Otherwise it does not make much sense, sorry
All suggestions for a smaller chainring are spot on, I wouldn't touch the cassette/RD.


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## stica (Aug 2, 2011)

Ingrid | Sistemi e Componenti MTB got the solution


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

Just changed out my trailbike setup last night. On my previous bike with 10spd I was running a NW 30t front then an XT 11-36 cassette with the OneUp 42 cog (removed 17t & 19T cog and replaced with 18t), along with the Rad cage. Shifting was fantastic, smooth changes up and down (Rad cage was the key).

New bike has 11 spd M8000 mid cage, with 32 tooth front. Went with 11-42 as it works out pretty close to my 10spd ratios. After a few rides I noticed that the 46 was okay as low but sometimes when jumping to 2nd gear (37t), it was too big of a jump. That and it times I wanted a lower gear.

Looked at options WT and OneUp offer and as OneUp is local to me, I went with them. Was going to get the 47t cog with a 11-42 cassette to get a better spaced set of top gears (37, 42, 47), but unfortunately the shop didn't have that in an I am too damn impatient to wait. So instead I went with the 50t Shark package. It has the super large 50t cog, along with the 18t cog to replace both the 17t and 19t cog, along with a set of pulley arms to replace the stock Shimano ones. Took about 1/2 hour to complete, could do it in 10-15 minutes now that I have done it once.

I am happy to say, it works great, setup for shifting from 11 - 50, luckily enough when I had put my new chain on I didn't remove any links as it needed all of them. I was able to back out the b-tension screw a fair bit from the stock Shimano set using the 11-46 cassette and pulley arms. Going to ride today to give it a proper test.

Will look for the steepest hills to climb with my 32 x 37-42-50 range. 

Pictures to follow.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

This seems to bring a few options to the table when the 46t gets used up or you want to add it to other cassettes for different gearing (not sure why you'd want to do that). First time I'd seen the cluster sold individually.

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-sprocket-unit-for-cs-m8000-581182


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

WoodstockMTB said:


> This seems to bring a few options to the table when the 46t gets used up or you want to add it to other cassettes for different gearing (not sure why you'd want to do that). First time I'd seen the cluster sold individually.
> 
> https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-sprocket-unit-for-cs-m8000-581182


Great find and a relatively decent price.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

WoodstockMTB said:


> This seems to bring a few options to the table when the 46t gets used up or you want to add it to other cassettes for different gearing (not sure why you'd want to do that). First time I'd seen the cluster sold individually.
> 
> https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-sprocket-unit-for-cs-m8000-581182


That's pretty cool. Shimano is making it affordable to keep the gear up to snuff.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Shimano's stepping on the 11-46T ends horribly.

Shimano calls it "RhythmStep" or whatever, but it's pretty clear they put no effort into it. They took an 11-42T cassette, replaced the 42T with a 46T, and called it good.

Yet the progression varies between an 11-40T and an 11-42T, so why not between an 11-42T and an 11-46T? To me, it's pretty obvious Shimano was cutting corners on tooling and development ... as well as trying to keep weight down. Had the 11-46T come with more sensible progression, it probably would've weighed over 500 grams.

Just a terrible product.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

Looks like there will be a SLX version of the 11-46 coming out.


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

RS VR6 said:


> Looks like there will be a SLX version of the 11-46 coming out.


Yes; from what I've read, the M7000 version is identical to the M8000 version with the exception of the lockring!

-Ed


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

Have you personally tried the 11-46 cassette?



hdparrish said:


> Shimano's stepping on the 11-46T ends horribly.
> 
> Shimano calls it "RhythmStep" or whatever, but it's pretty clear they put no effort into it...
> 
> Just a terrible product.


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

It's 68 Euro shipped. I could buy the whole 11-46 for about that much. Too bad. I got a little excited when I thought I could turn my 11-46 into an 11-42 for when I want to add the OneUp 50T cog.



rideitall said:


> Great find and a relatively decent price.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

FluorescentPinkPanda said:


> Have you personally tried the 11-46 cassette?


Yes. The stepping on a Sunrace MX8 is far superior, imo. Have you tried it?

EDIT: MX8, not MX3


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

EddNog said:


> Yes; from what I've read, the M7000 version is identical to the M8000 version with the exception of the lockring!
> 
> -Ed


Yes, the lockring is a steel one in the SLX as seen in the official picture and the 37 and 46 rings look like aluminium as in the XT but I think that if that is only difference it would be silly. The XT has two aluminium carriers with 3 rings each in 11-46, 11-42 versions and the SLX 11-42 only has one as I think the 11-46 SLX would be.


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

Here the SLX 11-42 shows.




Or here in minute 6:30 a comparison between SLX an XT cassettes 11-42.


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## OscarAM (Dec 3, 2015)

hdparrish said:


> Yes. The stepping on a Sunrace MX8 is far superior, imo. Have you tried it?
> 
> EDIT: MX8, not MX3


At first I think the stepping of the Shimano 11-46 was bad compared to SunRace but it really depends in how much do you use that rings, a strong rider (racer type maybe) prefers the first 10 speed closely spaced and the 46 as baillout gear and there Shimano one wins and with weight too, someone who climbs a lot in the last two gears would prefer SunRace one because of the closer jumps in the end.
PD: I buy the 11-46 and I'm satisfied, good quality shifting in general, just a little slower and with more noise the last jump to 46.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

That's funny because I rarely ride in 36 or 42 (let alone 46), and we are almost always climbing here in Idaho. Even so, I still think Shimano's stepping is bad, and I think they chose the 9T jump to save weight and cut costs. To each their own, of course.

If I permanently adopted an 11-46T cassette, I would probably switch to 34T chainring instead of the 32T I run now.


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

You rarely use those gears yet you want Shimano to spread the gear ratios farther apart? Someone that rarely uses the extremes should prefer close ratio spacing where it matters the most. I'd like to think that Shimano perfected the spacing (for optimal shift quality), so they didn't want that to suffer. Either way, I'm sure they're selling like hotcakes.

Also, you should reference the percentage change rather than the number of teeth per jump, as that matters less as the cog gets larger.



hdparrish said:


> That's funny because I rarely ride in 36 or 42 (let alone 46), and we are almost always climbing...


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

I don't want Shimano to do anything; I rode the cassette and didn't like it, so I don't run it on my bike.

Not sure what Shimano's sales figures have to do with anything. Yes, they are selling, but compared to XT gruppos of the past, the m8000 series has been a real lemon ... _in my view_.

I love the M8000 rear mech, but M8000 brakes have been plagued with pump up issues, and the XT cassettes are overweight and--again, in my opinion--poorly spaced.

I want smooth, logical spacing. Going from a series of 4-tooth jumps to a sudden 9-tooth jump isn't smooth. To me, it feels like an accidental two-gear downshift, which it more or less is.

Since it's impossible to have the same percentages between shifts, most cassettes are engineered so that the differences are minimal. But Shimano starts at nearly 20 (as most cassettes do), dips to almost 10 percent, and then finishes at nearly 25 percent. That's poor stepping in my book. But YMMV.

That's the beauty of the industry--there are solutions for everyone. Hopefully, you will survive the weekend despite knowing someone feels differently about a cassette than you. :thumbsup:


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## FluorescentPinkPanda (May 4, 2015)

I'm just saying that Shimano's finally making what some of us want. It took Sram, Wolftooth, OneUp, etc. to get them to see that people want a giant granny. My next cassette will likely involve OneUp's 50T cog.

What kind of problems are you experiencing with your brakes? I'm in the middle of a build using those brakes.



hdparrish said:


> ...Not sure what Shimano's sales figures have to do with anything...
> 
> ...but M8000 brakes have been plagued with pump up issues...


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

This M9000 derailleur is really going to have to blow my mind tomorrow when riding, because setting it up and shifting in the stand (with M8000 shifter) is pretty damn clunky and removing the wheel is a pain in the a$$ compared to SRAM (studded fat tires, so I don't want to jam the wheel against the chainstay yoke every time I remove it). Have an X9 on another bike and X01 on the 3rd. X01 is damn good, was hoping the M9000 would be at least that good, can't say I'm impressed by the "on/off" clutch so far. Using 40t cassette. Going out on a limb, I think the SRAM stuff has been pushing the drivetrain industry for the last 5 years and shimano is still trying to find a place. We'll see tomorrow after everything starts to bed in.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

FluorescentPinkPanda said:


> What kind of problems are you experiencing with your brakes? I'm in the middle of a build using those brakes.


The problems have supposedly been sorted out, but when I was buying a new brakeset a year ago, this thread convinced me to pick up M785s on clearance.

http://forums.mtbr.com/brake-time/2016-shimano-m8000-xt-brakes-980185.html

Check toward the end of the thread. If you purchased your brakes recently, you are probably in the clear.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

First ride today with the 11-46 XT and the changes are really smooth but compared to my 11-42 the gap between the last 2 gears is really noticeable and I am also missing a gear in between. On the other side the 46 was really beneficial for my legs so I don't complain that much.


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## CKnapp1983 (Mar 4, 2016)

Just out of curiosity, is a big shift like 37 to 46 actually bad for any components or just annoying because it makes noise and takes a bit longer?


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

For me it was really smooth and it didn't take much time or made any strange noises. It is just a big gap between gears (so you are either pushing or spinning) but on the positive side in the near future it will allow to run a bigger gear in front once I get in better shape.


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

Jayem said:


> This M9000 derailleur is really going to have to blow my mind tomorrow when riding, because setting it up and shifting in the stand (with M8000 shifter) is pretty damn clunky.


Too late now I guess but if you want better shifting an XTR shifter paired with XT derailleur would have been the way to go -- as opposed to the XT shifter/XTR der. combo you have.

Going to a top end shifter will always have considerably more impact on shifting quality than upgrading derailleurs. The shifter is key.

All that said, I have XTR shifter and derailleur and XT 11-42 cassette (plus XTR crank, OneUp 30T ring and gold KMC chain). The shifting is fabulous -- way better feel than Sram, IMO. One of the keys is to adjust the clutch torque to get the right combination of light feel and good chain-slap prevention. Once you have that dialed in, shifting precision, speed and feel is superb.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Well, that's not my experience with the sram setup, x01 derailleur and x1 shifter, so I can't say it's always true about the derailleur shifter pairing. Much less clunky, but I was referring also to the feature for removing the wheel, far better on sram, was hoping the xtr would be comparable. Even the clutch lever doesn't feel very positive and solid.


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

CKnapp1983 said:


> Just out of curiosity, is a big shift like 37 to 46 actually bad for any components or just annoying because it makes noise and takes a bit longer?


The shift is perfectly smooth for me, just a quite big change in cadence/pressure on the pedals. This is okay for me because it's exactly what I'm looking for if I'm looking to bail out! I'm running a KMC X11SL-DLC chain with mine.

-Ed


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## Apolonios (Mar 3, 2016)

I'm looking into buying an xt derailleur with this 11-46 cassette . Is there any reason to get the long cage version instead of the medium cage. I plan on running 1x and I don't see myself running anything larger than a 34T chainring.


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

Apolonios said:


> I'm looking into buying an xt derailleur with this 11-46 cassette . Is there any reason to get the long cage version instead of the medium cage. I plan on running 1x and I don't see myself running anything larger than a 34T chainring.


No reason whatsoever in getting the SGS vs GS(medium) cage, Shimano recommends the GS for the 11-46. The size of your chaining does not matter in this case, it would only affect the chain length.


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

Got out for a descent ride today which involved some climbing. I will have to say the the setup is spot on for me. My previous 1x10 with 30t x 42 as my low range was good but sometimes wanted a lower gear. The new 11 spd setup with the Shimano 11-42 cassette in combination with the OneUp 50 tooth shark cog and the updated cage works. Shifting was fast, accurate and pretty damn quiet. 

On one particular climb with my 10 spd setup I would switch back and forth from the 42 cog to 36 in the back for large sections of the climb. With the new 11 spd setup I felt good in running mostly in the 42t cog with the slightly larger 32 front chainring.

I was not pushing it at all but had my second fasted climb on that section. Could have easily pushed and got my fastest time. 

On a couple of really steep sections I tried the 50t back cog, such a nice option to drop into and spin up the steepest of sections rather than the harder push on the 30-42 combo. 

I am sold. This works. One last note, the OneUp cages on the 11 spd for the Shark 50 seem to reduce the pressure / tension on the rear d as you get into the larger cogs. I was able to drastically back off the b-tensioner screw from the stock setup with the 11-46 cassette.

I had picked up the XT drivetrain as a take-off but it did not have the derailleur mount onto the frame. I locally sourced a Goat link 11 mount. Don't know if this contributes to the overall success of the system, but it likely adds that little extra.

Not associated with any of the companies mentioned, but this literally could be a commercial for them. It simply work fantastic and provides an amazing spread of gears.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Benn following this thread; good stuff here. 

I currently run a 1x10 (11-42) using a Shimano 11-36T sprocket w/ a Wolftooth 42T GC * 16T cog and One Up RAD cage.

Been thinking of getting carbon cranks (RF Next SL) but then I thought instead of losing weight, maybe use that $$ to gain more power?

So if I put the $$ for carbon crank arms into a new SLX or XT and go 11 spd, my options are:

1) XT 11-46 and be done with it.
2) SLX 11-42 + OneUp 50T Shark + 18T and cage
3) SLX 11-42 + WT 49T GC + 18T set w/ Wolfcage RD kit (WT cage is easier to install than One Up)

I haven;t seen 11-46T in SLX offered yet; seems to be conflicting info on whether or not SLX will come in 11-46.

With either of these options, I was thinking of maintaining an oval chainring since I really like my 32T WT oval ring. I am not a strong climber, at least not for sustained periods, so would I be better served with a 30T oval ring with a 49T or 50T granny?

Any thoughts on these choices? Thanks!


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## JMac47 (Apr 23, 2004)

You can still go SLX M7000 and run an XT M8000 11/46t cassette, no?


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Yes, I believe so.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

4th option:

"OneUp your Shimano 11 speed drivetrain with the 47T sprocket for SLX/XT (M7000/M8000) 11-42T cassettes.

Why bother when Shimano make an 11-46T cassette? The 11-46T has a huge, clunky 9T jump from 37-46T meaning that the shift to the biggest sprocket feels like a shifting into a granny ring. 

Adding our 47T sprocket to the Shimano 11-42T cassette gives you 5T jumps in the bigger sprockets - 37-42-47T - making the lower gears extremely useable. The 47T requires no derailleur cage modifications, so its a quick and easy install."


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## JMac47 (Apr 23, 2004)

rideitall said:


> Got out for a descent ride today which involved some climbing. I will have to say the the setup is spot on for me. My previous 1x10 with 30t x 42 as my low range was good but sometimes wanted a lower gear. The new 11 spd setup with the Shimano 11-42 cassette in combination with the OneUp 50 tooth shark cog and the updated cage works. Shifting was fast, accurate and pretty damn quiet.
> 
> On one particular climb with my 10 spd setup I would switch back and forth from the 42 cog to 36 in the back for large sections of the climb. With the new 11 spd setup I felt good in running mostly in the 42t cog with the slightly larger 32 front chainring.
> 
> ...


Sorry confused, did you switch from an 11/46t and got the 11/42t to put a 50t on instead of having a 46t granny?


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

JMac47 said:


> Sorry confused, did you switch from an 11/46t and got the 11/42t to put a 50t on instead of having a 46t granny?


Yes, that is what I did. I had the 11-46 cassette that came with the drivetrain setup along with the 32t front ring. The 11spd 32-46 is very close in ratio to my previous 10spd 30-42 ratio. So I was mostly fine with that, but the drop from 46 down to 37 for the second gear didn't work for me as alot of the climbs are in the 1st - 2nd gear range.

I was hoping to get the 47t cog for a 37-42-47 final 3 gears nice and evenly spread out, but the bike shop didn't have that in stock. So I opted for the 50t Shark cog with the cages.

I still have the 37-42 cogs but now have an ultra-low 50t for just spinning up the steeper stuff without pushing so hard.

Shifting is better with this setup then it was with the stock XT cage and the 11-46 cassette as well. This is likely due to the OneUp cage arms reducing the tension on the B - tensioner screw.

As noted by another post, if the 46 is sufficient for a bail-out for you and most of your climbing is 37 or lower the stock 11-46 will work just fine. If you have steeper terrain or have knees that don't like to push bigger gears up extended climbs the 47t or 50t cogs will likely be a better choice. Also with the ability to replace just the top three gears 32-37-42/46 it is easier to get the gearing that works for you.

The only downside is still the weight. But from a pricepoint of view I am ok with that. Not certain on the cassette cost for a SRAM 12-spd with the 50T gearing, but would not want to be replacing that very often.


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

Staktup said:


> ...I haven;t seen 11-46T in SLX offered yet; seems to be conflicting info on whether or not SLX will come in 11-46.
> 
> With either of these options, I was thinking of maintaining an oval chainring since I really like my 32T WT oval ring. I am not a strong climber, at least not for sustained periods, so would I be better served with a 30T oval ring with a 49T or 50T granny?
> 
> Any thoughts on these choices? Thanks!


SLX does have a 11-46, saw it in the shop when I picked up my OneUp gear.

Climbing is not my strongest element either, so I opted for a lower gear, if I get stronger then I won't use as much, if not I will get better cardio from spinning the lighter gears. Win-win in my books.

Haven't tried the oval rings, but hear good things about them.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

rideitall said:


> SLX does have a 11-46, saw it in the shop when I picked up my OneUp gear.
> 
> Climbing is not my strongest element either, so I opted for a lower gear, if I get stronger then I won't use as much, if not I will get better cardio from spinning the lighter gears. Win-win in my books.
> 
> Haven't tried the oval rings, but hear good things about them.


Cool, thanks Rideitall!


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

rideitall said:


> Yes, that is what I did. I had the 11-46 cassette that came with the drivetrain setup along with the 32t front ring. The 11spd 32-46 is very close in ratio to my previous 10spd 30-42 ratio. So I was mostly fine with that, but the drop from 46 down to 37 for the second gear didn't work for me as alot of the climbs are in the 1st - 2nd gear range.


With you a bit on this. I'm just using it as an excuse to get stronger and not ride my way into strength which never seems to happen. I need to lift, squats, kettlebell may way to better hearing.

All said, I'm going Eagle next time around. That seems like the ideal range and gearing. Now, I'm on a 30t up front. I've installed a One Up traction ring so we'll see how that is supposedly creating a 28t-32t feel. I rode a 32t late in the season last year and while I could manage it, I knew it couldn't be my regular gearing unless I got a lot stronger. That 37t as my last gear before the 46 was too tall for me, but I really liked it when I the hills were not too long and steep.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

Both Sunrace and Box have 11-46 cassettes.

Sunrace 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46
Box 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46
Shimano 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-46


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

Travis Bickle said:


> Both Sunrace and Box have 11-46 cassettes.
> 
> Sunrace 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46
> Box 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46
> Shimano 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-46


Ahhh. I see what they did there. More climber friendly.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

I don't see any reason to get the Shimano, they just swapped the 42 to 46 and went for lunch.


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## rideitall (Dec 15, 2005)

Travis Bickle said:


> I don't see any reason to get the Shimano, they just swapped the 42 to 46 and went for lunch.


I somewhat agree with that, if you are going for the 46. I would guess the weights on the Sunrace, Box, and Shimano are somewhat similar.

What about the price, I believe Sunrace is a little less the Shimano, what about the Box cassette?

One thing I am really liking is the OneUp 50T as a the supreme bail-out (that is of course until someone makes a 15spd with a 75t cog), that and the revised cage arms from OneUp, make the XT shifter work that much better.

Similar to using the Rad cage when a ran a 1x10 with the 42t cog on the back. The stock 10 spd XT rear d was almost totally maxed out on the b-tension screw. Add the Rad cage and way less b-tension required and far better shifting.

You would think a company like Shimano with all it's resources could figure this out. Perhaps the market is too small to worry about for these niche type components and gear ranges, who knows.

If Shimano leaves the door open other enterprising company's will find the market and deliver the product that is needed.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

rideitall said:


> Not certain on the cassette cost for a SRAM 12-spd with the 50T gearing, but would not want to be replacing that very often.


SRAM Eagle 10-50 cassette is just mere $360. If you want the gold bling, it's cheap at $420. :lol:

SRAM can keep their sh**!


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I currently run a 32-22 front and 11-32 rear. I do like my easy gears so was tempted to do a 30 chainring with a 11-46, just to make sure I don't give up my easy gears. I wish they had rearranged them to have the 42 and 46. I'd get the 11-42 but am not sure if 42 will be enough as my bailout climb gear. So if I get the 11-42, I suspect I will regret not having an easier gear at some point. Gotta decide pretty fast. Very silly of Shimano to leave such a huge jump to 46.


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## mn_biker (Jul 26, 2013)

Update... been running the 11-46 XT cassette (med cage XT dr) for about 3 months now on my fat bike. Running a 30t up front and get a range similar to my old 2X9. 

Despite how poorly this cassette performs in an internet forum, I have really liked it when i'm riding! The jump from 37 to 46 feels like any other shift when going up the cassette. It's been a great bail-out gear or perfect for spinning in deep snow.


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## chumanji9 (Mar 7, 2013)

There is the Sunrace option it has a 40T between the 37T and 46T


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## JMac47 (Apr 23, 2004)

chumanji9 said:


> There is the Sunrace option it has a 40T between the 37T and 46T


Mentioned by Travis already a few posts up^^^


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## bmumph (Jan 19, 2015)

If it helps the haters digest it, think of it as an *very affordable* 10-speed cassette + a granny gear.


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

bmumph said:


> If it helps the haters digest it, think of it as an *very affordable* 10-speed cassette + a granny gear.


I was JUST telling my wife this on Saturday; she just got a new road bike, went from a triple with 9-speed 11-28 to a compact double with 11-speed 11-32 and I told her just think of it as one less chainring to faff with, and the cassette has an extra bailout gear plus a bonus cog thrown into the middle. Still took her most of the ride to adjust to the new gear configuration, though. I think she was used to just keeping it in the middle ring 90% of the time before.

-Ed


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

For me that I have moved from 11-42 to 11-46 I would have preferred​ a better gearing range for the first 10 gears plus a 11th granny gear but obviously this is not the case here. 

The alternative is to use a bigger front disc and have the same gearing ratios as I had before with the 42 but a higher top speed.

Anyway it is good enough but not great.


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## KR65 (Sep 8, 2013)

What's the largest NW ring that can be used with this 11-46 cassette (and XT 11-speed rear D)?

Current set-up is Race Face NW 34T and was thinking of going up to 42T since I ride mostly dirt/fire roads, gravel, flowy-single track, and pavement.

(Sorry - didn't read through all 220 replies this morning).

Thanks


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

KR65 said:


> What's the largest NW ring that can be used with this 11-46 cassette (and XT 11-speed rear D)?
> 
> Current set-up is Race Face NW 34T and was thinking of going up to 42T since I ride mostly dirt/fire roads, gravel, flowy-single track, and pavement.
> 
> ...


The only thing limiting chainring size on a 1X setup is chain length, which means you can run any size chainring you want, provided you have a long enough chain. I run a 44T narrow-wide direct mount oval with a CS-M8000 11-46 just fine on my road bike.










-Ed


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## KR65 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks, sir


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

KR65 said:


> Thanks, sir


You're welcome!

-Ed


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## blaklabl (Mar 14, 2011)

mn_biker said:


> Despite how poorly this cassette performs in an internet forum, I have really liked it when i'm riding! The jump from 37 to 46 feels like any other shift when going up the cassette.


This is really funny, but sadly true. I have been trying to decide if I should go with this cassette for a while, and I was one of the skeptics based on the numbers on paper, the look, and instinct. But then I demo'd a bike at the Sedona MTB Festival that had it, totally expected it to be clunky, not work well, and cringed at what it was going to feel like when I shifted into the largest cog...

...and then it just SHIFTED like any other gear. Didn't feel funny, didn't make noise, none of that. It just worked. I like to believe that Shimano probably has some method to their madness, despite what the internet engineers would have us all believe.

I'll be getting one of these cassettes with the rest of my components for a 1x11 upgrade.

Cheers


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

blaklabl said:


> I was one of the skeptics based on the numbers on paper, the look, and instinct.


Actually if you look at it on paper it does kind of make sense, the ratio jump between 37-46 is nearly identical to 28-32 and 32-37 which are the 2 gear jumps before the 46t.

BikeCalc.com - Bicycle Gear Ratio Chart


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## EddNog (Nov 14, 2012)

Same experience for me; the shift from 37-46 just plain works.

-Ed


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## Slow poke (Jul 23, 2013)

Same here was waiting for the clunk but it's smooth I don't even notice.


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

blaklabl said:


> This is really funny, but sadly true. I have been trying to decide if I should go with this cassette for a while, and I was one of the skeptics based on the numbers on paper, the look, and instinct. But then I demo'd a bike at the Sedona MTB Festival that had it, totally expected it to be clunky, not work well, and cringed at what it was going to feel like when I shifted into the largest cog...
> 
> ...and then it just SHIFTED like any other gear. Didn't feel funny, didn't make noise, none of that. It just worked. I like to believe that Shimano probably has some method to their madness, despite what the internet engineers would have us all believe.
> 
> ...


My same impressions when I installed mine. Shifts just like the 11-42.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## rangersac (Nov 7, 2016)

I run the 11-42 on one bike with a 30T chainring, and the 11-46 on another bike with a 32T chainring and there's find no difference in shift performance. However when I'm climbing a fire road or smooth track I do notice the extra 4t gap difference between the last two cogs. For your average trail rider it doesn't mean peanuts but I reckon if I was XC racing I'd probably go for the tighter 11-42 cluster to maintain better climbing speed. Mind you if I was that anal I'd probably run an extra chainring up front with a tighter cluster on the back!


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

It shifts great but the gap is too big and causes a rather big change in your cadence. It is not the end of the world but it is not the best gearing as well.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

J.B. Weld said:


> Actually if you look at it on paper it does kind of make sense, the ratio jump between 37-46 is nearly identical to 28-32 and 32-37 which are the 2 gear jumps before the 46t.
> 
> BikeCalc.com - Bicycle Gear Ratio Chart


...ratio jump nearly identical?

28-32 -> +14.2%
32-37 -> +15.6%
37-47 -> +24.3%

Whereas the second last jump is roughly 10% bigger than the third last one the last jump is suddenly 55% bigger than the second last, or in other words, the % increase is more than 5 times bigger, that's not what I'd call "identical"


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Steel Calf said:


> ...ratio jump nearly identical?
> 
> 28-32 -> +14.2%
> 32-37 -> +15.6%
> ...


You're only considering the tooth count numbers and not how they correlate to gear inches or gear ratios. The gear ratio change between an 11-12t cog is actually greater than the change between 37-46, and 37-46 is nearly identical to 28-32. Check the BikeCalc link above.


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

J.B. Weld said:


> You're only considering the tooth count numbers and not how they correlate to gear inches or gear ratios. The gear ratio change between an 11-12t cog is actually greater than the change between 37-46, and 37-46 is nearly identical to 28-32. Check the BikeCalc link above.


haha I don't need that bikecalc, I'm smarter than pushing some buttons:

The gear ratio change from 11cog to 12cog is +9% (if you meant the 11-13 jump but misspoke, it's 18%, which is still a quarter lower than the last jump between 37-46)

The gear ratio change from 28cog to 32cog is +14%

The gear ratio change from 37cog to 46cog is +24%

To challenge your assessments, I don't think a 9% jump is greater than a 24% jump or that a 14% gear change equals a 24% gear change. Considering the whole bandwidth of a 11-46 cassette which is 418%, the average % gear ratio change between all 11 gears is 13.8%
The last jump from 37 to 46 is 74% bigger than that.

Gearinches have nothing to do with gear change calculations. They're rather used to normalise results between different wheelsizes, e.g. to make them comparable. A 25% gear jump on a 29inch bike will still stay a 25% jump on a 26inch bike as both bikes run the same cassette.


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## dRjOn (Feb 18, 2004)

anyone actually set up an 11-46 with GS DI2 xtr? any problems if so? it should work...just cant seem to find anyone who's done it////
ta!


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

For anyone who had backpedalling/chain drop issues before (with other cassettes), has simply switching to the 11-46 eliminated it?


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## JMac47 (Apr 23, 2004)

No.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Nope, chainline and chain still play a part. Sram chains seem to be the best at not having this issue though.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## 274898 (Nov 29, 2005)

Shimano needs to make an XTR and XT rear cassette where the gear spacing is more even. I have their XTR M-9000 11-40T which is great but could use one more lower gear for steeper climbs.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

I have the 11-46 and the gear spacing is actually about. Everyone is so concerned about the number of teeth on the cassette cog. Thats actually not the right way to look at it at all when it comes to how it pedals.

Thats why as you go lower on the cassette the gap closes in. Its a percentage.

Go ride one with the 46 then come back and post what you think. Youll be surprised how it feels. Ill tell you right now 40 - 46 gap (sunrace) sucks for the wrong reason. Too close together. Shimano is better. Much more noticeable without being some rediculous jump.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## tom tom (Mar 3, 2007)

I just got some info on the 2018 XTR from a very reliable source, they say that Shimano will have a 12 speed with a 51t large cog. They did not remember what the small cog would be.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

tom erb said:


> I just got some info on the 2018 XTR from a very reliable source, they say that Shimano will have a 12 speed with a 51t large cog. They did not remember what the small cog would be.


51?? Why not 52? Was it just to one up SRAM with the 50?:yawn:


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## tom tom (Mar 3, 2007)

I don't think they wanted to two up them so they are going with a 51 and just one upping them................:thumbsup:


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

So how long before we end up with a 60t cog.....

Where does this craziness end???

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

J.B. Weld said:


> You're only considering the tooth count numbers and not how they correlate to gear inches or gear ratios. The gear ratio change between an 11-12t cog is actually greater than the change between 37-46, and 37-46 is nearly identical to 28-32. Check the BikeCalc link above.


I don't know what is on that link, but I'm not going to click on it. Must be using new math.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

JACKL said:


> I don't know what is on that link, but I'm not going to click on it. Must be using new math.


Actually he is totally right. Not some new math, same math as has been used forever calculating gear ratios.

Check the sheldon calculator as well, will show the same thing. Shimano did it right. Closer spacing pretty much sucks cause the difference is not all that noticeable. You expect to feel a solid difference in tighter spacing. I ride one and not terribly happy. 37-38 is good prior to the 46. 40t is too damn close, shouldnt be paired with anything smaller than a 50t.

Go ride one then ride an 11-36 cassette, as i said earlier, youll understand.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

RS VR6 said:


> 51?? Why not 52? Was it just to one up SRAM with the 50?:yawn:


Oneupmanship!


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

RAKC Ind said:


> Go ride one with the 46 then come back and post what you think. Youll be surprised how it feels.


This is good advice. It's a terrific cassette - perfect shifting, spacing and range. I'm quite certain Shimano has addressed the chainline issue with the 11-46 too; I have zero back-pedalling issues.

I've just installed mine after using and being quite happy with the XT 11-42 and OneUp 45 (I'm using XTR medium cage Rd, KMC gold chain and XTR crank with 30t WolfTooth ring).

When I had my 11-42 in stock form my back-pedalling issues were about as bad as could be: the chain would drop off the largest 3 cogs. On the largest cog I couldn't backpedal half a rotation without it dropping. The shifting onto the 2-3 largest cogs suffered from that poor chainline.

Installing the OneUp 45 fixed that 100%. Chainline was pretty much perfect.

The 11-46 is better still, though. The spacing is bang on throughout the range -- low and high end. The shift from the 37 to 46 is seemless. If you're hesitant about the jump I'd recommend trying it before listening to those who haven't and simply insist it's too big of a jump. It's not. It's actually a really nice bailout gear.

Essentially you get the XT cassette and its great spacing and smooth shifting with improved chainline and a better bailout gear (46 vs 42). Shocking, but my guess is Shimano put some thought into this and didn't just slap it together


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## Herpnasty (Mar 23, 2016)

I have to add in that I read the forums and the banter b4 I purchased but went with the Sunrace 11-46 (11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-40-46) fearing the 37-46 Shimano jump. I don't regret this at all. This is a great alternative. My tallboy climbs like a billy goat and I rarely even use the 46, but its a great bailout. Smooth as butter. but it does suffer from the backpedal chain drop. Say what you will about the 40-46 gap being too small but its a great semi-bailout gear.

Seeing that they now make an SLX 11-46, I probably would have tried that, but here I am. Maybe I'll try it when I break this one.


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

I also just opted for a Microshift/Sunrace 11-46 over the XT to replace (perhaps temporarily) the 11-42 XT cassette. Here's my reason and reasoning for that choice: In 10 days or so, I'm taking a trip north to Marquette and Copper Harbor, places with much more climbing than where I typically ride. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get much training in recently-first it rained a LOT, then I got sick with a sinus infection that knocked me off my bike for over a week! So, feeling unprepared for this trip (which I've been planning for months) I decided I would like a lower climbing gear. The reason I chose the Microshift, is that the 2nd to easiest gear at 40t is very close to the 42t I have as my easiest now-this gives me a bail-out gear in addition to one that's about what I'm used to. If I'd gone with the XT, I would have the same 2nd-easiest gear that I have now, and an easier biggest cog. My thinking was that having a gear close to what I'm used to and a bail out would be more useful. Guess we'll see!


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Has anyone had any issues with the XT 11-46 creaking in the top three cogs? Seems mine will creak in the top three cogs after about 20 miles in dry dusty conditions. Is fine until the dust works its way in then it sounds horrible, clean and lube it and the noise goes away. Its on a Roval/DT Swiss hub, It sounds like it is the combination of the aluminum and steel in the carrier and freehub body squeaking when the dust enters the equation.


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## Dagonger (Dec 8, 2011)

Yes mine did yesterday but i lubed the chain and went away

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Mine never did but I moved over to the Sunrace. Could your derailleur cable need a slight tweak to maybe alleviate the chain riding hard against the cogs in those low gears?


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Mine did today. It was on the 37T, and it was a dry slightly dusty climb. I'll clean the bike tomorrow and hope it goes away.


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Have done some research and it sounds like I need to adjust the tension on the clutch and/or grease the clutch mechanism. Didn't know that needed to be done. Makes sense as the shifting up to those cogs seemed to get stiffer as well when the noise started. I guess the clutch can cause all kinds of noise.
http://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-RD0004-08-ENG.pdf


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Good catch. It is a good idea to stay on top of that. The nice thing is that they are replaceable for about $15. I had one seize up a bit on my XTR RD that was about a year and half old. Being local to Art's, I went in to get one and all they had in stock was for an XT RD. So, they just warrantied the entire $179 RD! :lol:


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## Dr_UNIX (Jun 28, 2015)

hdparrish said:


> Shimano's stepping on the 11-46T ends horribly.
> Shimano calls it "RhythmStep" or whatever, but it's pretty clear they put no effort into it. They took an 11-42T cassette, replaced the 42T with a 46T, and called it good.
> ...
> To me, it's pretty obvious Shimano was cutting corners on tooling and development ... as well as trying to keep weight down.
> ...


Funny, I find it a great product. I was just about to pull the trigger on the SunRace MX8 11-46 until I realized Shimano's had a different teeth arrangement. Pulled the trigger on the Shimano instead.

Shimano having 15-17-19-21 vs. 15-18-21 is brilliant!


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## frank6262 (Oct 9, 2006)

Dr_UNIX said:


> Funny, I find it a great product. I was just about to pull the trigger on the SunRace MX8 11-46 until I realized Shimano's had a different teeth arrangement. Pulled the trigger on the Shimano instead.
> 
> Shimano having 15-17-19-21 vs. 15-18-21 is brilliant!


ok but is the jump from 37-46 brilliant?

Bike Calc says my 2X 29er 22front/36rear cog combo will be the same as 30/46 combo on a 1X 27.5 bike..

isuppose theres no way to know/feel .. unless I could test ride it myself on my climbs..i have to decide between the Shimano 11-42 or 11-46 cassette wn I take delivery of my new Trance2.. front ring will be oval 30T.. im 55 years old/bike is 30 lbs/im 190-lbs/ fitness so-so/ and its all steep here in Sou Cal.

it would be a SLX cassette in 11-46 if I did go for it ...sorta ugly isn't it? and heavy? shd I just suck it up and go with the stock 11-42?


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## Dr_UNIX (Jun 28, 2015)

frank6262 said:


> ok but is the jump from 37-46 brilliant?
> ...
> shd I just suck it up and go with the stock 11-42?


That is the BIG Question -- 42T or 46T.

I lucked out and got a great deal on eBay for the CS-M8000 XT 46T so I get the lighter offering. This is for my 10 year daughter (size of a 12 year old). Building a 26" wheeled bike to replace her 24" one w/24T-34 low gear. Bought the new SRAM NX groupo with crank in 155mm and 30T. Looking to find a 28T for the 94BCD. In case I'm stuck with the 30T I figured the extra teeth would be warranted. I wish I knew if 42T would have been good enough for the places in the Cali Bay Area we'll go.

I'm sure the SunRace 11-46T would have worked OK for her too. But if this bike doesn't work out; I'll put the SRAM NX drivetrain on my hardtail (with a 30T 104BCD) and I really would want the nicer mid-range of the Shimano offerings. With my 170-lbs crit sprinter build, I've found that when it goes up above 12% I need bigger hops in the low-end to deal with gravity (that those light-weight climbers don't).

Funny, on the road I prefer the SRAM 11-26T to Shimano's 11-25T that has a bigger gap between the two biggest cogs. Ditto for SRAM 11-28T that has a bigger gap between its biggest cogs (15-16-18-21-24-28 vs. 15-17-19-22-25-28). I guess I just like "bail out" gears.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

Jump to 46t is a non issue here.

I'm 44 and not getting any stronger. I slapped a sunrace 11-46 on my wife's bike and it shifts very nicely all the way and down. I like the black and red too. I'm still on Shimano 11-46, but will most likely replace with the Sunrace for price and the 42 in there if only cause I'm not getting any stronger each year.

I also got a OneUp Switch cain ring system that allows me to change from 30-32t if I want. I went oval and love it.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

frank6262 said:


> ok but is the jump from 37-46 brilliant?


Sure. The main thing is that it's at the end of the gear range. When you are in an inner cog, you can go up and down, so the closer spacing is fine. You get onto terrain that is about 15 percent easier or harder, you can shift one gear to shift to an about 15% easier or harder gear. But when you are at the very low end, your lowest gear doesn't have to just cover terrain/situations about 15% harder than the next lowest gear, it has to cover EVERYTHING harder than the next lowest gear, even if it kicks up another 50% harder, as long as it is rideable. Since I've been riding multi-geared bikes in the 1980s, I always thought it made sense that the lowest gear should be further apart percentage-wise than the other gears.

I just bought my first bike since I got my '93 Stumpjumper new in 1994. It's a 2015 Stumpjumper 29er hardtail with Roval carbon wheels that I bought from a racer who had it changed it from it's original 1x11 set up to a 1x9 with 32 front and 11-34 rear. I can get up everything on it on the normal trails except some crazy steep stuff, but I have to stand, which I admittedly like to do. But I like to have the choice of sitting too. And riding the crazy steep stuff. Otherwise it is like the singlespeed experience when you are on steep stuff.

I just ordered the XT M8000 11 speed rear derailleur, shifter, cassette and chain to side-grade to 1x11 (haven't received the parts yet). When deciding between the 11-42 and 11-46, the choice was easy. 46 all the way, as it is the same except for the bailout gear, and it's only 3 grams heavier. I didn't consider SRAM, because Shimano is less expensive, and familiar. I don't have to pay $100 just to switch back to the Roval/DT? XD driver for one. The XT parts totaled only $204, and I can probably sell back the 9 speed parts back to the original owner for half that.

Going back to the average step between gears, the 1x11 setup will be fairly similar in spacing to the my current 1x9 (11-32 through 9 gears vs 11-34 9-speed cassette), except with 2 extra lower gears on the low range, which sounds perfect for the trails I ride. However, I'm going to 1x11 because of the total range, not the close spacing. I'd be happy enough with a 1x9 11-46 (or even 1x7 converting my old bike) if I could have gotten the 46 on a 9 speed cassette. My legs aren't so sensitive that they can't vary in cadence a bit... after all, single speed. Most of the time, I'm double or triple shifting, instead of shifting just one cog up or down, anyway because the grade changes are quick and severe, even on a 7 or 9 speed cassette. This isn't road riding. A wide range 1x7 setup, if it existed (and not hopelessly outdate for getting decent quality parts) would be faster shifting for me than the 1x11 setup that I'm ordering because I wouldn't have to skip through as many gears to get where I want.


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## Dr_UNIX (Jun 28, 2015)

WoodstockMTB said:


> I slapped a sunrace 11-46 on my wife's bike ... I'm still on Shimano 11-46, ...


I saw in this thread claims that the Shimano stays on the largest 2 cogs if you back pedal, but the SunRace does not. What is your experience?

[for a junior novice rider, I'm not sure they'd be able to handle that well]


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

Its never happened to me, but I don't ride techy stuff here in VT that necessitates me to backpedal. I have ridden in Co/UT and it was never an issue out there.

I have not tested it out on my wife's bike to see, but from what I'd read it does not happen.


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## Dr_UNIX (Jun 28, 2015)

xcandrew said:


> But when you are at the very low end, your lowest gear doesn't have to just cover terrain/situations about 15% harder than the next lowest gear, it has to cover EVERYTHING harder than the next lowest gear, even if it kicks up
> another 50% harder, ...
> ...
> I just ordered the XT M8000 11 speed rear derailleur, shifter, cassette and chain to side-grade to 1x11 ... I didn't consider SRAM, because Shimano is less expensive, and familiar. I don't have to pay $100 just to switch back to the Roval/DT? XD driver for one. The XT parts totaled only $204, ...


I understand you stuck with Shimano because it was familar. BUT, I wanted to make sure you know you don't have to deal with XD driver just to use SRAM. The SRAM NX cassette is based on the traditional freehub body (and everything else only cares about cog spacing, not cog attachment mechanism). There is nothing with the rest of the higher SRAM hierarchy that requires a 10T smallest cog. If you can do without the 10T, you don't have to deal with the XD stuff at all.

How did you get XT for only $204? Nice price. I paid $45 for SRAM NX RD (take off, saved $20), $67.50 for "only two rides" XT M8000 11-46T, $41.50 SRAM GX grip shifter, $15.35 SRAM PC-1110/NX chain == $169.35. But NX is the lowest groupo, so I think you did well for yourself.


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## Tris1972 (Jul 26, 2017)

Hi all, just put my first post onto the general discussion forum with a (lengthy) question, but thought i'd ask the same on here.

Will the Shimano 11-46 cassette fit onto a Shimano FH-RM66 hub (which is listed as 8/9/10 speed.)?

TIA

Tris.


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## tom tom (Mar 3, 2007)

Tris1972 said:


> Hi all, just put my first post onto the general discussion forum with a (lengthy) question, but thought i'd ask the same on here.
> 
> Will the Shimano 11-46 cassette fit onto a Shimano FH-RM66 hub (which is listed as 8/9/10 speed.)?
> 
> ...


Yes it will fit..........


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## jon123 (Oct 11, 2009)

Dr_UNIX said:


> I saw in this thread claims that the Shimano stays on the largest 2 cogs if you back pedal, but the SunRace does not. What is your experience?


I can't speak to the Sunrace because I've never tried it (and won't be as the Shimano 11-46 is so good) but I have zero packpedal issues. My chain never drops in any of the largest cogs, including the 46.



WoodstockMTB said:


> Jump to 46t is a non issue here.


Agreed. The more I use this cassette the more I like it, and TBH I liked it a lot from the start.

The jump from 37 to 46 is perfectly smooth, fast and shifts without any hesitation. It's a great bailout gear.


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## Herpnasty (Mar 23, 2016)

Dr_UNIX said:


> I saw in this thread claims that the Shimano stays on the largest 2 cogs if you back pedal, but the SunRace does not. What is your experience?
> 
> [for a junior novice rider, I'm not sure they'd be able to handle that well]


I can attest that on my current set up I do drop gears when back pedaling. Not an issue and I haven't had any issue on the trail it takes a good half rotation or so to drop it. I may try to fix it by spacing the front chainring further to the frame to make them more inline (I rarely use the "high" gears)

For the earlier remark debating 11-42 vs 11-46.... GO 46. It is magical. So nice to have a true bailout for me. My more athletic friend can ride up steeper with his 11-42 Sram cassette, but it is nice to have that 46 to fall back on. That is the reason I went with the Sunrace, I usually climb in the 42, but knowing there is a another gear seems to make me climb better


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

Dr_UNIX said:


> I understand you stuck with Shimano because it was familar. BUT, I wanted to make sure you know you don't have to deal with XD driver just to use SRAM. The SRAM NX cassette is based on the traditional freehub body (and everything else only cares about cog spacing, not cog attachment mechanism). There is nothing with the rest of the higher SRAM hierarchy that requires a 10T smallest cog. If you can do without the 10T, you don't have to deal with the XD stuff at all.
> 
> How did you get XT for only $204? Nice price. I paid $45 for SRAM NX RD (take off, saved $20), $67.50 for "only two rides" XT M8000 11-46T, $41.50 SRAM GX grip shifter, $15.35 SRAM PC-1110/NX chain == $169.35. But NX is the lowest groupo, so I think you did well for yourself.


Thanks for the tip. I guess I knew that the spacing for 11 speed was the same between SRAM and Shimano, but I was looking at their 12 speed stuff, and didn't think to look at 11 speed. But I just looked now because I'm curious. The wide range 11-speed NX cassette goes only 11-42, and is quite a bit heavier than the 11-46 Shimano (538 g and 437 g, respectively) and costs about as much too. The weight of the NX cassette, rear shifter, rear derailleur, and chain ends up being 195 grams heavier than the Shimano XT parts. The SRAM GX 11-speed rear derailleur and rear shifter paired with the XT cassette and chain would be comparable in weight to the XT parts. But I also have the M8000 brakes and getting the I-Spec II shifter that fits on it nicely is a (tiny) bonus.

I ordered the XT parts from Chain Reaction Cycles. Cassette and HG-701(XT level) chain were $106.89 combined, rear derailleur was $65.99, shifter was $41.99, and I got a $10 discount for being a new customer. The total was $204.87 with free shipping. The European mail order places can't ship SRAM to the US, so Shimano deals are easier to come by.

I am sticking with SRAM for the crankset, either keeping the X1-1000 that's on the bike already, or swapping it for another SRAM to take advantage of BB30. The main reason I'd be swapping is that I have always hated the 175 cranks on my old mountain bike. I'm not short at 5'10", I just have always liked turning the smaller circles of the 170s on my old road bike way better, especially out of the saddle. I figure the new bike is nice enough that I want to get everything right. I'm thinking of getting the XX1 (11 speed) to get the narrow Q 156 version, another thing that I had a preference for, but didn't really want to pay to upgrade perfectly usable parts on the old bike. Also, my XT RD, shifter, chain, cassette "side-grade" to get the lower gears is going to add 170 grams to my bike, so an XX1 carbon crank (on ebay, not that much more than an alloy crank) would make up for that weight gain (saves 190 grams over the X1-1000 crank).


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

I got the XT parts from Chain Reaction yesterday. That was quick. I ordered late Monday night, and received them Friday - twice as fast as Amazon, even though they are overseas.

I installed everything and went for a short ride, testing out various short steep grades. The gearing is right on for me with my 32 front chain ring (29er). I like the XT shifters most over what I had previously (9 speed Deore Rapidfire paired with a 9 speed XTR rear derailleur). The two at a time upshifts and 4 at the time downshifts, and crisp, action get me up and down the 11 cogs much more efficiently than the older, lower line shifters.


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## Dr_UNIX (Jun 28, 2015)

xcandrew said:


> The European mail order places can't ship SRAM to the US, so Shimano deals are easier to come by.


So *that's* why I never can find good cheep SRAM groupo pricing from them.
I bought a full 10-peice Ultegra 6800 groupo for $525 last year. I never could never find SRAM MTB groupo deals like that -- now I know why. Thanks!


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

check out https://r2-bike.com

I ordered some SRAM stuff from them earlier this year. Prices are pretty good. Still never cheaper than Shimano. Maybe they have changed, but worked back in April


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## Geoffkoop (Jul 19, 2014)

Hello, late to the party, but just started getting into riding again after a bit of a lull. Read this whole thread and am in need some advice. I have a 2014 Santa Cruz Heckler that came with the Deore 3x10 drivetrain. I would like to convert to the 1X11 drivetrain (as budget minded as possible) and was wanting some advice. Was thinking of throwing SLX parts on with a 30 or 32T chain ring with an 11x42 or 46. Thoughts?


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

1x drivetrains are not for everyone. First thing is figuring out how much of your current gearing you use.

Everyone keeps thinking 1x is some life changing upgrade and its really the opposite.

Bike has 0 bearing on going 1x. It is all about what gear range you use and need. Only thing about a bike that can matter is the rear hub as sram has a proprietary hub interface for 11 and 12 speed. 

If you hang out in your middle ring (never use the big ring) with occasionally touching into the granny ring the 1x would be fine.

From there you determine how much you need. When in doubt go with the 46t so you have the climbing gear you need.

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## Geoffkoop (Jul 19, 2014)

Gotcha. It appears since I already have Shimano components, it makes more sense to stay with Shimano with my current hub. I mainly just want to get rid of all the chainrings, shifter etc and simplify the drive train. I know these setups get pricey but think it can be done for a few hundred bucks?


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Shimano can be done for less than 200 easily. Im on xt m8000 shifter, sunrace 11-46 cassette and slx m7000 rear derailleur and still under $200

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## rangersac (Nov 7, 2016)

A 30 tooth ring with an 11-46 will be pretty close to your current granny climbing gears, but you will lose out on the high end. For most people this doesn't matter, it's only really XC racers that are worrying about getting the most speed out of flat and long straight downhill sections.

SLX is absolutely fine, I have SLX 1x11 on one bike and XT 1x11 on another. The XT shifter feels nicer to me with a more definitive action and a short lever throw, but functionally there's no difference in performance


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## Geoffkoop (Jul 19, 2014)

RAKC Ind said:


> Shimano can be done for less than 200 easily. Im on xt m8000 shifter, sunrace 11-46 cassette and slx m7000 rear derailleur and still under $200
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


I would still need to buy the crank, chain and chain ring too though.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I need:

Crankset
Chain ring
Chain
Shifter
Derailleur
Cassette

?

Thanks!


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## Geoffkoop (Jul 19, 2014)

I could get an XT shifter and SLX everything else right?


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## rangersac (Nov 7, 2016)

You can use your existing crank, just get the correct BCD chainring and mount it in the middle position. So all you need is chainring, shifter, chain, cassette and derailleur.

XT shifter will play fine with SLX everything else. It's worth having a good look around though before you buy, as often the price differences between SLX and XT components aren't much, and I've seen XT stuff on special for less than SLX


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

I already have chain rings, was 1x10 hut wanted one more low gear fpr my plus bike

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## Herpnasty (Mar 23, 2016)

I just swapped out 2x10 set up for a 1x11 and I love ever bit of it. I went SRAM for the crisper shifts, but yes if you go Shimano, XT will work fine with SLX everything else and I would advise it. the shifter makes all the changes, the derailleur just follows orders.

Strip your other chainrings and mount a narrow wide where your middle chainring used to be. You will only need Shifter, Derail, Chainring, Cassette, chain... can be done for under $200. 

REMEMBER if you go Shimano those shifters can only handle up to a 49t rear cassette, in case you get the idea for a 11-50, it wont work. Deff go 11-46 unless you live out in a flat land. Having the easier climbing gear will be worth it more often then not.


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## Herpnasty (Mar 23, 2016)

Check out Bicycle Gear Calculator to see how your 3x would look against your 1x


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

RAKC Ind said:


> 1x drivetrains are not for everyone. First thing is figuring out how much of your current gearing you use.
> 
> Everyone keeps thinking 1x is some life changing upgrade and its really the opposite.
> 
> ...


Here's another perspective. I thought of this as I was pedaling wildly downhill (on a bike path) a couple days ago:

You can make a rigid bike bob. You can make a hardtail bob. You can make an FS bike bob. You start pedaling so fast with so little resistance that even the rigid bike starts oscillating up and down due to your pedal strokes. I've seen people do this on hardtails too and they are trying to figure out what is going on. Yeah, upshift, but some people are too new to understand this in mountain biking sometimes. So if you are truly pedaling fast enough downhill to encounter this phenomena frequently, then damn straight, you need a bigger ring, maybe 2 or 3 to get one big enough to stop this. This is what I truly believe "spinning out" is. It's running into this wall.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Good perspective, didnt even think about that.

Do it all the time on my fat bike because those big 26x4.7s really bring that out. Wont even feel spun out but you hear it especially. Closer I push to that wall the more it goes from sound to bouncing lol. 

But in that case i dont care, its geared for "off season" stomping and a FD is just something else to pack up or freeze up. Rest of the year its for riding with kids, around camp ground transportation, trail work. Rack is great for carrying a bundle of fire wood, small cooler with beer or my cordless chainsaw.

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## Geoffkoop (Jul 19, 2014)

Herpnasty said:


> I just swapped out 2x10 set up for a 1x11 and I love ever bit of it. I went SRAM for the crisper shifts, but yes if you go Shimano, XT will work fine with SLX everything else and I would advise it. the shifter makes all the changes, the derailleur just follows orders.
> 
> Strip your other chainrings and mount a narrow wide where your middle chainring used to be. You will only need Shifter, Derail, Chainring, Cassette, chain... can be done for under $200.
> 
> REMEMBER if you go Shimano those shifters can only handle up to a 49t rear cassette, in case you get the idea for a 11-50, it wont work. Deff go 11-46 unless you live out in a flat land. Having the easier climbing gear will be worth it more often then not.


Awesome, great info. Appreciate it


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## Eastcoastroots (Mar 23, 2014)

jon123 said:


> This is good advice. It's a terrific cassette - perfect shifting, spacing and range. I'm quite certain Shimano has addressed the chainline issue with the 11-46 too; I have zero back-pedalling issues.
> 
> I've just installed mine after using and being quite happy with the XT 11-42 and OneUp 45 (I'm using XTR medium cage Rd, KMC gold chain and XTR crank with 30t WolfTooth ring).
> 
> ...


I certainly agree that I've had no chainline/backpedal issues, but as others have noted I must disagree with the rest. Came from a couple years of SRAM 10-42 11-sp, and I also ride my buddy's Eagle semi-regularly; shifting to or from the lower gear on the 11-46 just always bugs me - I can never seem to perfect the cadence. When approaching a hill I always have to push the 37 for a half-second longer than is comfortable and still spin out on the 46 for another half-second until the bike slows down; when cresting a climb I find myself trying to spin out the 46 to gain enough speed before shifting to the 37, and there's still an awkwardly difficult half-stroke before I'm up to speed.

That large cog shift just isn't as smooth as the 11 or 12-speed SRAM cassettes. It's also nowhere near the 2-ring XTR Di2 I demo'd earlier this summer which was completely and utterly amazeballs on the 11-40 XTR cassette - it was seriously one of those things that almost completely ruin your enjoyment of something, like driving a supercar and then going back to your Mazda 3. It was like having the perfect gear immediately on tap no matter when you needed it - even in the middle of a tough climb. Now if only I hadn't already bought a single-ring bike because that was the future... :thumbsup:


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## bryanc (Aug 7, 2017)

Great read. I actually read the whole thread and decided to go with the 11-42 XT cog set with XT RD and shifter. I'm still running my 2x cranks and only needed a slight improvement in my climbing gear from my sram 11-36 2x10 setup. The XT cog set is almost identical to the sram pg-1030 set with the addition of the 42t cog. I'm not ready pull the trigger on the cranks and chainring just yet. The cog set may eventually wind up on my road bike if I decide to go all out on the Sram Eagle once I get some new wheels. I also have the option for the 1up 47t kit or even just buy the Sunrace if I stick with the 1x 11. Thanks for all the info.


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## sdcoffeeroaster (Sep 10, 2017)

I recently had a CS-M7000 XT 11-46 installed on my 2017 Giant Anthem 2 SLX (was 11-42t). I was worried about shifting into that large gear and the big jump but found my worries to be unfounded and really like the lower 1st gear a lot. But now I'm having downshifting issues just going from 8th to 7th gear occasionally. It's like an incomplete shift that leaves the chain rubbing on the 8th gear when in 7th. A non-giant dealer did this and replaced the chain as well. Then to fix this issue they said I needed a new shift housing and cable which were worn out on my 4 month old bike (400 miles). This did not fix the issue but might have made it less frequent. I think it's the cassette since I never had a shifting issue before this. With just one particular downshift does that sound right? I'm new to mtn biking and not sure but will go back to the shop next week to get them to do "something"...not sure what yet but it's pretty annoying when it happens. Thanks.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

sdcoffeeroaster said:


> I recently had a CS-M7000 XT 11-46 installed on my 2017 Giant Anthem 2 SLX (was 11-42t). I was worried about shifting into that large gear and the big jump but found my worries to be unfounded and really like the lower 1st gear a lot. But now I'm having downshifting issues just going from 8th to 7th gear occasionally. It's like an incomplete shift that leaves the chain rubbing on the 8th gear when in 7th. A non-giant dealer did this and replaced the chain as well. Then to fix this issue they said I needed a new shift housing and cable which were worn out on my 4 month old bike (400 miles). This did not fix the issue but might have made it less frequent. I think it's the cassette since I never had a shifting issue before this. With just one particular downshift does that sound right? I'm new to mtn biking and not sure but will go back to the shop next week to get them to do "something"...not sure what yet but it's pretty annoying when it happens. Thanks.


I had a "head-scratcher" like that, too. In my case, it was hanging up on the center of my chainline right at 5-6. After great deliberation, I finally just happened to notice that the rear derailleur was not bolted flush against the hanger. Somehow it got a little cattywampus when torqued down and it was barely noticeable when looking at it. Every other gear shifted perfectly. Just a thought but you might want to loosen it, make sure it's positioned correctly, then retorque to spec.


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## sdcoffeeroaster (Sep 10, 2017)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I had a "head-scratcher" like that, too. In my case, it was hanging up on the center of my chainline right at 5-6. After great deliberation, I finally just happened to notice that the rear derailleur was not bolted flush against the hanger. Somehow it got a little cattywampus when torqued down and it was barely noticeable when looking at it. Every other gear shifted perfectly. Just a thought but you might want to loosen it, make sure it's positioned correctly, then retorque to spec.


Thanks, will take a look at that. Had it up and tried some minor 1/4 turn adjustments on the cable but could not tell if it made an difference. I have to go ride it I guess. It infrequent enough to drive you crazy because it never misbehaved before I had them put on the xt cassette. Looks at the gears in question today and didn't see a thing that looked out of the ordinary. Spacing looked pretty uniform too.


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## regiobike (Apr 23, 2017)

well have about 1 week with this setup in my TallBoy:
1x11 XT M8000 crankset with 34T
1x11 XT rear D 
1x11 XT M8000 shifter
shimano 11 speed chain
shimano 11-46T cassette

Works perfect, it shift really smooth everytime without any problem.


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## regiobike (Apr 23, 2017)

Here is some pics









Enviado desde mi SAMSUNG-SM-N910A mediante Tapatalk


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## Sunnmax (Feb 10, 2009)

Been riding an Cannondale FSi with a 34 T Spidering and Shimano's XT 11-46T rear cassette mated to a XTR 11S RD for one month now....the set up works magic and is silent, flawless.

My LBS had set it up a bit on the shy side of the sprockets and max b tension, eased all that up and itis perfectly silent ans shifts like a dream (clutch or no clutch), and really handy when steep gets X-steep. I'm a competitive XC racer in the south of France and the terrain is dry rocky or dusty; steep up or down and fast.

I am nicely surprised by the setup and would do it a again but hope Shimano makes a lighter XTR version.


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## sdcoffeeroaster (Sep 10, 2017)

regiobike said:


> well have about 1 week with this setup in my TallBoy:
> 1x11 XT M8000 crankset with 34T
> 1x11 XT rear D
> 1x11 XT M8000 shifter
> ...


Yes I was surprised at how smooth the shift was to the 46t. No issue there at all. Just an occasional bad shift from 8th to 7th with the resulting clicky-clack of the chain rubbing an adjacent gear by the looks of it. It makes the shift, just not a clean one. I was out of town for a week and will get out on trails on Monday to see if slight cable tweaking fixes this. Not sure what to do but the dealer said if I'm not happy they will try to get Shimano to warranty this. Looks like with this cassette it's right in the middle of 3 gears riveted together as an assembly.


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## Paul866 (Aug 8, 2018)

Quick question can i do this setup in 1x11 slx 11-46 cassette then upfront a 34t narrow wide chainring using a medium cage slx rd?


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## Paul866 (Aug 8, 2018)

Quick question can i do this setup in 1x11 slx 11-46 cassette then upfront a 34t narrow wide chainring using a medium cage slx rd? Or should i use a long cage?


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

If the SLX rdr is M7000 it's rated for the 11/46. I have a few setup in the garage like that. See the specs here:

2018-2019 SHIMANO Product Information Web


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## Steel Calf (Feb 5, 2010)

Paul866 said:


> Quick question can i do this setup in 1x11 slx 11-46 cassette then upfront a 34t narrow wide chainring using a medium cage slx rd? Or should i use a long cage?


Medium cage!!

The pulley clearance is better with the shorter cage derailleur


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## shiny (Jul 4, 2007)

Just got a Sunrace 11-46 and installed everything and it’s not working. Have to max the b screw to clear the 46t cog and then the lower shifting suffers. 

Running a mid cage 11 speed XTR derailer in a 1x config. Currently on a SRAM GX cassette and it shifts ok on this set up but has never been great. 

Doing some more reading into it and thinking the Goatlink would be my best option to get it working? Just seems strange that others have no issues and I spent ages tweaking it today and just not working!


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

shiny said:


> Just got a Sunrace 11-46 and installed everything and it's not working. Have to max the b screw to clear the 46t cog and then the lower shifting suffers.
> 
> Running a mid cage 11 speed XTR derailer in a 1x config. Currently on a SRAM GX cassette and it shifts ok on this set up but has never been great.
> 
> Doing some more reading into it and thinking the Goatlink would be my best option to get it working? Just seems strange that others have no issues and I spent ages tweaking it today and just not working!


Goatlink is mandatory with a GS cage... Btw, pic below is a GS cage with 11-50 cassette, and it shifts well.

https://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-...1-50-a-1064738-post13526064.html#post13526064


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I'm running 11-46T Sunrace on 2 bikes, both XTR GS cages and they're flawless without a goat link. One on a '17 Karate Monkey, the other on a '17 Stumpjumper Expert. 

I recall chasing some shifting issues at first but put the Park DAG 2.2 to use and cleaned it right up. You might want to try that. Both my bikes were brand new and both had significant adjustment required on the hangers. I can now interchange the Sunrace with the Shimano 11-46T and all I might need to do is a twist of the cable adjuster on the shifter to clean it up.

Btw.....how's your chain length?


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## shiny (Jul 4, 2007)

thesmokingman said:


> Goatlink is mandatory with a GS cage... Btw, pic below is a GS cage with 11-50 cassette, and it shifts well.
> 
> https://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-...1-50-a-1064738-post13526064.html#post13526064





Oh My Sack! said:


> I'm running 11-46T Sunrace on 2 bikes, both XTR GS cages and they're flawless without a goat link. One on a '17 Karate Monkey, the other on a '17 Stumpjumper Expert.
> 
> I recall chasing some shifting issues at first but put the Park DAG 2.2 to use and cleaned it right up. You might want to try that. Both my bikes were brand new and both had significant adjustment required on the hangers. I can now interchange the Sunrace with the Shimano 11-46T and all I might need to do is a twist of the cable adjuster on the shifter to clean it up.
> 
> Btw.....how's your chain length?


Thanks for the replies. Hanger is only a few months old, main issue is the B screw is maxxed out so gears suffer as top cog is miles off at bottom of the cassette. Will order a Goatlink as should give me some more b screw adjustment. Chain is good, could possibly lose a link but don't think will solve my issue.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I mentioned the hangars because both of mine were brand new and significantly out of adjustment when I put the DAG on them.


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

shiny said:


> Thanks for the replies. Hanger is only a few months old, main issue is the B screw is maxxed out so gears suffer as top cog is miles off at bottom of the cassette. Will order a Goatlink as should give me some more b screw adjustment. Chain is good, could possibly lose a link but don't think will solve my issue.


You may want to try removing the chain link first; I was setting one up for a friend and he wanted the chain a bit longer and we had a similar challenge. Removing 2 links swung the upper pulley back and then we were able to reduce the B-screw. The XTR has a bit less capacity than XT & SLX but still rated for 46T.


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## shiny (Jul 4, 2007)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I mentioned the hangars because both of mine were brand new and significantly out of adjustment when I put the DAG on them.





Aresab said:


> You may want to try removing the chain link first; I was setting one up for a friend and he wanted the chain a bit longer and we had a similar challenge. Removing 2 links swung the upper pulley back and then we were able to reduce the B-screw. The XTR has a bit less capacity than XT & SLX but still rated for 46T.


Don't have a DAG might be a good buy for the future.

Will try dropping a link and see how to goes. Got a goatlink on order, so if that doesn't work then will try that.


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## shiny (Jul 4, 2007)

Finally got around to dropping a link out if the chain. Busy week!

It shifts but not super crisp. Going from smallest cog up 1 cog it just grinds and needs another click to move, tried tweaking the H alignment and cable tension with no result. It is passable for now and will try for a ride later in the week to see how it goes. Have a Goatlink on order that will hopefully make it smooth!


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## HollyBoni (Dec 27, 2016)

shiny said:


> Finally got around to dropping a link out if the chain. Busy week!
> 
> It shifts but not super crisp. Going from smallest cog up 1 cog it just grinds and needs another click to move, tried tweaking the H alignment and cable tension with no result. It is passable for now and will try for a ride later in the week to see how it goes. Have a Goatlink on order that will hopefully make it smooth!


I'd still check the hanger.


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## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

For my hybrid I actually think the large 37-46 jump works better. this gives me tighter spacing in the high gears. There the sunrace jumps 15-18-21-24 and the SLX jumps 15-17-19-21-24. Gives me one more gear in the 20-30kmh range. 
That is the range I use all the time. the 37-46 jump only would be a bailout (long tour uphill).

I see for an MTB the sunrace 11-46 spacing is better with larger jumps all over (I use that on my fatbike). Just wanted to throw in that outside MTB the shimano idea is actually good. 

How does the SLX shift from 37-46? Is it noticeable (besides the cadence jump)?


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

Bringing this thread back up...

I have CS-M8000 with XT derailleurs and shifters, and my chain broke 2 times over the weekend, so I'm looking to replace it.

For those who have had the CS-M8000 for a while, which chain would you recommend?


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

Been using SRAM 11 speed chains for 1x drivetrains, PC-X1 is what I would recommend. Friends also used the cheapo 1110 with similar results.


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

mevnet said:


> Been using SRAM 11 speed chains for 1x drivetrains, PC-X1 is what I would recommend. Friends also used the cheapo 1110 with similar results.


I did forget to mention that my drivetrain is 2x11. I'll check out the PC-X1 tho


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

You can get the KMC chains then, they last longer


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

Cool. How do Shimano XT chains compare? I see no mention of them.


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## mevnet (Oct 4, 2013)

SImilar to KMC, you can also use the KMC quick link with them


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