# Sram Pg-950 11-26 Vs Pg-970 Dh 12-26



## slingerzz (Dec 2, 2006)

Im trying to decide between these two cassettes for my slalom bike... the 950 11-26 is cheaper and weighs 230g (according to SRAM's site) the 970 DH 12-26 weighs 325g. Can you tell me the advantages to the 970DH since it costs more and weighs much more than the 950?


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

Get an Ultegra. Aluminum carrier. It's light. It shifts smoothly and precisely. It wears well too.

I'm not a big fan of SRAM cassette. I love the shifters, derailleurs, brakes, forks, etc... But not the cassettes, new chains, and cranks.


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## hozzerr1 (Feb 26, 2005)

yeah, one's like lighter than the other one: D


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## Rb (Feb 28, 2007)

You said it yourself...no advantage really. Of those two, the 11-26 will suffice.

Do what Will said and go 9-spd Ultegra or Dura-Ace. They're priced relatively the same last time I checked, but the difference in weight is what seals the deal -- especially on a racier slalom setup...

I'd recommend a tighter gearing... like 11-23 or 11-21 (if you can live with it). You're going to want to stay towards the middle-lower end of your cogset in a race. I've had no problems running a 32 front with 11-21 in the rear. Makes for incredibly snappy & precise shifts and I can still commute 'n' climb fairly well.

G'luck!


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

Hey Will, what do you not like about their new chains? What would you recommend as an alternate (that still uses something like the powerlink) 



XSL_WiLL said:


> Get an Ultegra. Aluminum carrier. It's light. It shifts smoothly and precisely. It wears well too.
> 
> I'm not a big fan of SRAM cassette. I love the shifters, derailleurs, brakes, forks, etc... But not the cassettes, new chains, and cranks.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

Doesn't seem to shift as well. It doesn't seem to last as long. It seems to break more often. You can use the Powerlink on Shimano chains too. The KMC x9 or whatever is pretty good. I've been rocking the Wipperman Connex 1x9 Stainless Steel chains. They're pricey... but worth it.


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## Rb (Feb 28, 2007)

006_007 said:


> Hey Will, what do you not like about their new chains? What would you recommend as an alternate (that still uses something like the powerlink)


Shimano CN-7701 (9-spd Dura-Ace) with Wipperman Connex "powerlink" = :thumbsup:


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## gremlyn (Feb 27, 2007)

There's also PG970 road cassette, 11-23t... it weighs 220g if I'm not mistaken. I'm using it for a six months now (on my FR/DH bike)... it performs perfectly and can be easily disassembeled for a good cleaning. I've bought it for a $40 or so...


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## njhcx4xlife (Jan 9, 2006)

I just picked up the PG970 road cassette too and its pretty nice. the 970 dh 11-26 is nice with the 26t but the thing is a tank and unnecessary. I'll take a smaller spread as a trade off for the weight saved.


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## slingerzz (Dec 2, 2006)

im running a 36 in the front so i kind of need the 26t in the rear to use for skinnies and climbing. the ultegra is a bit more expensive than the $25 950 so i think ill go with the 950 and make sure i like the gearing before i buy something more expensive. thanks for the responses!


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## Rover Nick (Jul 13, 2006)

It has always seemed really silly to me to have a DH specific cassete


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## [email protected] (Oct 1, 2005)

Another option is taking an LX cassette and removing the top 2 cogs which cuts the weight down nearly to an Ultegra cassette. 

What you get is 11,13,15,17,20,23,26. You then add a couple spacers on the hub to take up the space.

The jumps between gears are larger than a road cassette but the 26 will be 2 cogs further outboard giving better chainline. When you backpedal 1/2 way up a skinny the chain won't be as likely to auto shift down the cassette.

Another bonus is that if you use Sram derailleurs they are designed to track at an angle that works best with a 11-32 to 11-34 cassette. So what happens when you use a road cassette the upper pulley wheel moves farther and further away from the cassette as you shift up the cogs. What you get is vague shifting in those upper cogs. I imagine a Shadow der would be the same way since it no longer has the B bolt spring.

Quite a few years ago i saw Nico had dremeled off the 2 top cogs on an XT cassette. That makes a crazy light setup.

Krispy


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

Save yourself some weight and cost and go with the 11-26. You'll also have a better final ratio than the 12-26 will give you.

I have some problems with Sram cassette's after the initial install. They seem to be a bit rough and take a ride or two before the teeth wear in appropriately. Once they're broken in they're tits tho.

You can use a shimano chain with the Sram cassette, they seem to be a bit tougher. You can use a powerlink on them as well.

I don't recommend a Dura Ace cassette, they wear down FAST and cost a lot more than others out there. I blow through them pretty quickly on my road bike, I get about 1.5 to 2 times the lifespan on a Sram cassette. granted, most mountain bikes and slalom bikes probably see as many miles in a year as I put on my road bike in a month, so you might be okay with the Dura Ace, but I recommend Sram a bit more. Not as crisp and precise, but much more durable.


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## ka81ua (Oct 14, 2014)

what exactly means DH for 970 cssette ?

on reign sx 2013 it has 950 11-26. so, is there any profit to choose another 11-26 like 970 dh or 990 ?


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