Cassette performance?

[SoCalSteve]

Hi all,

May be a silly question, but is there any performance difference between the different levels of cassettes? I understand weight, material and finish...and, of course price.

But, in sheer performance levels, would a Dura Ace outperform a 105 cassette in shifting smoothness, noise, etc?

As always, thank you all in advance!

Steve

[SoCalSteve]

Oooops, wrong Forum! Guess I need more coffee...Mods, please move.

Thanks!

[Cicli]

I have never been able to tell a difference. Except dura ace wears out faster on the Ti cogs.

[Keith A]

Oooops, wrong Forum! Guess I need more coffee...Mods, please move.

Thanks!Done.

[shovelhd]

I can tell the difference between a Dura Ace cassette and an Ultegra cassette on a Di2 drivetrain. Dura Ace shifts a little quicker and cleaner. JMHO of course. I train on Ultegra and race on Dura Ace.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

For a spell I was using Dura Ace cassettes exclusively. Back in 2011, I think, I started to use Ultegra cassettes for training and have been very happy. I can't tell the difference shifting, they last longer, and at about 1/3 the price of DA. I guess they're a little heavier, but I don't care. I love the Ultegra cassettes.

I still have one DA cassette on my race wheels, but that's it.

I just started to use Ultegra chains on two bikes (one because it came with the bike and the other because it has an Ultegra group). Usually, I'll spring the extra for the DA chain, as the cost delta is not as great as it is with the cassettes.

[torquer]

After I stopped racing on Dura Ace I was buying SRAM chains and cassettes for many years, but recently have switched to Ultegra.
I know that's not the question the OP raised, but let me continue:
The SRAM cassettes' cogs were all pinned together (except the smallest), while the Ultegra cogs were mostly loose, except the inner ones. This made thorough cleaning much easier whenever I switched cassettes, and that leads to longer life and better shifting ATMO.
Now, I also bought some 105-level cassettes, which like SRAM are mostly ganged cogs, so they won't be getting all spin-n-span like the Ultegras. Not a problem so far, since the 105s haven't seen much mileage (they are 28-tooth, so they are reserved for occasional HC climbs) but if I needed them everyday I'd spring for the Ultegra.
The more rapid wear of the Ti cogs that come on Dura Ace would keep me from buying them again even if the price delta was reduced a lot.

[Black Dog]

If the shape and spacing of the cogs is the same there will be no difference in performance. Weight, cost, durability are variables but performance is generally not.

[berserk87]

I am still on 9 speed stuff. I have some Dura Ace cassettes, but most of mine are Ultegra.

I can't tell any performance difference.

Ultegra offers a good product at a better price point that Dura Ace in terms of cassettes, in my opinion. There comes to be a point of diminishing returns on the price of a cassette and paying over $100 for one is a hard pill for me to swallow.

[SoCalSteve]

If the shape and spacing of the cogs is the same there will be no difference in performance. Weight, cost, durability are variables but performance is generally not.

That is exactly what I thought too. Makes sense, right? As far as I can tell, there are no differences design wise among the different levels. Just material and finish...

Thanks!

[milkbaby]

I used ten speed 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace and couldn't tell the difference in shifting quality.

[toastedbread]

More or less what everyone else is saying- I could maybe tell a tiny difference in shifting with a Dura Ace cassette, but it wore out way quicker than the Ultegra cassettes I've been using ever since.

[Andreas]

No difference in function.

Weight and durability are inversely related to cost.

[Likes2ridefar]

i think the more you spend the worse cassette you get.

[tumbler]

Velonews discussed this somewhat in their long term review (http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/news/road/stress-test-shimano-dura-ace-9000-long-term-review_361971) of the Dura Ace 9000 group, which they label as "the best human-powered drivetrain the world has ever seen." Just about the only gripe they had was the cassette:

The cassette, with its set of titanium cogs and carbon body, does not last as long as it should. In fact, just buy an Ultegra cassette, which offers all the shift performance for one-third of the price.

[chengher87]

What about Campy? All I've ever used is a Veloce 10 speed cassette. How does it stack up to Chorus? Is it worth the extra $50-60 in terms of shifting quality or longevity?

[buddybikes]

however check your cassette needs, personally I love 12-28 as I don't need the 11, and give so nice 16 middle gear, this only comes in dura ace. Why, no idea...

[shovelhd]

What about Campy?

What about it?

<ducking>

[rgr111]

Somewhere I thought I saw something about using the correct chain for a given cassette (ultraglide with ultraglide, for example) was more important for performance than anything else, but that sounds like the kind of thing the marketing department would invent, so now I'm not sure.

[bigman]

harkening back to the glory days of 7800 - reviewer has my attention

[oldpotatoe]

Hi all,

May be a silly question, but is there any performance difference between the different levels of cassettes? I understand weight, material and finish...and, of course price.

But, in sheer performance levels, would a Dura Ace outperform a 105 cassette in shifting smoothness, noise, etc?

As always, thank you all in advance!

Steve

No. Least expensive compatible cassette and chain. 105 or Chorus level stuff.

[smead]

I still run perfectly good DA 9 and 10 speed cassettes with tens of thousands of miles on them, but I spend most of my time in the middle of the cassette and don't cross chain.

[Gummee]

harkening back to the glory days of 7800 - reviewer has my attention

If you think 7800 was good stuff, you'll like 9000 or 6800. I didn't like 7800 as much as I did my 7700 so stayed off Shimano for years. Came back when I started messing around with the new stuff.

Shift quality is back and the front derailleur/shifting is better than its ever been.

M

[oldpotatoe]

What about Campy? All I've ever used is a Veloce 10 speed cassette. How does it stack up to Chorus? Is it worth the extra $50-60 in terms of shifting quality or longevity?

Well, Chorus became 11s in 2009, so Record/Chorus cogsets in 10s have been leaving the marketplace ever since and Campagnolo not making them any longer.

BUT 10s Centaur cogs were the same as Chorus, just fewer on an aluminum carrier. Veloce, depending on what and where ya got them, had a different finish, but worked and lasted as well. Just loose cogs, no carrier. NOW Centaur is gone, so 10s is essentially Veloce only but still a good cogset, works well, lasts well.

Chorus is the lowest level of 11s, and is the same as Record except Record the last 3 cogs are titanium. SR-6 cogs are titanium. Titanium on cogs are dum, since they wear faster than steel.