Fair. I'll concede the larger point that XD isn't suited to cheap cassettes. Even the XG-1150 runs north of $100\. Pinning the sprockets together is apparently cost-prohibited.
I do think for bikes at the XT and XTR level, though, XD is very competitive. (That's really where XD starts anyway; GX lines up with XT.) Garbaruk's 10-46 has more range and durability than Shimano's new XTR 10-45 11-speed, at less cost and similar weight.
May 28, 2018, 8:09 a.m. - Alex D
Fair. I'll concede the larger point that XD isn't suited to cheap cassettes. Even the XG-1150 runs north of $100\. Pinning the sprockets together is apparently cost-prohibited. I do think for bikes at the XT and XTR level, though, XD is very competitive. (That's really where XD starts anyway; GX lines up with XT.) Garbaruk's 10-46 has more range and durability than Shimano's new XTR 10-45 11-speed, at less cost and similar weight.