alexdi profile

> My understanding is that Shimano and SRAM 12-spd have the same spacing a

Do you have a source for this? The 11 and 12 M9100 cassettes have the same spacing (so new 11 isn't compatible with old 11), but I haven't found anything definitive for the actual sprocket pitch.

From the Velorama museum in Nijmegen. Circa 1899.

There's some mixed terminology in this article. While solid lubricant is more resistant to leakage and contamination, it still benefits greatly from conventional bearing seals.

I'm 175lb / 79kg with an i39 F / i29 R wheelset. The XR4 2.6 in the front is happy at 17 PSI (or less) with great lateral support. Tread blocks are even with the sidewalls. There's so much volume on the big rim that it never bottoms. I think ~i37 would be ideal for this tire. I'm interested to hear your take. 

I've never actually tried a heavy casing. I've biased float and weight over stability. The bike is a Scalpel (albeit in trail guise with a wide cockpit and 185 dropper), so I suspect it'd be overmatched by terrain that'd really benefit from the SE-series. The previous XR2 2.35 lasted over 700 miles of rocky singletrack at race speeds before a cut near the bead from a nasty downhill put it down. Terrific weight / durability ratio in this lineup.

Nice. I've put about 50 miles on the XR2 2.6 and previously north of 500 on the 2.35 XR2, initially with an XR2 3.0 up front and then later with a XR4 2.6. I think they're all excellent tires, though the 2.6s really benefit from an i35 or even i40 rim. I'm finding that with 2.6 on my i29 rear, I'm still at the same ~22 PSI I used with the 2.35 because any less starts to give up lateral support.

Most components aren't worth repairing if you value your time, or even if you don't. Every tiny part is $15 and $8 shipping. Service manuals aren't public and the new parts frequently diverge from the old ones internally. You need special, expensive, narrow-purpose tools that won't work on other brands, or some mystical proprietary $30 lubricant that you'll never finish because you're only doing a one-off. By the time the thing needs service, there's probably something better to replace it, and you don't want to deflate whatever residual value the old one has by screwing it up even more. Or maybe it's a set of brakes where a trial-and-error bodge has a fair chance of running you into a tree.

I hope this one lives up to the hype. I've had the 185 for two months. It's needed only one revive since installation which took just a moment. Action is as smooth as it's always been, but then, it's new. I had issues with my Giant SL after one month and nine months and that one was also ostensibly reliable. (Though in comparison to the Easton Haven it replaced that died in month three, I guess it was.)

Evil turns. File under 'way steeper than they look.'

It's the only unique part. Everything else, SRAM does as well or better. The entire NX Eagle group is $400. It's not like XT will be any cheaper or much lighter.

Much of the appeal of this group is the silent hub. Problem is, it's chained to the rest of the group. Micro Spline implies the XTR cassette. The 11S and 12S models use the same spacing, which is different than current 11S. I assume they didn't adopt SRAM's 12S spacing, so that means buying the XTR shifter and derailleur as well. The whole thing gets mega-expensive very fast. 

How'd you feel about the hub engagement? It's akin to roughly 50 POE, right?

The weight/cost/range/materials balance of this cassette is impressive. Mostly steel, very wide range, lighter than XX1 Eagle, and significantly cheaper (especially if they offer it alone). At the moment, though, the 11S version is $80 less with the same range, and I'm with you: I don't actually want more ratios.

Excellent review, thanks for taking the time! I particularly appreciate the assembly notes.

I've made a worksheet of a potential build that brings the bike just under 27 pounds, though the bigger question is whether to go full-29 or take the plunge to a 69er.* How much flexibility did you have on the color scheme and logos?

• I just realized the 34T thing could be a problem with a 69er. I run 32T with a 29x2.5" and a 10-42. If I downsize to 27.5 in the back, the ring has to come up to 32 to keep the top end. Hmm.