Cassette durability: Dura Ace / Red / Super Record

[nemeseri]

So I plan to upgrade my groupset to dura ace soon and I was thinking to keep the ultegra cassette and chain because I heard that they have much better durability than the DA versions. I just found out that every 11sp cassette are compatible so this kept me thinking that maybe I can have a cassette that's lightweight and durable.

How would you compare the DA / Red / Super record cassettes to ultegra 6800? I'd love to hear your opinion on durability and shifting quality.

[prendrefeu]

SRAM Red.
Lighter.
More Durable (all steel except for last cog which is Titanium).
Quiet. The "rubber band silencer" tech that Shimano uses now first came out on the Red)

[beanbiken]

SRAM red gets my vote also

[rmerka]

SRAM Red also won't notch your freehub as the "driver tab" is only on the base and it's thick and wide. So it's really the best thing going, it's just pricy that's the only con that I can see.

[racersir]

Sram Red

[uraqt]

Sram Red, stay away from the DA one, there is a massive thread about the DA failing...


C

[nemeseri]

SRAM Red.
Lighter.
More Durable (all steel except for last cog which is Titanium).
Quiet. The "rubber band silencer" tech that Shimano uses now first came out on the Red)

Wow. Overwhelming win for Sram Red. Thanks. I saw that there are aftermarket lockrings for sram/shimano cassettes. Is there any benefit to use one of those? I'd rather hide the fact that I'm running a sram cassette with a shimano groupset. I know.. It's stupid.

[prendrefeu]

The lockring just needs to match your freehub's threading and be small enough for the smallest cog. As long as it is smaller.

So if your freehub is Shimano/SRAM and you're running 11t smallest, get a lockring that is for 11t cassette. 12t smallest?
11t lockring will be fine.

[Zoose]

Also the lockring is the less obvious place where SRAM put their name. The aluminum cog on the cassette has SRAM printed on it. Not sure if it is printed/engraved/etc. though, so some acetone might take it right off. Has anyone here tried removing the writing on the back?

[prendrefeu]

Really? Who cares what brand your running?

If anyone complains about your choices in mixing brands (on anything, drivetrain or otherwise) just reply "I prefer perfection and can make my own intelligent choices, I'm not a sheep" or reply in a language they might understand: "Baaaaa.... Baaaaaaaaaaa"

[pdlpsher1]

Currently I have the D.A and I will buy the Sram to replace it. I have about 10,500 miles on the cassette and I plan to replace at the 12,000mi mark. Just curious, how many miles do you get out of the Sram Red cassettes?

[mimason]

How many miles on SRAM RED? Shit loads but can't quantify. I still have a box of good red 10sp cassettes than i used for years. Change your chain within specs and you will get a lot of use.

[deek]

SRAM Red.
Lighter.
More Durable (all steel except for last cog which is Titanium).
Quiet. The "rubber band silencer" tech that Shimano uses now first came out on the Red)

Large cog on the Red cassette is aluminum, not titanium. I also don't know of any Shimano cassettes that use the rubber bands, but I could be wrong about that.

[VTBike]

My 2 cents - Red UNLESS you are running the larger cog options, in which case you may find the D/A fits your need better.

Specifically, I want the 28t cog. Red offers a 11-28 which has two 3 tooth gaps. I hate the 3 tooth gaps, it's hard to keep cadence correct. D/A offers a 12-28, which eliminates one of them. I'd prefer to loose some top-end speed and have a more linear cadence up hills (i think this actually makes a bigger speed difference here in the NW where there are huge hills, rather than hitting 45-50mph on the downhills).

My experience - i'm 200lbs, with a threshold power of 290 watts. So i'm not a small person.. Also not the most powerful, but respectable for a 'recreational' rider.

I've been running RED for years. It is flawless. I've now been running the new D/A for about 2k miles. No issues to speak of. It shifts quieter and easier than the RED, but only marginally.. Not enough to make a difference. It's a bit heaver than the RED. For me, the 12-28 makes it worth it. If it weren't for that, RED gets the nod on weight, durability, and 'kindness' to your hub (as mentioned, it doesn't notch).

[djqgmffj]

Sram Red light is. But I use the Dura-Ace