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Old June 11th 10, 04:10 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Jay Beattie
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Default 9 sp HG cassette vs. Ultegra cassette

On Jun 10, 6:54*pm, bcdrums wrote:
On 6/10/10 9:18 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:





On Jun 10, 4:48 pm, *wrote:
The next time I replace my chain I will replace my 9 speed cassette too,
it's looking worn. I have a Shimano 13-25 cassette now, will replace it
with a 14-25 (which adds a midrange 18T between 17T& *19T).


This cassette seems to be available in two models, a HG-50 for $31, and
an Ultegra for $96. The two cassettes are almost identical in weight,
only a 2g difference and are identical in cog configuration. For me, it
seems the obvious choice is the HG at $31. It is hard to believe that
the HG Ultegra will last three times longer than the HG, or shift three
times better. Is there something I am missing?


The cassette will go onto an Ultegra hub that is about 5 years old. Is
there any compatibility issue?


Yes, you missed a smoking (in store) sale at Performance. *I just got
two Ultegra cassettes for $39 each. *I see 270g for the Tiagra (HG-50)
versus 217g for the Ultegra at the REI site, but it is not clear which
gear range is being weighed. *I saved probably 50+ grams which means I
am going to go really, really fast now! (particularly if I remember to
take the spare change out of my pockets and ride on the drops).


I checked the Performance site (and its evil twin, Nashbar) and the sale
is not on. I got my prices and weights from the Harris Cyclery site, but
50 grams here or there is not going to speed me up or slow me down.

Tiagra sounds like a laundry detergent. (Spellcheck wants to replace
Tiagra with Viagra! Maybe Shimano will have a line like that in ten more
years, as the boomers gear downward.)



I would not in a million years pay full retail for Ultegra. *Tiagra is
fine, although it probably has a slightly different carrier, plastic
spacers and poorer finish (unnoticeable after 12.3 miles). *You would
have to be a real princess and the pea person to notice a difference
in shifting. *In my opinion, your only reasonable option is the
Tiagra. *I only got the Ultegras because (1) they were on sale at
Performance, and (2) they were on sale at Performance, and there was
nothing cheaper in the store in my preferred gear range. -- Jay
Beattie.


So what's your gear range? I am going to 14x25. I use a triple, and
don't need any thing lower for most riding, where I stay on the two
larger rings. Way back on my first 10 speed, I had 14x28 which was more
or less standard in the bike boom.


My new Ultegras are 12/25 (racing bike) and 12/27 (commuter/cross
bike). I rode 12/21 or 12/23 on my racing bike, but due to subtle
tectonic lifting that has occurred over the last few years, the local
hills have gotten steeper, and I find that the 25 or 26 is a good bail
out gear. Actually I switched to a SRAM 12/26 after breaking my leg
and found that I liked the lower gear even after my recovery (which is
still in progress, actually with the opposite ankle).

Speaking of SRAM, the Tiagra and the SRAM PG970 are pretty similar --
like Muzi says, you can unbolt the cogs if you want so you can collect
and trade worn out cogs. They both have plastic spacers -- which some
people criticize because they supposedly compress or wear out, which
seems a little far fetched, but hey, who knows. I like the SRAM
product. It occupies a price niche between Tiagra and Ultegra, and
the 26t is a nice gear. I think, though, that I could be perfectly
happy with a Tiagra.

-- Jay Beattie.

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