Garbaruk 12 speed cassette
 

Hi, I was thinking of buying the Garbaruk cassette. I get mixed reviews on how it shifts. I have an XT group set and I love how it shifts. I just want my bike to be a bit lighter and that is the reason of the cassette question.

First, the cassette is not a great place to save weight. Very little moment of inertia so the only time you'll notice it is when you lift your bike off the ground. Second, NOTHING will shift as well as a Shimano cassette and chain. This is especially true w/ the new 12 speed drivetrains.

Agree with this - OP, your shifting performance will only be degraded by a non-system cassette. For me, I would first consider laying out for the XTR cassette - but they are very expensive and hard to find, and the weight savings vs the cost is hard to justify. But you will save weight and shifting won't suffer. A possibility - and I am only spitballing here - if you race and are looking for the lightest bike on a particular day, get the Garbaruk and put it on for races, falling back to the XT when not racing. I would designate a separate chain for that setup, and you may also need a new driver body (not sure which it uses), so that would be part of the added cost - likely approaching XTR cost. Full disclosure: I have not done this, and have no idea how well it would work, but could be passable for a few hours after proper adjustment - the flipside to that though is that having a mechanical issue during a race is a big bummer. Wheels and tires is where I would look first though, if you haven't already done it.

This makes sense, my bike had the chain falling when back pedaling in the larger sprocket and was cured when I replaced the chain with an XTR chain. The garbaruk is on back order and takes 2 months to produce according to them. I will try and see how it performs if all fails I will put back the XT. What wheel set and tire is the lightest? I don't race and just ride for exercise.

Well, the answer may not be so simple, and has much to do with intended use of the bike, your riding style, normal terrain, and your physical characteristics. A wheelset and tire combination should only be as light as the intended use will really allow.

For starters, I assume you are running tubeless, and what is the bike type?

Yes it is an MTB 2021 Giant XTC Advanced SL1, it is tubeless.

RIMS Giant XCR-1 29 WheelSystem
HUBS Giant XCR-1 29 WheelSystem
SPOKES Giant XCR-1 29 WheelSystem
TIRES Maxxis Aspen 29x2.25, foldable, TLR, EXO, tubeless

If I'm right, that bike is basically a pro-level XC hardtail, and losing weight will be difficult. The wheelset is listed at around 1600g, and the Aspens are some of the lightest XC tires on the market, and fastest rolling as well. Not much to do there, but you could, if money was no concern, look at the Specialized Roval wheelset - I forget the exact ones, but I think they come in just under 1300g for the set. Maybe some Enve M5's? The bike is really light as is - and the gains at this point become a game of chasing small amounts of weight by spending large amounts of money. Have fun, that's a fast bike!

Understood thanks, the upper level model of this bike the SL 0 has a different fork and XTR components but is also double the price. I just recently changed the cassette (garbaruk), XTR chain and brake rotors (Ashima Ai2). I was going to change the calipers but I do not know if the shifter and brake levers can be separated and mount independently from each other. I want to see if my bike will be lighter and be less expensive if I go the unique non mainstream lighter components. :)

I would NEVER run a rotor like the Ashima unless I lived in the flattest area known to man. There is not enough material to deal with any heat that might develop on even a small descent. Shimano Ice Tech rotors are far and away the best. You're making some not-very-intelligent modifications to your bike trying to make it stupid light and you're not even racing. I know you can do whatever you'd like but some changes are not smart.

I respect your opinion and I will always make my decisions based on facts and other peoples experiences and ideas but I am fully aware and take full responsibility in any decision I make in all aspects of my life just like on these things, thank you. I am 58 years young and just biking for exercise and a stress reliever. So far the rotors have worked well for my purpose even in the rain. I just got the garbaruk casette installed seems fine. It would also be nice to support these small specialty manufacturers. this is good for the bicycle industry that we all enjoy.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...27c6945310.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...26cf995062.jpg


Next will be the Piccola Carbon brakes that is why I asked if I could separate the shifter from the brake lever on my Shimano Deore XT.

From what I’ve read about the Garbaruk cassettes, the rule of “Light, Cheap, Strong… Pick two” applies here.

EDIT: Oops, I read wrong. Looks like Garbaruk only nails one of those (light).

That's fine with me I am no racer and just ride for sanity and exercise. if it breaks I will replace it nothing is forever anyway. I am just trying to help the non-mainstream manufacturers a chance who knows? Everything starts small. Cheers

I will update this on how I think it is. I have not used my bike yet

Rode my bike yesterday on the trails for 16.8 miles. For my level of riding the shifting was just fine did not notice a very big drop in performance. My bike is now about 20 lbs (analog scale) which made climbing easier.