Koulou

Hey folks,

I am a happy owner of a Specialized Allez. I plan to put a new wheelset soon, and I was considering pairing it with a new cassette and chain to keep the existing wheelset operational. The bicycle comes from the factory with an 8-speed Sunrace 11-32 cassette (11-13-15-18- -21-24-28-32). Considering that I use the 3 "slow" cogs very seldom, I plan to change it to an 11-28 cassette instead. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to find the 11-28 Sunrace available anywhere in the UK. Searching for alternative solutions, I came across a Monsoon cassette with the range I am looking for (11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28). My goal is to have a tighter ration in the smaller cogs for smoother changes and smaller steps between the fast gears. This is advertised as Shimano compatible, so I'm not expecting any compatibility issues. However, I hadn't seen that brand again, and I wondered if there is anything I should worry about.

Any opinions would be highly appreciated.

Cheers

Koulou

Hi again,

I've also managed to find a SRAM PG830 cassette with the desired range. As far as I know, Shimano and SRAM components are compatible, right? Should the SRAM cassette work well with my Shimano Claris derailer?

Thanks.

Iride01 

What are the "slow cogs", the ones you can't get to a high speed with though you are pedaling like crazy? Or the ones that you struggle to pedal and can't go fast up a hill with?

Koulou

Good question.

By "slow" cogs, I mean the bigger ones - the ones with the more teeth which are used at low speeds. The ones you can't get to a high speed with though you are pedalling like crazy as you say.

mstateglfr 

SRAM and Shimano road cassettes are compatible.
just google '8 speed 11-28 cassette' and look around. A Shimano HG50 of HG51 is another option and while it may not be on your island, itd be surprising, given how many e-retailers are located there.

No idea about 'monsoon' brand. im guessing its just the same as many other ebay cassette off-brands.

Koulou

That's true. A Shimano HG50 cassette would be the easy choice, but I prefer the SRAM range.

Current range: 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32T
Shimano HG50: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28T
SRAM PG830: 11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28T

The good news is that I've managed to find that SRAM cassette available at a store in my area, so the problem is solved.

Thanks for your help!

Nick 93

I recently swapped out my 11-30 cassette with a 12-26 since I live in mostly flat Florida and I absolutely love it. The 11-30 had a 3 tooth gap after 17 and it made it pretty difficult to pedal at the cadence I wanted but the 12-26 is much tighter. I also never used the 11 tooth and don't even really use the 12 tooth so it was a no brainer dropping the 11. Not sure if any of that would help you but the good thing about cassettes is they are fairly cheap and easy to replace.

Kimmo

I'd suggest that if you reckon you need the 11t or maybe even the 12t, depending on your chainrings, that perhaps you're pedalling a bit on the slow side. If you're in the most efficient range of 80-100rpm, you most likely have less call for the 11t than the 34t.