The Bike That Phill Built: Cassette

The cassette is a fancy name for the rear sprocets of a bike - it is also known as a block, cluster or freewheel (or so I'm told). I was ready to spend a bit of money on what I thought would be an expensive piece of equipment. However I received advice that in reality the expensive cassettes do not offer a huge advantage over the cheaper ones - and so I didn't splurge on this component.

Rear Sprockets - on a chair

Ideally I was looking for a nine speed. This allows for a range of gears necessary for me to coast at good speeds on flats and downhills, and also be able to attack fairly steep slopes with ease. The ten speeds tend to erode chains due to rubbing from the extreme angles created when running in either the easiest and hardest possible gearing combiniations, and the extra speed I may be able to coax out of my bike is simply not worth this issue.

The back of the cassette. You can see the spider crossing in the middle

Another aspect of the cassette sprockets that relates to the number of cogs is size of the cogs, ie how many teeth I wanted on each cog. The more teeth the larger the cog and the harder the gear (or easier, I always forget which is which). I opted for the 11-32 (11 teeth on the smallest and 32 on the largest) because it was available.

A profile shot with a hand model. You can tell just by looking at the hand that its owner must be HOT!

LastlyI had to take into account is what I could actually fit onto the bike. The hubs that I purchased with my wheels do not allow for 10-speed cassettes, and it also could not be a threaded cassette (as in like a screw has threads). I have a feeling this is kind of standard but I was careful all the same.

Number of Sprockets	9-speed HyperGlide
Sprocket Material	steel
Sprocket Finish	Chrome/Nickel
Chain Compatibility	Super Narrow HG
Average Weight	282g
Option 1	11-28T (bg-group)
Sprocket Sizes	11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32
Titanium Sprockets

The cassette slips easily onto the rear hub...

There is a mention of HyperGlide in the specs. My understanding is that this is a Shimano initiative that is now standard across all brands. It has the teeth ramped in such a way that it allows for smoother transition of the chain from one cog to the next.

Bit by bit it is starting to resemble a bike

SLX Cassette Sprocket = $89.10

Total
Frame Set $1099+
Wheel Set $ 495
Handlebars $135
Headset $ 77.50
Cassette $ 89.90

$1896.40