I have a new wheelset arriving with DT Swiss s240 rear hub and was considering a SRAM Red 1090 Powerdome cassette. What I want to know is whether that’s a good option for my '08 Felt F3 that has a Dura Ace/Ultegra mixed group. Or should I just go with Shimano Ultegra or Dura cassette. “Professional” and anecdotal opinions are both welcome. Thanks.
the red will work fine although it doesn’t shift nearly as smooth and is noisier than d/a. i have a sram cassette on my training wheels and d/a on race; the shifting is quite a noticable difference. that said, i just ordered a red cassette for a new wheel.
Alright, that’s similar to what I’ve read, re: noise and “smooth” shifting. But can you elaborate on the difference in shifting quality btw the Red and Dura-ace? Thanks.
d/a shifts fast and smooth while sram can be more delayed and “crunchy” at times.
Isn’t the Red cassette the one that’s is milled from a solid block- ie, no separate cogs and spacers? I figure that would eliminate some boogered up freehubs.
i believe that’s correct. i should have clarified that my training wheel has a force cassette, not a red (which i just ordered). so the red could very well shift better.
I have a red on my P3C no problems with the cassette and they told me the Red weighs less than the DA. I never bothered to look it up. It is also supposed to last longer as well.
So, would you say that you are satisfied with the “performance” upgrade? Of course what I’m trying to get a grasp of is whether a $200 red cassette (if fully compatible with a DA setup) has (weight aside) that much of a benefit over an, let’s say, Ultegra cassette. All the feedback has been very helpful.
I’ve never ridden a new PowerDome cassette, but I can tell you unequivocally that the Red Cassette is not worth it over the Ultegra. Save your money and spend it on a new pair of running shoes.
well, I don’t know about that one. But the SRAM is one solid piece that is supposed to last forever. And the Ultegra will not be as strong as the DA and it should wear out faster. I think you have to decide if one expensive SRAM Cassette is going to last longer than say 3 or 4 Ultegra Cassettes. I got the Red Cassette because I got it at a discount and was really looking for that 11-26. Also it was recommended by two local bike shops whose owners/managers I personally know. I am very happy with it and would buy it again.
That’s good enough for me. Perhaps if I can acquire one at a better price I too will try the Red. Thanks again.
Ultegra is heavier than DA, but will last longer. DA is partially Ti, which is light, but wears faster thansteel. Ultegra is all steel. Red is all steel, but lighter than DA due to its design. Wear between Red and Ult should be a push.
Styrrell
Not to spam too bad. But, PM me. I have a red cassette with around 250-300 miles on it I need to sell. I was gonna make a classified posting later today with it.
Stick with shimano, SRAM cassette = noisy. Just my experience.
It will work fine, I have a 11x26 on my HED disk. I am not sure what other’s meant by “noisy”. I know because it is a CNC’ed block of steel that the powerdome will echo the shift, but it if very tolerable for me. I’d get an Sram RED cassette again for all my other wheels.
I recently put SRAM Red on my road bike and am returning the cassette this week. I like the rest of the Red group but I found the Red cassette to be way too noisy to tolerate. I’ve heard people say that some bikes echo the noise worse than others and that by trying different chains you can quiet it down. I tried everything, different chains, different wheels and every derailuer and cable tension adjustment known to man. It’s a neat looking product that I wanted to like but I was embarassed riding around others with that rattley thing on my bike.
As soon as I took the Red Cassette off and put an Ultegra one on, it instantly became nice and quietly and shifted better to boot.
If you want light, I’d get Dura Ace, if you want a good value solid performing cassette, I’d get Ultegra or SRAM’s 1070 level stuff.
the noise is due to the chain engagement/disengagement with the “powerglide” (missing teeth). It may be magnified by the hollow nature of the cassette, but its definitely significantly louder than a Shimano cassette.
Thanks for sharing your experience with all the aforementioned products. Very helpful.
I wish to God Shimano would make an 11-25 or 11-26 with Ultegra/Dura Ace.
Actually I think Shimano has an 11-25 and even an 11-27 coming out this fall along with some other new ratios. Good times 