Hambini, a true OG in the comments, amazing!!! But thanks dude. I havent quite got the budget for after effects, so a crude GIMP drawing had to get the job done!
Great video as always, the dream sequence at the beginning made me laugh. Going the extra mile to explain how the thicker aluminium effects things was very helpful.
Thanks for pointing out the thicker aluminum gears. It's a small detail most will miss but is a deal breaker for me. Silence and less fiddling are worth the difference in weight imo.
This is such top tier content. There's some entertainment. The sponsor segment feels genuine. The products get a fair going over with honest unbiased appraisal. Pls keep making videos, they're so good :)
Thanks for the video it’s very informative. For the past year I rode a 11 speed 11-28 cassette from ZTTO, weighted 176g, replaced previous ultegra 11-28. I got 6000k from 2020 and 5500k so far in 2022, to me it’s pretty durable. Totally agreed with you have to be careful to do indexing. Going to order another 11-32! Thank you again
I really appreciate the editing and production that must go behind one of these videos, every little detail just adds up to an amazing video. Please keep doing this never before seen quality content. Do you do all of this by yourself?
@@TraceVelo using Sroad with Ultegra Di2 and Dura Ace chain. Works fine. Not so smooth as Dura Ace cassete, but still good to use it every day. And the weight is excelent.
l use a ZTTO 9spd cassette l got cheap yrs ago and 6000km later still going strong !! THANKS for your honest reviews with actual testing not just rehashing a manufactures claims !! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
I use them on my mountainbikes (11-50 of course) since years and have had ZERO issues so far. Wear is decent, funktion gets really good after some short wear-in period. As the cogs are larger, the wear is less of a concern over all.
i ride 1x11, and cassettes wear out quite quickly because 98% of the time i use only 2 gears. Started to use shimano deore cassettes. Don’t cost an arm and a leg, but share the durability of slx/xt/xtr. Only at weight penalty
@@mmb4063 I appreciate your comment and respect your style of riding (I don't know anything about it, only: you use just two gears.) :-) My advice would be to look out for another chainring size. Perhaps you should go smaller or bigger. It depends on which two gears you use most of the time. Are these two neighboring sprockets? But I also had to work at my cadence and shifting because I had a really low cadence (slow pedalling) and was very lazy at shifting. :-D That caused knee issues even after a short-ish ride. Now I think I have improved a little bit and the knees are much better even after longer rides. But still much room for improvement. ;-) I hope it helps you as well.
+1 to that! Make sure you always like and share so the channel can grow even quicker! 100k in no time and remember today as Trace Velo will be at a million subscribers within a year from today! 🤝
Luke going through your back catalogue of vids, so enjoying them. Really appreciate the work you’ve been putting in last few years (simply epic 👏). Fascinating journey and can clearly see the progression in Chinese products. Great balance and honesty in your content along with masses of info, entertainment and humour. Product wise things have reached a watershed moment and can’t wait to see if that last improvement step can be achieved. May the channel continue to grow for well deserved success. Keep it at it buddy ……..truly awesome stuff ⭐👍👏
Hey Trace Velo! FYI, I have had the Sroad for at least 6000 km now, boy it is amazing, I've raced it as well. I use hot wax bath for my chain so it might help in prolonging its life, but what-a-cassette!! I recommend it to anyone! Couldn't agree more for the aluminium one, it is not durable enough but quite ok. Thanks for your content!
I have a identical cassette. I always use dry lubricant, my chains are used until 0.5% elongation wear. The cassette has 5000km and the most used cog (alloy) is almost at 10.2mm wear, measured top to top between teeths. So I will have to replace very soon.
Trace, your video really made sense: I have two sets of wheels (Hyper 500s and 330s) and have an SRoad 11-32 on one and had a ZTTO 11-34 on the other. I was running two sets of waxed KMC SL chains which I rotated routinely and I was running a SNAIL 50/35 elliptical chainring set. What I found was that the ZTTO wore rapidly, after about 2.000km it was toast. I also found the SNAIL chainrings to be part of the problem as they wore out fast too (compared to the Rotor ellipticals). Tell tale signs of early wear were: 1. the ZTTO would jam frequently on the backpedal and even when coasting 2. there was an increasing frequency of the chain throwing itself off - even though the chain showed little signs of wear, either from the chain rings or skipping in the rear. I've now gone back to round chain rings and had to fit a new chain as the old one got severely buckled, and am riding the SRoad which continues to shift smoothly and quietly (it's racked up >3,000kms). I've ordered some more SRoads as spares. I'm keen to see how well you find the SRoad holds up for you. PS I live in the Gold Coast in Australia and I have found my SRoad showing signs of rust. I hope the newer versions are less prone to corrosion. Cheers Antony
As always Luke you produce awesome content! I am in Singapore and you and Oz Cycle are what i watch most of the time. Funny, informative and straight answers on very relevant questions all of us think about. Stay safe and thank you for the laughs and the information!
Intros were always nailed, sponsor segments keeps getting better and better, a channel that's very unbiased and just pure honesty as sweet as honey. Keep it up Luke💯
I like your content in general, but here are the things that stood out to me: your comedic intro was hilarious, your pop up into your splash (virtual green?) screen then fading out was very well done, and your details on mileage and experience with shifting really show your commitment to full transparency. Your production quality is top notch, which is especially impressive as a 1 man show. Cheers!
Looking forward on that SRoad Cassette, please do mention the freehub spline/body needed for these as some use regular HG while others have Microspline or XD already. Thanks!
All the cassettes I use have HG freehubs, including the SROAD one I showed at the end. But that's a good shout, I'll try and make sure I cover this aspect in future videos!!!!
Great video! You explain things really well with your graphics and explanations. Plus I love your enthusiasm! Proprietary mix of earwax with the tears of a GCN presenter? GOLD!!
Another fantastic vid Luke! You are indeed a legend. I'd actually already just ordered a ZTTO cassette in 11-46 for my gravel bike build so I'll take your advice and be careful to set up the indexing super carefully. I'm going to be running it with Sensah SRX Pro so maybe in 1x the set-up will easier than on 2x...I'll let you know. I'm also rocking the Juin Tech M1 hybrid disc brake callipers (and shortly R1's on my latest build) . I know you said you might be looking at these so if you want any feedback let me know. Great gag about the tears of a GCN presenter! I like watching those guys but you are WAY better!
Alasdair!!! Thanks really appreciate the comment. But yeah once you get the indexing set up, you should be golden. A word of advice, I probably should have put this in the video thinking about it, but with these cassettes you really need to keep on top of chain wear. If you run a worn out chain, the aluminium teeth will wear out very fast. As for the Juin Tech brakes, im about 1300 miles in, and im really happy with my set. In the next video, ill be putting them up against a couple other options, so stay tuned!!!
So you can buy a cheaper hybrid cassette that will do 2500miles for £35 or you can buy a name brand 105 one for £60 and do 6000 miles. The Shimano 105 one is actually cheaper per mile, while being Shimano, which we all know will have decent quality control standards unlike items that can come from Aliexpress, where while you can get really nice products, you also can get some pretty terrible ones. Unless you really care about weight, the 105 is actually the cheaper long term option, which rather shows how ridiculously good value it is, because I would expect Aliexpress hybrid ones to be cheaper/mile. One you go for cheaper cassettes you can get down to Decathlon and get many steel cassettes for less than 105 ones. Good consumer advice Luke!
I've used goldix and sunshine cassettes like these. They work fine, shifting is excellent and I've on 2nd year/4000 miles & it's good. I'm happy for the money and weight. I wouldn't use it in winter but that's a sensible choice.
Thanks Samdog! So 9-5 I work a pretty boring IT job, nothing crazy cool... Maybe one day I'll do this youtube stuff full time, lets see what 2022 brings!!!
So... I've done under 2000km on my 'new' bike, which was fitted with a ZTTO 11-34. I checked the chain recently and it was at 1.5 so changed it for a new Shimano 105 chain. The cassette did not like it and the middle cigs were skipping all over the place. After further inspection, they are very worn. I am around 80kg and have been taking on some very steep hills on a regular basis. So, from feedback I think I'm going to get the longer wearing SROAD chain and give that a go. It also comes in colourful/rainbow, which I like ;)
Great vídeo and excelent production! I did use a ZZTO slr (light) 11/32 cassete for about 1 year almost 9000km 3 Chain, and the Last 1000k was a bit terrible shifting. After the ZZTO came the WUZEI 11/32 (light) , already have 9500km since Dec22, with 2 chains... And since 8000 8500km i've notice some issues on shifting. Both k7 are noisier than ultegra
I bought this product 2 years ago, and spotless for 10k km! I bought 2 new cassettes 11/36, exactly the same and now I have a chain bump/jump while Pedaling hard on any sprocket. Any idea where it’comes from? I added new shimano 105 chain and rings for front derailleur… no change
That coating is likely one of two things...Either to inhibit aluminum oxide buildup depending on the alloy or leftover from the production process. There is the possibility they actually put that on there purposefully as a coating like zinc oxide you mentioned but would likely be cost prohibitive due to the current price.
As much as I’m a sucker for scrolling through comments, this is what I came to find! Interesting explanation. I’ve always wondered this too with alloy. Could it be various qualities of alloy (cheapest from the inside layering up to the outside) used in the initial billets, hence the flaking? Otherwise leftovers is very plausible too and would make sense for the end product price point. Zinc coating would not be cost effective for sure but if there’re ‘dipped’ as appose to coated then that could also be what it is as that’s not as expensive as coating. Great cassette though and super cool vid as always👌
Once again a great video with a unique intro which also expands my knowledge on cycling components. Ps you should setup a Cycling ride / Event / celebration for Chinese Carbon bikes put together by people from watching your videos
Luke I love your content, and you're always entertaining to watch - never too serious, unlike the folks at GC*, who all think they are ex TDF veterans (I've never liked bikers who take themselves too seriously). I am a complete weight weenie, and grams do count for me, so I LOVE these hybrid cassettes... of note, I run 10 speed drivetrains (My roadbike runs 10S Campy Centaur Carbon... my cyclocross runs 10S SRAM Force). Both use 11S hybrid cassettes (I basically tune the shifting to ignore the smallest cog).. Heres something - I have always run 10S Shimano-compatible cassettes on my Centaur gruppo with ZERO issues. Not sure why but it works great.... GREAT video! Keep it coming!
I have 105 R7000 lever paired GRX800 rear derailleur on my bike. The indexing is very easy to be dialed in perfectly (basically I didn't have to do any additional tuning). But I do notice a slight improvement in shifting performance when I switch from a HG70 chain to a 12Speed XTR/Dura-Ace chain. Could be the external width of the chain is narrower, and could be the special coating on the higher-end chains. IDK. But my setup works absolutely perfect. But the Aluminum cogs do show wear marks already (only a couple hundreds of KMs riding)
I have the 11-32t ultra lightweight cassette and so far it's been performing quite well. I found shifting was smoother on the older Shimano 105 5800 rear derailleur, over the newer R7000. I ended up sticking with 5800 just for this cassette!
12:45 indexing on Sensah. This could be why Sensah store stopped providing the ultralight cassette with the Empire Pro group. They informed me they moved back to steel as they were getting complaints about the lightweight cassette
Bought 11-32 lightweight just for climbing once every month or 2 (around 25-30km total of using the bigger rings), have 11-28 from shimano as daily driver. 4-5 years of life expectancy is acceptable for the price.
After your last video I went out and got a siroko gravel jersey and matching socks. The socks are great. The Jersey is also good and value for money. Good recommendation- even though they sponsor your vids
I wondered about buying cheaper tools through aliexpress like a mini pump, torque wrench, etc. Maybe a video idea. Or what about a power meter or gps unit. Lastly, why not think about a bike build focussing on the hottest bike trend out there Gravel! Can you build a quality lightweight gravel bike for less than the price of a small 10 year old fiesta car…namely £1000? I bet you could.
I bought a hybrid MTB cassette. I had to take to it with a die grinder to make the 15 cog run correctly then after a few months a complete segment of teeth broke out of the biggest cog, straight in the bin with that one. Replaced it with a Sunrace unit with aluminum spider and steel cogs, still going strong.
Hi. Thanks for the video, really instructive. Finally, Did you test de SROAD Cassette? I use SRAM RED AXS and I'm interested in this cassette after read/see you video. SROAD Cassette is in one piece like Sram. What do you think about it? Another question. I read about problems with ZTTO when you move the pedals rear. About chains gone down... Did you suffer this?
So yeah, been using the SRoad cassette for a few hundred miles so far, and yeah im pretty impressed. Smooth shifting, indexes well. So far, its easily as good as my 105 r7000 cassette!
I just bought one of these. My old cassette started skipping and I had a choice of aluminum in 1 week or steel in 6 weeks. Today was my first ride. I did notice some noise but not too bad. Careful examination makes me think the noise is from the rivets on the outside of the chain and the next larger cassette sprocket. I believe wear will make that small noise go away. I wonder if a 12 speed chain on an 11 speed cassette would work better?
So I've actually tried this myself, and a 12 speed chain does make a small difference with an 11 speed cassette. As the chain is a little narrower indexing is slightly more forgiving, but I found the chain tended to bite into the aluminium more. So indexing was slightly better at the cost of increasing the wear on the aluminium teeth. But having said that this was on one cassette that I tried once, so your mileage may vary
@@TraceVelo Just a follow-up on cassette wear when there are aluminum sprockets, I was lazy and allowed my chain to go to .75% and when I swapped in a new chain, all the aluminum sprockets skipped on the first hill I rode up. Maybe that's why I don't really see cassettes with aluminum sprockets for sale anymore.
So you were asking about the aluminium coating that comes on the cassettes. It is my understanding that aluminium is quite a bit softer than steel so often tooling companies will electroplate or ceramic coat (not as fancy as it sounds) aluminium parts to increase their life. By making a harder layer on top, it adds more material that can be worn before getting to the aluminium and wearing the base material
@@TraceVelo it could be due to the fact that cassettes see much more wear and tear in the form of shifting between sprockets. The likelihood of shifting the rear is much greater than shifting in the front
Another bit of 'spicy' quality content. Thoroughly enjoy watching. Whilst informative delivered in a relatable way. Luke has inspired me to make a foray into building an ali express cycle and undoubtedly many others. Keep up the cracking work. Looking forward to the next video.
I tried a hybrid steel/aluminium 'no name' 46 tooth cassette a few years ago, it lasted about 5 rides. The chain jammed down between the sides of the largest and second largest aluminium cogs when I changed down on a really steep hill and they spread apart. I dont know if they were 1.5 or 2mm thick. It was an absolute bartsard to get the chain unjammed from between the cogs on the trail and the cassette was scrap as it bent both cogs sideways. I weigh 120kg with 25 inch muscular thighs which was probably a factor. Lesson learned, I went back to cassettes from the main big name makers after that and have had no probs since, even with 50 & 52 tooth cassettes
Great video. Just got a Sensah 11spd 11-34 delivered yesterday from Aliexpress and yet to try it out. But the price is even more expensive than a Shimano 105 11-34 cassette at USD72 compared to a Shimano 105 at around USD54. 2 reasons why I got it, the first being that there is no stock for Shimano anywhere after searching for a few weeks. The 2nd reason being all the other cheaper ones I looked at similar to those in this video have the 2nd last sprocket jump from 28 all the way to 34. Basically they are 10spd 11-28 tagged with the much bigger last sprocket. Didn't appreciate the big jump and only the Sensah one is spaced out almost exactly the same as a Shimano and the claimed weight is 230g so I just swallowed the difference in cost. Will check out if there is any difference in the thickness after watching this video.
I saw sroad cassette review after i buy ztto ultralight casette 11-36 for ultegra gs. It's so well crisp changing after adjust b tension bolts. I love it. Thanks for the review. 👍👍👍👍
Excellent as always Luke, thanks for another bangin production.! Yourself, Hambini, Peak Torque etc etc really do tell it like it is. You guys provide an excellent consumer advice service, please keep up the sterling work..! I'm very interested to see how the SROAD cassettes fair up to the great british winter in your anticipated review.
Didnt put many kms on it, less than 200 I think, but ZTTO are one of the few that make an 11-52t cassette, it also happened to be a lightweight hybrid.
super video! amazing editing and work ! congrats! As for the cassette, I'm happy to see that buying a shimano 105 cassette is worth more than buying those cheap ones. I already have to put some time adjusting the speed from time to time, imagine having to put more time because of thicker plateaux? that costs money and is time off the bike or enjoying what you like! Also, durability wise, cheap cassettes mean more installation, buying time, and more waste! I think the final decision is easy to make.
Not sure what's more alarming...trace velos pink sweater or Hambinis "Hello"! I've go it one of those lightweight cassettes on my bike 11-32 and it's changes perfectly and is lasting well. I'm fastidious with my chain cleanliness and change them when they need to be. The prices have gone up now I paid about 30% less with shipping last year.
Yup i'm here again! Top notch content as always! My only concern is that when the algorythm picks up and gets you the recognition you deserve and you get rich as Ronald Mcdonald you still be reviewing for us poor blokes Aliexpress bike parts and not Pinarello ultralightweight carbon magnesium fusion ones :)
@@TraceVelo if somebody does this to you, his disc and rim brakes should rub forever and his drivetrain should make the most horrible shifting noices, also it should be so much worn out that his chain crashes over the sprockets at every pedal turn even when installed brand new components. With all that out of the way... :-P I would still watch even if you make Pinarello content, just for the sake of entertainment. ;-) But I prefer your adventourous expedition cruises through the wild AliExpress jungle. :-) Also, you should call your episodes happysodes. :-D
As GCN is rapidly suckling the corporate $ over any vague concept of impartiality or rigour, I keep coming back to Trace Velo - you make me laugh, you have penchant for taking an informed risk on a bit of aliexpress but most importantly you can say when something is good and when it is awful! Keep up the awesome work!
Another masterful, informative vid...great stuff Luke. I too HATE a noisy drive train (or any errant noise from my bike for that matter). Only happy when the machine is purring like a cat. I can imagine the indexing issue driving me nuts, so for that reason I think I'll stick to my heavier steel cassette.
Luke ZTTO also do an ultralight stell cassette called ultimate road very light lighter than SROAD. I have not tested but they promised sprockets are all steel. Almost as light as SRAM RED
yesh happy to have quality big name parts but i think if there are bargain small name parts that work then hallelujah! I of course would want someone to test them out first so this video is a great help. I was skeptical about the ali express brand sunshine but bought it because this vid is the only place on youtube that even mentions it and this guy seems trustworthy.
It's funny to me because I have a new 11-25 new Sunshine cassette waiting to be placed. When I bought it my idea was totally to get 1 season out of it Wich is around 4000 kms of commuting. So great video as usual this just confirmed my guessing I'll soon replace that 105 with a more peaceful mind
I think the plating that chips off is intended to increase the hardness and so decrease the wear on the teeth. Unfortunately it would appear the bond between the plating and the aluminium is the weak point. Rather than a plating it could well be a surface hardening treatment but in that case the difference in density where the treatment ends must be pretty profound for the metal to shear in this way.
A lot of non-stainless/noncoated steel items come lacquered to keep corrosion off. Tools and so on. The coating might be that if the sprockets aren't anodized.
i'm going to give you a thumbsup just for the engineering drawing at 11:42 !!! I love resourcefulness
Surely you must know what the coating is Mr Hambini?
@@JimbobB1978 I think it's coated in Absolute Black's Tears
@@Hambini surely if it was they'd be charging $700 and it would give us an extra watt!
Hambini, a true OG in the comments, amazing!!! But thanks dude. I havent quite got the budget for after effects, so a crude GIMP drawing had to get the job done!
@@TraceVelo Drawing was perfect, you didn't have to check if your "pen is" working like Hambini.
Great video as always, the dream sequence at the beginning made me laugh. Going the extra mile to explain how the thicker aluminium effects things was very helpful.
Thanks James, glad you liked it! But yeah the thicker teeth does make perfect idexing slightly more difficult, but it can def be done!
Thanks for pointing out the thicker aluminum gears. It's a small detail most will miss but is a deal breaker for me. Silence and less fiddling are worth the difference in weight imo.
Yeah totally fair enough! Often its easier in the long run to spend a few extra quid up front if you can spare the pennies!
just need to fiddle once and it is set...
I was about to order one until I saw that.
Bro your reviews are like movies! The only channel I have notifications for!
Stefan, I live to serve 🙏 🙏 🙏
No but seriously, glad you like my crummy videos, thanks for the comment!!!!!
This is such top tier content. There's some entertainment. The sponsor segment feels genuine. The products get a fair going over with honest unbiased appraisal. Pls keep making videos, they're so good :)
Andrew, what an awesome comment, thankyou so much! Yeah I really try my absolute best with these videos, so really pleased this is coming across!!!!
pewdiepies cousin
@@humility-righteous-giving qşo
I bought my K3s from sirroko before I found this channel and think they are a bargain....
@@TraceVelo Pure, comedy.. Gold
Thanks for the video it’s very informative. For the past year I rode a 11 speed 11-28 cassette from ZTTO, weighted 176g, replaced previous ultegra 11-28. I got 6000k from 2020 and 5500k so far in 2022, to me it’s pretty durable. Totally agreed with you have to be careful to do indexing. Going to order another 11-32! Thank you again
I really appreciate the editing and production that must go behind one of these videos, every little detail just adds up to an amazing video. Please keep doing this never before seen quality content. Do you do all of this by yourself?
Awesome thanks David! So yeah pretty much a one man team over here at Trace Velo industries 😎
@@TraceVelo Love the music you use
I've always wondered how durable these were..thank you for your documented research on these parts, absolute Legend!💯
TiagoDS, my pleasure!!!! Glad this was helpful!
Dude. Your videos are ridiculously good(well done, entertaining, and informational) and I can't believe you don't have 1M subscribers.
Make sure to like and share (the latter being more important) and he’ll be there in no time!!! 1-2 years max 👌
Not exotic enough. I want a magnesium cassette that weighs nothing, but catches fire if it rains.
The fire probably add more watts than the weight savings
Now you're talking!!!!!!!! 🚴🔥🔥🔥🔥
I think you are thinking of Lithium and Potassium.
Magnesium doesn't combust in contact with water.
@@kevinshort3943 Honestly, in this instance, no. I just wanted to say something silly about lightweight parts and durability.
@@mikeymike1792
Silly is good.... :)
The wheels on F1 cars are made of Magnesium alloy, that's why they spark when they clip the walls.
This is a wayyyyy underrated channel
already using the sroad 11-28 almost 500km. I can tell you Luke, it really works well in my bike. The weight just amazingly accurate. Love it!
Amazing, thanks for the comment Adhani!
@@TraceVelo using Sroad with Ultegra Di2 and Dura Ace chain. Works fine. Not so smooth as Dura Ace cassete, but still good to use it every day. And the weight is excelent.
@@TraceVelo Happy to help 🙌🏼
The best part of lockdown was watching these genuine Oscar award winning intros.
l use a ZTTO 9spd cassette l got cheap yrs ago and 6000km later still going strong !! THANKS for your honest reviews with actual testing not just rehashing a manufactures claims !! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
Thanks Richard, appreciate it!!!
I use them on my mountainbikes (11-50 of course) since years and have had ZERO issues so far. Wear is decent, funktion gets really good after some short wear-in period. As the cogs are larger, the wear is less of a concern over all.
That is true. Also, the MTB uses more the smaller cogs that are made of steel.
i ride 1x11, and cassettes wear out quite quickly because 98% of the time i use only 2 gears. Started to use shimano deore cassettes. Don’t cost an arm and a leg, but share the durability of slx/xt/xtr. Only at weight penalty
@@mmb4063 ?????? 2 Gears? Your usecase seems to be a bit off, mate! :)
@@mmb4063 I appreciate your comment and respect your style of riding (I don't know anything about it, only: you use just two gears.) :-) My advice would be to look out for another chainring size. Perhaps you should go smaller or bigger. It depends on which two gears you use most of the time. Are these two neighboring sprockets? But I also had to work at my cadence and shifting because I had a really low cadence (slow pedalling) and was very lazy at shifting. :-D That caused knee issues even after a short-ish ride. Now I think I have improved a little bit and the knees are much better even after longer rides. But still much room for improvement. ;-) I hope it helps you as well.
@@mmb4063 If you're only using two gears, why haven't you saved money, weight, and trouble and gone single-speed?
Your style and your reviews are really refreshing and fun to watch. You deserve way more viewers and subs.
Glad you like them!
+1 to that! Make sure you always like and share so the channel can grow even quicker! 100k in no time and remember today as Trace Velo will be at a million subscribers within a year from today! 🤝
Luke going through your back catalogue of vids, so enjoying them. Really appreciate the work you’ve been putting in last few years (simply epic 👏). Fascinating journey and can clearly see the progression in Chinese products. Great balance and honesty in your content along with masses of info, entertainment and humour. Product wise things have reached a watershed moment and can’t wait to see if that last improvement step can be achieved. May the channel continue to grow for well deserved success. Keep it at it buddy ……..truly awesome stuff ⭐👍👏
Before I finish the rest of this video I need you to know that this is top 3 opening sequences you've filmed. Thank you.
Hey Trace Velo! FYI, I have had the Sroad for at least 6000 km now, boy it is amazing, I've raced it as well. I use hot wax bath for my chain so it might help in prolonging its life, but what-a-cassette!! I recommend it to anyone! Couldn't agree more for the aluminium one, it is not durable enough but quite ok. Thanks for your content!
Amazing, thats great news! Thanks for the comment Remi!!!!
I have a identical cassette. I always use dry lubricant, my chains are used until 0.5% elongation wear. The cassette has 5000km and the most used cog (alloy) is almost at 10.2mm wear, measured top to top between teeths. So I will have to replace very soon.
Trace, your video really made sense: I have two sets of wheels (Hyper 500s and 330s) and have an SRoad 11-32 on one and had a ZTTO 11-34 on the other. I was running two sets of waxed KMC SL chains which I rotated routinely and I was running a SNAIL 50/35 elliptical chainring set. What I found was that the ZTTO wore rapidly, after about 2.000km it was toast. I also found the SNAIL chainrings to be part of the problem as they wore out fast too (compared to the Rotor ellipticals). Tell tale signs of early wear were:
1. the ZTTO would jam frequently on the backpedal and even when coasting 2. there was an increasing frequency of the chain throwing itself off - even though the chain showed little signs of wear, either from the chain rings or skipping in the rear. I've now gone back to round chain rings and had to fit a new chain as the old one got severely buckled, and am riding the SRoad which continues to shift smoothly and quietly (it's racked up >3,000kms). I've ordered some more SRoads as spares. I'm keen to see how well you find the SRoad holds up for you.
PS I live in the Gold Coast in Australia and I have found my SRoad showing signs of rust. I hope the newer versions are less prone to corrosion.
Cheers
Antony
Really looking forward to a quick update on these SRoad cassettes. I'm in the market for one.
As always Luke you produce awesome content! I am in Singapore and you and Oz Cycle are what i watch most of the time. Funny, informative and straight answers on very relevant questions all of us think about. Stay safe and thank you for the laughs and the information!
Cheers angkikee! Would love to visit Sigapore one day, thanks for the comment!
Intros were always nailed, sponsor segments keeps getting better and better, a channel that's very unbiased and just pure honesty as sweet as honey. Keep it up Luke💯
Much appreciated Emmanuel! I honestly put every second of spare time i have into these, so glad you like it!!!
I like your content in general, but here are the things that stood out to me: your comedic intro was hilarious, your pop up into your splash (virtual green?) screen then fading out was very well done, and your details on mileage and experience with shifting really show your commitment to full transparency. Your production quality is top notch, which is especially impressive as a 1 man show. Cheers!
The indexing explanation is bang on! Well played, even I understood it! Top top content.
Awesome, cheers Tom, glad you liked it!!!!
Looking forward on that SRoad Cassette, please do mention the freehub spline/body needed for these as some use regular HG while others have Microspline or XD already. Thanks!
All the cassettes I use have HG freehubs, including the SROAD one I showed at the end. But that's a good shout, I'll try and make sure I cover this aspect in future videos!!!!
I can relate. I woke up on the floor one morning, and discovered in the arvo I'd bought a ShamWow.
Great video! You explain things really well with your graphics and explanations. Plus I love your enthusiasm! Proprietary mix of earwax with the tears of a GCN presenter? GOLD!!
This is my first visit to this channel. The presenter is excellent enjoyable to listen to and watch.
Another fantastic vid Luke! You are indeed a legend. I'd actually already just ordered a ZTTO cassette in 11-46 for my gravel bike build so I'll take your advice and be careful to set up the indexing super carefully. I'm going to be running it with Sensah SRX Pro so maybe in 1x the set-up will easier than on 2x...I'll let you know.
I'm also rocking the Juin Tech M1 hybrid disc brake callipers (and shortly R1's on my latest build) . I know you said you might be looking at these so if you want any feedback let me know.
Great gag about the tears of a GCN presenter! I like watching those guys but you are WAY better!
Alasdair!!! Thanks really appreciate the comment. But yeah once you get the indexing set up, you should be golden. A word of advice, I probably should have put this in the video thinking about it, but with these cassettes you really need to keep on top of chain wear. If you run a worn out chain, the aluminium teeth will wear out very fast.
As for the Juin Tech brakes, im about 1300 miles in, and im really happy with my set. In the next video, ill be putting them up against a couple other options, so stay tuned!!!
@@TraceVelo Thanks Luke....noted!
I've got the 12 speed 11-46 aliexpress cassette on my 1x recumbent. It's great!
I put Juin GT's on my Kona Rove ST and love them.
So you can buy a cheaper hybrid cassette that will do 2500miles for £35 or you can buy a name brand 105 one for £60 and do 6000 miles. The Shimano 105 one is actually cheaper per mile, while being Shimano, which we all know will have decent quality control standards unlike items that can come from Aliexpress, where while you can get really nice products, you also can get some pretty terrible ones.
Unless you really care about weight, the 105 is actually the cheaper long term option, which rather shows how ridiculously good value it is, because I would expect Aliexpress hybrid ones to be cheaper/mile. One you go for cheaper cassettes you can get down to Decathlon and get many steel cassettes for less than 105 ones.
Good consumer advice Luke!
Timely content, its recently been trending in the shopping ads. Nice reviews keep it up!
Pro tip: GCN should hire you
i am using these cassette for 6 months and no problems so far.very satisfied.
Ok nice, good to hear!
Hand down one of the best content creator / editor in the platform.
Thanks Daniel!!!!
I've used goldix and sunshine cassettes like these. They work fine, shifting is excellent and I've on 2nd year/4000 miles & it's good. I'm happy for the money and weight.
I wouldn't use it in winter but that's a sensible choice.
My favourite time is a new trace velo.
Keep smashing it! If we could get one a week, I would be eternally grateful!
Yeah me too Jared... Me too! It's that pesky 9-5 job that pays all my bills that gets in the way!
@@TraceVelo love the videos Luke. Out of random curiosity, what kind of job do you do on the 9-5?
Thanks Samdog! So 9-5 I work a pretty boring IT job, nothing crazy cool... Maybe one day I'll do this youtube stuff full time, lets see what 2022 brings!!!
So... I've done under 2000km on my 'new' bike, which was fitted with a ZTTO 11-34. I checked the chain recently and it was at 1.5 so changed it for a new Shimano 105 chain. The cassette did not like it and the middle cigs were skipping all over the place. After further inspection, they are very worn.
I am around 80kg and have been taking on some very steep hills on a regular basis.
So, from feedback I think I'm going to get the longer wearing SROAD chain and give that a go. It also comes in colourful/rainbow, which I like ;)
I bought a 10 speed cassette for my MTB from AliExpress nearly two years ago and it’s still going strong!
What brand?
Using these 11-34 on my gavel bike, working great so far... and weight is great!
Great vídeo and excelent production! I did use a ZZTO slr (light) 11/32 cassete for about 1 year almost 9000km 3 Chain, and the Last 1000k was a bit terrible shifting.
After the ZZTO came the WUZEI 11/32 (light) , already have 9500km since Dec22, with 2 chains... And since 8000 8500km i've notice some issues on shifting.
Both k7 are noisier than ultegra
Any updates regarding SROAD steel cassette? Interested to know about your experiences. I'm looking at 10-36 & 10-42 options.
I bought this product 2 years ago, and spotless for 10k km!
I bought 2 new cassettes 11/36, exactly the same and now I have a chain bump/jump while
Pedaling hard on any sprocket.
Any idea where it’comes from? I added new shimano 105 chain and rings for front derailleur… no change
I'm liking the look of that sroad cassette. Looking forward to your opinion on it 👍
Yeah, ive only just put it on the bike, but so far so good, and the weight is pretty unbelieveable for the price.....
I second that, the sroad is amazing and beautifully engineered (to my modest knowledge)
@@TraceVelo any thoughts on the durability of the sroad cassette
That coating is likely one of two things...Either to inhibit aluminum oxide buildup depending on the alloy or leftover from the production process. There is the possibility they actually put that on there purposefully as a coating like zinc oxide you mentioned but would likely be cost prohibitive due to the current price.
Yeah this is excatly why it perplexed me a bit... Surely for such a cheaply made part, an electroplating step would be too costly...
As much as I’m a sucker for scrolling through comments, this is what I came to find! Interesting explanation. I’ve always wondered this too with alloy. Could it be various qualities of alloy (cheapest from the inside layering up to the outside) used in the initial billets, hence the flaking? Otherwise leftovers is very plausible too and would make sense for the end product price point. Zinc coating would not be cost effective for sure but if there’re ‘dipped’ as appose to coated then that could also be what it is as that’s not as expensive as coating.
Great cassette though and super cool vid as always👌
Eagerly awaiting the SROAD hybrid cassette review, cheers
ah i really like the acted out intros mate
Once again a great video with a unique intro which also expands my knowledge on cycling components. Ps you should setup a Cycling ride / Event / celebration for Chinese Carbon bikes put together by people from watching your videos
There’s almost nothing to celebrate.......
Most parts are like”Tofu” quality!
Luke I love your content, and you're always entertaining to watch - never too serious, unlike the folks at GC*, who all think they are ex TDF veterans (I've never liked bikers who take themselves too seriously). I am a complete weight weenie, and grams do count for me, so I LOVE these hybrid cassettes... of note, I run 10 speed drivetrains (My roadbike runs 10S Campy Centaur Carbon... my cyclocross runs 10S SRAM Force). Both use 11S hybrid cassettes (I basically tune the shifting to ignore the smallest cog).. Heres something - I have always run 10S Shimano-compatible cassettes on my Centaur gruppo with ZERO issues. Not sure why but it works great.... GREAT video! Keep it coming!
I have 105 R7000 lever paired GRX800 rear derailleur on my bike. The indexing is very easy to be dialed in perfectly (basically I didn't have to do any additional tuning). But I do notice a slight improvement in shifting performance when I switch from a HG70 chain to a 12Speed XTR/Dura-Ace chain. Could be the external width of the chain is narrower, and could be the special coating on the higher-end chains. IDK. But my setup works absolutely perfect. But the Aluminum cogs do show wear marks already (only a couple hundreds of KMs riding)
I have the 11-32t ultra lightweight cassette and so far it's been performing quite well. I found shifting was smoother on the older Shimano 105 5800 rear derailleur, over the newer R7000. I ended up sticking with 5800 just for this cassette!
Always the entertainer whilst giving honest advice and opinions about the products. Such great content. Thank you for doing what you do!
Thank you so much Christer, what an awesome comment!!!!!
Great video as always 👍
I'm very keen to hear how the Sroad cassette works out.
Yeah me too, only just put it on the bike, but so far so good. I'll keep you posted!!!!
12:45 indexing on Sensah. This could be why Sensah store stopped providing the ultralight cassette with the Empire Pro group. They informed me they moved back to steel as they were getting complaints about the lightweight cassette
Ohhh maybe... I can imagine with the even tighter tolerances of 12 speed this could well be an issue....
@@TraceVelo well, I am running the Empire Pro 12S and am tempted to try as I would like an 11-34T cassette in the arsenal. I'll report in if I do
Bought 11-32 lightweight just for climbing once every month or 2 (around 25-30km total of using the bigger rings), have 11-28 from shimano as daily driver. 4-5 years of life expectancy is acceptable for the price.
After your last video I went out and got a siroko gravel jersey and matching socks. The socks are great. The Jersey is also good and value for money. Good recommendation- even though they sponsor your vids
Amazing, glad you like the Siroko stuff! Helps me out a bit too, so big thankyou from me :)
I wondered about buying cheaper tools through aliexpress like a mini pump, torque wrench, etc. Maybe a video idea. Or what about a power meter or gps unit. Lastly, why not think about a bike build focussing on the hottest bike trend out there Gravel! Can you build a quality lightweight gravel bike for less than the price of a small 10 year old fiesta car…namely £1000? I bet you could.
You need to try the ZTTO ULT cassettes all steel but light-ish 11-28 claimed weight 166g no issues with thick sprockets!
Dude, are you an unemployed actor? You are really entertaining as well as informative. One of my favorite bike stuff channels.
I've been running this exact ZTTO for the whole summer. Really good, shifts very well.
I love you channel. Amazing energy and you’re a funny dude. I been subbed for a while. Not to mention great information. Keep it up!!
That intro! Has me laughing in the office and gives away that I'm watching youtube at work.
@Harry HardC Erm.. in a business park off the A639
I’ve got the Sroad 10-36T, and am pretty happy with it. Good value for money.
OK great. Yeah I'm happy with mine so far, and for the price, it's pretty bonkers value!!!
I bought a hybrid MTB cassette. I had to take to it with a die grinder to make the 15 cog run correctly then after a few months a complete segment of teeth broke out of the biggest cog, straight in the bin with that one. Replaced it with a Sunrace unit with aluminum spider and steel cogs, still going strong.
Ive had good luck with SunRace products.
Hi. Thanks for the video, really instructive. Finally, Did you test de SROAD Cassette? I use SRAM RED AXS and I'm interested in this cassette after read/see you video. SROAD Cassette is in one piece like Sram. What do you think about it?
Another question. I read about problems with ZTTO when you move the pedals rear. About chains gone down... Did you suffer this?
What I understand about the coating is for them to stock it longer without worrying about anodizing.
this channel should be the most watched of all sport related in yt.. lets fix the algorithms!
Awesome as usual Luke. Great details, you have great skills at explaining it very well the details and differences!
Luke any feedback on that SROAD cassette? Really interested to know. Nice episode!
So yeah, been using the SRoad cassette for a few hundred miles so far, and yeah im pretty impressed. Smooth shifting, indexes well. So far, its easily as good as my 105 r7000 cassette!
@@TraceVelo After another 3 months... What about SROAD Cassette? I`m interested for my SRAM RED AXS in 11-32. THANKS!!!
Up until the point you told us about the wider sprockets, I was thinking 'Ill buy one!'. Now I'm excitedly waiting for the next review 🤞
I think we all are now... But he will have to put some miles on it
Great vid! Your content is so entertainng that i don't even skip siroko ads 😄
As a flat lander, I would be mostly on the smaller sprockets, where the durability is estimated to be the highest: seems like a real option for me!
Yeah, it definitely does make a difference where you ride. I would give them a go for sure :)
I just bought one of these. My old cassette started skipping and I had a choice of aluminum in 1 week or steel in 6 weeks.
Today was my first ride. I did notice some noise but not too bad. Careful examination makes me think the noise is from the rivets on the outside of the chain and the next larger cassette sprocket. I believe wear will make that small noise go away. I wonder if a 12 speed chain on an 11 speed cassette would work better?
So I've actually tried this myself, and a 12 speed chain does make a small difference with an 11 speed cassette. As the chain is a little narrower indexing is slightly more forgiving, but I found the chain tended to bite into the aluminium more. So indexing was slightly better at the cost of increasing the wear on the aluminium teeth. But having said that this was on one cassette that I tried once, so your mileage may vary
@@TraceVelo Just a follow-up on cassette wear when there are aluminum sprockets, I was lazy and allowed my chain to go to .75% and when I swapped in a new chain, all the aluminum sprockets skipped on the first hill I rode up. Maybe that's why I don't really see cassettes with aluminum sprockets for sale anymore.
So you were asking about the aluminium coating that comes on the cassettes. It is my understanding that aluminium is quite a bit softer than steel so often tooling companies will electroplate or ceramic coat (not as fancy as it sounds) aluminium parts to increase their life. By making a harder layer on top, it adds more material that can be worn before getting to the aluminium and wearing the base material
Ok cool, thanks for the comment JP. I think you could be right. I've never seen it used on Aluminium Chainrings tho....🤔
@@TraceVelo it could be due to the fact that cassettes see much more wear and tear in the form of shifting between sprockets. The likelihood of shifting the rear is much greater than shifting in the front
Another bit of 'spicy' quality content. Thoroughly enjoy watching. Whilst informative delivered in a relatable way. Luke has inspired me to make a foray into building an ali express cycle and undoubtedly many others. Keep up the cracking work. Looking forward to the next video.
Luke, how has the Sroad cassette work out?
I should have watched this video before purchasing one. You're correct about the indexing issues. Paid $41 total and selling it...
After a similar search, I ended up with the Meroca 11-28 from Ali. They are only half as long-lasting as SRAM's, but cost a third of them.
Yeah those SRAM cassettes are crazy expensive!!!!
Love the GIMP demonstration.
I tried a hybrid steel/aluminium 'no name' 46 tooth cassette a few years ago, it lasted about 5 rides. The chain jammed down between the sides of the largest and second largest aluminium cogs when I changed down on a really steep hill and they spread apart. I dont know if they were 1.5 or 2mm thick. It was an absolute bartsard to get the chain unjammed from between the cogs on the trail and the cassette was scrap as it bent both cogs sideways. I weigh 120kg with 25 inch muscular thighs which was probably a factor. Lesson learned, I went back to cassettes from the main big name makers after that and have had no probs since, even with 50 & 52 tooth cassettes
Great video. Just got a Sensah 11spd 11-34 delivered yesterday from Aliexpress and yet to try it out. But the price is even more expensive than a Shimano 105 11-34 cassette at USD72 compared to a Shimano 105 at around USD54. 2 reasons why I got it, the first being that there is no stock for Shimano anywhere after searching for a few weeks. The 2nd reason being all the other cheaper ones I looked at similar to those in this video have the 2nd last sprocket jump from 28 all the way to 34. Basically they are 10spd 11-28 tagged with the much bigger last sprocket. Didn't appreciate the big jump and only the Sensah one is spaced out almost exactly the same as a Shimano and the claimed weight is 230g so I just swallowed the difference in cost. Will check out if there is any difference in the thickness after watching this video.
I saw sroad cassette review after i buy ztto ultralight casette 11-36 for ultegra gs. It's so well crisp changing after adjust b tension bolts. I love it. Thanks for the review. 👍👍👍👍
Excellent as always Luke, thanks for another bangin production.! Yourself, Hambini, Peak Torque etc etc really do tell it like it is. You guys provide an excellent consumer advice service, please keep up the sterling work..!
I'm very interested to see how the SROAD cassettes fair up to the great british winter in your anticipated review.
Didnt put many kms on it, less than 200 I think, but ZTTO are one of the few that make an 11-52t cassette, it also happened to be a lightweight hybrid.
the intro is always so good
Thanks Otavio!!!!!
Trace, I think exploring the world of cheap electronic shifting would be a cool one!
Electronic shifting for the working man!
super video! amazing editing and work ! congrats! As for the cassette, I'm happy to see that buying a shimano 105 cassette is worth more than buying those cheap ones. I already have to put some time adjusting the speed from time to time, imagine having to put more time because of thicker plateaux? that costs money and is time off the bike or enjoying what you like! Also, durability wise, cheap cassettes mean more installation, buying time, and more waste! I think the final decision is easy to make.
Not sure what's more alarming...trace velos pink sweater or Hambinis "Hello"!
I've go it one of those lightweight cassettes on my bike 11-32 and it's changes perfectly and is lasting well. I'm fastidious with my chain cleanliness and change them when they need to be. The prices have gone up now I paid about 30% less with shipping last year.
(14:12) Probably PTFE coating, or something similar.
Yup i'm here again! Top notch content as always! My only concern is that when the algorythm picks up and gets you the recognition you deserve and you get rich as Ronald Mcdonald you still be reviewing for us poor blokes Aliexpress bike parts and not Pinarello ultralightweight carbon magnesium fusion ones :)
If you ever see me on a Pinarello, shoot me immediately
Flipping heck Trace, I have got you one for Christmas! I can either send it back or shoot you on boxing day, let me know which!
@@TraceVelo if somebody does this to you, his disc and rim brakes should rub forever and his drivetrain should make the most horrible shifting noices, also it should be so much worn out that his chain crashes over the sprockets at every pedal turn even when installed brand new components. With all that out of the way... :-P I would still watch even if you make Pinarello content, just for the sake of entertainment. ;-) But I prefer your adventourous expedition cruises through the wild AliExpress jungle. :-) Also, you should call your episodes happysodes. :-D
Great video as always. Been looking at these for a possible 12 speed build, so good to know they aren’t too bad.
one of the best cycling gear review channel!
Best intro so far mate, cheers!
As GCN is rapidly suckling the corporate $ over any vague concept of impartiality or rigour, I keep coming back to Trace Velo - you make me laugh, you have penchant for taking an informed risk on a bit of aliexpress but most importantly you can say when something is good and when it is awful! Keep up the awesome work!
Another masterful, informative vid...great stuff Luke. I too HATE a noisy drive train (or any errant noise from my bike for that matter). Only happy when the machine is purring like a cat. I can imagine the indexing issue driving me nuts, so for that reason I think I'll stick to my heavier steel cassette.
Luke ZTTO also do an ultralight stell cassette called ultimate road very light lighter than SROAD. I have not tested but they promised sprockets are all steel. Almost as light as SRAM RED
yesh happy to have quality big name parts but i think if there are bargain small name parts
that work then hallelujah! I of course would want someone to test them out first so this video is a great help. I was
skeptical about the ali express brand sunshine but bought it because this vid is the only place on youtube that even mentions it and this guy seems trustworthy.
It's funny to me because I have a new 11-25 new Sunshine cassette waiting to be placed.
When I bought it my idea was totally to get 1 season out of it Wich is around 4000 kms of commuting.
So great video as usual this just confirmed my guessing I'll soon replace that 105 with a more peaceful mind
Luke you have done it again. Legendary!
Only the best for you Shane my guy!!!
I think the plating that chips off is intended to increase the hardness and so decrease the wear on the teeth. Unfortunately it would appear the bond between the plating and the aluminium is the weak point. Rather than a plating it could well be a surface hardening treatment but in that case the difference in density where the treatment ends must be pretty profound for the metal to shear in this way.
A lot of non-stainless/noncoated steel items come lacquered to keep corrosion off. Tools and so on. The coating might be that if the sprockets aren't anodized.