Bicycle Cassettes Review

Bike riders know how important each separate part is on their bikes. All parts work in relation to each other in order to make your bike work properly. One such part is your bike’s cassette. The cassette, such as a SRAM cassette, is connected to the rear hub and the tire. It has a number of sprockets or gears that allow you to shift gears and use a higher or lower gear ratio. Over the years, the number of sprockets in a cogset has changed, from three or four cogs used prior to the mid-forties, to five or six used from the 50s through the 70s, to the eight or more now found on newer bikes. The rear cogsets became wider, and the gears more narrow, and closer together. To fix this problem, the axle was lengthened, and the distance between the hub flanges was shortened.  Shimano cassettes are a favorite amongst riders.

In the old days, you use to be able to change cassettes and free wheels or hubs. This allowed you to customize gear ratios. Then when Shimano and Campagnola introduced index shifting, parts became standardized.

Cassettes are not the same as freewheels, although it can be quite difficult to tell them apart. Freewheels are usually 5, 6, or 7 speeds, while cassettes are usually 7, 8, 9, or 10 speeds. The splines on freewheels do not turn when the sprockets are spun backwards. Cassette splines do turn when the sprockets are turned backward. Cassettes often have a large bulge on the right side of the hub, although this isn’t always the case. American Classic cassettes and Campagnolo cassettes are an attractive choice because of their durability. If you’re still confused, take your bike to a good bike shop mechanic to help you pick out the right parts for your bike.

What It’s For

Look at your rear bike tire. You are going to see a sprocket or gear cluster. Your chain will be attached to this cassette. As you shift gears, the chain moves from one cog to another, depending on what gear you are using. The sprocket set or cassette is held together by three screws which hold the individual sprockets and spaces in alignment with one another. The individual cog wheels are sold separately as well. There is really not much maintenance to a cassette except for cleaning and greasing it up once and a while. If your cassette becomes bent for any reason, it has to be replaced.

Major Manufacturers

SRAM, Shimano, Campagnola.

Pricing

Prices on bike cassettes range from about $12 for a basic cassette replacement to over $150 for cassettes that are designed for some road racing bikes.