Firstly, the large gear jumps. Secondly, the high weight or rather the high price, depending on which cassette model you choose. The cassette of the affordable Sram NX series (PG 1230), for example, weighs in at a hefty 615 grams. The graceful high-end version of the X0 series (XG 1295) weighs only about half as much at 355 grams, but saves the buyer almost 400 euros. It is therefore an extremely interesting offer that the lightweight construction specialists at KCNC have recently added to their programme: a twelve-speed cassette (for XD freewheel) that, at 319 grams, is significantly lighter than Sram's best weight mark, but at the same time costs much less. Sounds almost surreal. But it's not. Unlike Sram, where only the largest sprocket is made of aluminium and the others of steel, KCNC manufactures five of the twelve sprockets from the lightweight material. And there is another difference: while Sram offers a bandwidth of 500 per cent with 10-50, the KCNC block has a bandwidth of 578 per cent thanks to 9-52. This has advantages and disadvantages, because the greater reserves on flat sections and steep climbs come at the price of even more pronounced gear jumps. So much for the theory.
Off into the terrain. After just one or two rides, the first interim conclusions can be drawn. The 9-speed sprocket provides such a thick gear that you need a strong tailwind or a decent downhill gradient to pedal it smoothly. You can also feel the coarser staggering of the gears. This may not be a problem in enduro mode. However, when you're covering kilometres, there are always "feel-good holes" where you're desperately shifting between "too thick" and "too thin". However, the climbing gear (52) does a good job when required. And the wear? The aluminium sprockets showed clear signs of shifting after just a few uses. The KCNC cassette is not as resistant as the Sram cassettes. Frequent riders should therefore opt for Sram.
PLUS Weight, price; enormously wide range with high speed and extreme mountain gear; good shifting behaviour
MINUS The five large aluminium sprockets show wear much faster than the steel sprockets of the Sram cassettes.
Weight 319 grammes
Price 249 Euro
You can find this article in BIKE 6/2019. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
Stefan Frey
Editor
