Bike Cassettes

What is a Bicycle Cassette?

Irrespective of the type of bike you ride, it likely has derailleur gears. The rear bicycle derailleur is responsible for moving the bike chain up or down a cluster of sprockets affixed to your wheel. Another word for these sprockets is - you guessed it - a bike rear cassette.

So, what sets one bicycle's rear cassette apart from another? A high-end mountain bike cassette will be lighter and deliver superior shifting performance. These days, you can expect to find 12-speed for a top-spec road bike cassette and mountain bike cassette, whilst an 11-speed is commonplace (and still mighty effective!). Although there are some exceptions, generally speaking, a lower-spec product will offer fewer gear changes.

How Do I Know What Cycle Cassette Is on My Bike?

This is easy - it just involves a little counting. For example, you will typically hear two numbers when referring to the bicycle cassette, one representing the number of teeth on the smallest sprocket; the other representing the number of teeth on the largest. So, if you’re not sure, just start counting teeth!

You must purchase the right cassette for your derailleur. Why? Because these may all look like individual parts working independently. However, this could not be further from the truth. These parts all perform together as a combined single unit; therefore, they must sync perfectly. Buying the wrong size will result in a complete failure to launch.