New guy questions: I have an MTB with an aftermarket cassette (e*thirteen HelixR 9-50T) – I bought the bike used so I didn't buy or install the cassette myself. I bent at least one, possibly two of the sprockets this weekend. I'm shit with a wrench, so I'll have my local bike shop do the repairs, but I want to figure out my options before I bring it in.
First question, should I replace the sprocket(s) or the whole cassette? e*thirteen makes replacement clusters, but they're $189, and the whole cassette is on sale right now for $189 (normally $345). No brainer to just replace the whole thing, right?
Second question, should I buy the parts ahead of time and have the shop install them, or have the shop buy the parts? I'm assuming with an aftermarket part (plus the part being on sale), I should just buy it myself, right?
Third question, while I'm at it, is it worth upgrading to the 9-52T cassette? I live in Colorado and do a lot of climbing, so I could use all the help I can get, but it's an extra $120 to upgrade. As a relatively new rider, am I going to notice the difference? And am I going to run into any problems I may not be aware of?
Thanks guys!
by Own_Exit2162
6 Comments
No repair, only replace. If you don’t know the mileage, definitely replace both – and the chain too
Definitely replace it. You also don’t need to use an E 13 cassette you could use a standard SRAM or Shimano cassette matching the rest of your drive train
They make replacement sections for those cassettes
e13 is notorious for these defects. You cannot repair it. Stay away from cheap aftermarket stuff, when you replace it.
It’s toast. Buy a new one. This is the risk you take with aftermarket parts.
You need to make sure your derailleur would be able to handle the jump from 50t to 52t before doing that. The bike shop can help you figure that out