Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Forums

MicroShift's new $125 Advent drivetrain

Jump to Latest
21 - 40 of 161 Posts
#21 ·
richj8990 said:
For example, the Advent cage for the 11-42t cassette says medium. Really? There are Shimano long cages that are for max 11-36t.

Then the Advent says chainwrap capacity is 41, but the largest cog it can fit is 42. Uh...no. Are they saying it's just for 1x? Will a 2x setup need an extender if the chainwrap capacity is that low? Or is that a misprint?
Click to expand...
It's a pretty common misconception, cage length has nothing to do with the largest cog the RD can clear. (Okay it sort of does, after you start exceeding the capacity because of the super wide range cassette)
Cage length determines the overall capacity. There is the ZEE for example, it has a tiny cage, and the freeride version can clear an 11-36. But because of the tiny cage the total capacity is only 25T.

41 for chain wrap capacity is not that low. 42-11=31, meaning you can run an 11-42 and a crankset with a 10 teeth difference, pretty standard setup nowadays. They say the medium is for 1x only, maybe the pulley is more offset compared to the 2x version, not sure. The 2x version has a much bigger capacity.
Random example, the M7000 11spd GS RD has a total capacity of 41T, and the 3x10 SGS version has a total capacity of 43T.
This is also a good example for cage length. The 3x10 version has a longer cage, but it can only clear a 36T cog at the back, the GS 11spd version has a shorter cage but it can even clear a 46T cog. Why? The 11spd version has an offset upper pulley (and probably some other design changes).

Also, an extender like a Goatlink or Roadlink doesn't increase the capacity, just the largest cog the derailleur can clear.

I don't think there is a standard convention for cage length. For example on one of my bikes I have a SRAM Rival 1 RD which comes in small, medium, and long. I have the long, and it's much much shorter than a Shimano long cage. The manufacturer somehow still needs to distinguish the different cage lengths, so it's still labeled long.
 
#22 ·
Love when the know it alls, really don't know squat and miss the entire point of the thing, in this case a 9spd RD designed for a wide range cassette with 42t big cog and clutch, clutch bieng the biggest thing for me :skep:
frantik! said:
yes, and it was designed for 11-42 gearing out of the box. the big advantage is the clutch though
Click to expand...
 
#23 ·
richj8990 said:
Post the link where a brand-new 11-speed drivetrain is cheaper. The cheapest I've found is around $250; most of them are around $350.
Click to expand...
I'm on phone, so no links. You can find slx and other 11 speed groupsets on bike-discoun.de
Also can find them cheap on Jenson if you want to buy single components.
Unless you meant groupset to include cranks and brakes...

You can even get a 12 speed Sunrace groupset for $175. So I really don't see the point of this 9 speed groupset.
 
#24 ·
HerrKaLeun said:
I'm on phone, so no links. You can find slx and other 11 speed groupsets on bike-discoun.de
Also can find them cheap on Jenson if you want to buy single components.
Unless you meant groupset to include cranks and brakes...

You can even get a 12 speed Sunrace groupset for $175. So I really don't see the point of this 9 speed groupset.
Click to expand...
Found the same as you with minimal effort...if someone pays 350 for low end 1x11, clearly they aren't trying.

For reference, I bought an entire gx eagle DUB groupset including the crankset for 357 to my door...and that was from an American company and its got a warranty.

If you half assed shop around, your gonna get bad deals.
 
#25 ·
HerrKaLeun said:
I'm on phone, so no links. You can find slx and other 11 speed groupsets on bike-discoun.de
Also can find them cheap on Jenson if you want to buy single components.
Unless you meant groupset to include cranks and brakes...

You can even get a 12 speed Sunrace groupset for $175. So I really don't see the point of this 9 speed groupset.
Click to expand...
This will be much cheaper as an OEM drivetrain. I can see tons of low-end shop bikes running this.
 
#27 ·
HerrKaLeun said:
So will the SLX et al. The prices we reference are end consumer prices. Manufacturers if course pay less.... for either brand
Click to expand...
The heavily discounted SLX prices (or any Shimano Gruppo, for that matter) online are typically OEM prices with a very slim margin.

The $125 MicroShift price is MSRP.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 
#29 ·
I received my microshift cassette today, but it came with a mfr defect that squeaked through QA. It has a missing pin (one of the ones closest to the freehub). Stuff happens. Might run it as-is. I'll contact the seller and Microshift to see what they say about longevity in this configuration (I've run cassettes without pins in the past - so... *shrug*). I wasn't planning on running the cassette more than a year or two but this is a bummer.

Next week I'll be receiving a new derailleur.

I'm converting from 2x9 to 1x9 on a pretty extreme budget. I picked up the n/w 30t for $20 on close-out, cassette for ~$30, derailleur for $50, and using my existing 9 speed shifter. All-in ~$100. Doubt it'll work - but it'll be a fun experiment. I'll be swapping the derailleur to confirm my pull ratio suspicions and confirm it works on a shimano cassette (hg80 11-34t) before throwing on the microshift.
 
#30 ·
I received my microshift cassette today, but it came with a mfr defect that squeaked through QA. It has a missing pin (one of the ones closest to the freehub). Stuff happens. Might run it as-is. I'll contact the seller and Microshift to see what they say about longevity in this configuration (I've run cassettes without pins in the past - so... *shrug*). I wasn't planning on running the cassette more than a year or two but this is a bummer.
Click to expand...
Mine has only two pins.. the pins are only to hold the cassette together, you don't need them at all
 
#31 ·
I got mine installed.. it's pretty simple, no issues at all with the set up. Watch this video for instructions and info on how long to make the chain, etc.

Before installation I recommend removing the jockey wheels and adding a little grease or polylube to the bushings. They're totally dry which is fine but adding a little grease will make them roll longer with less friction.

Haven't ridden it but it works fine on the stand. Doesn't feel too cheap, just works. The styling also makes it kind of "disappear" on the bike.. it's not flashy in any way and doesn't call attention to itself. For $115 it's a pretty good value, though for not much more money you can get an S brand drivetrain with more gears and less weight. I think for ebikes it's pretty cool (fewer steps, more durable chain, weight less of a factor), or for a super budget build where saving a few bucks is more important than a few grams.
 
#32 ·
Daniel O. said:
I received my microshift cassette today, but it came with a mfr defect that squeaked through QA. It has a missing pin (one of the ones closest to the freehub).
Click to expand...
I've seen multiple Shimano and SRAM cassettes where there were 3 holes but just 2 pins from the factory... No idea why.
Hell, i've seen Shimano freehub bodies with space for 3 pawls but they only had 2. :lol:
 
#33 ·
Well. Fudge it. The derailleur just arrived (3 days early - thanks JensonUSA). I'm impatient sometimes. I'll be installing things this afternoon. I don't expect things to work out due to my oddball selection of parts, but I should have a report of the results this evening.
 
#34 ·
Verbl Kint said:
The heavily discounted SLX prices (or any Shimano Gruppo, for that matter) online are typically OEM prices with a very slim margin.

The $125 MicroShift price is MSRP.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
So you say if i buy a single SLX RD from Jenson for $49 that Giant who buy a million of those, also pay $49? Are you an industry insider and have read the purchase order agreement Giant and Trek have with Shimano, or are you just making this up?

I understand we may possibly pay less than MSRP (unless they pull a SRAM), but a manufacturer (or anyone else buying hundreds or thousands of those) still pays less than us mere mortals.
 
#35 ·
Interesting that you bring up the SLX RD... My preliminary results are in.

My combo:
Crankset: Truvativ Stylo 3x - converted to single chainring (came with bike)
Chainring: e*thirteen n/w 30t ($22 at backcountry at the moment)
Cassette: Microshift Advent 11-42t with alloy 42t ($33 shipped - ebay)
Shifter: Sram X.9 9-speed (came with bike)
Derailleur: Shimano SLX RD-M7000-GS 11 speed ($49)

Yeah. 9 speed cassette, 9 speed shifter, 11 speed derailleur.

How? The Sram 1:1 actuation shifters had a cable pull of 1.1mm. So does the Shimano 11 speed mountain stuff.

Why? I wanted to spend as little as possible. I'm all in $104. I don't need a derailleur extension. I don't need to max out or replace the b-screw. The derailleur is operating within it's min/max tooth parameters. I get a clutch. If I want to switch to 11 speed in the future I just need a chain, cassette and shifter. 9 speed chains are cheap and strong. My original derailleur was on it's last legs (hence not trying a derailleur extension). I could have bought the whole advent line-up, but if I decide to go 11 speed in the future I'd have to replace everything.

Does it work? It's promising. It works on the stand and going through the gears on a flat street (tried up/down about 2 dozen times while messing with the fine-adjust). My first real ride should be Monday and should give a pretty good idea. I can't give my 100% recommendation on it yet.

Sorry for the sideways potato quality photo. Disregard the chain length and cable end. Still need to trim it and throw a crimp on it. I'll get a better photo on the first ride.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Wow, talk about mix and match! That's a very interesting combination though it looks like you're using the most generic part of the Advent group

I posted earlier saying everything was working fine, though with more testing I did discover that shifting into the 42t cog across multiple gears would cause some jamming. Screwing in the B screw in helped stop this, though you end up with the gap between the cog and the derailleur being much larger than is recommended in the instructions. Shortening the chain will also help a little, but don't shorten it past two extra links.. it feels a little too tight with only one extra link added
 
#37 ·
The new deore 11-42 cassette is $28 on bike-discount. Shimano 10s shifters can be had for as low as $20 new, either slx or zee depending on whos running a sale. SLX derailleurs are 50 bucks all day long from nearly anywhere.

I totally understand being on a budget, but Ive never found the quality of microshift stuff to come remotely close to shimano. I dont think any 9 speed cassette shifted all that smoothly. My 11s SLX shifts amazingly, better than my xt, x9, or even xtr 9 speed stuff. I cant imagine 9 speed microshift works as well as 9 speed xtr.
 
#38 ·
One Pivot said:
The new deore 11-42 cassette is $28 on bike-discount.
Click to expand...
don't forget "27.90 $ freight charges", at least if you're in the US. But you can find Shimano Deore in the US for a very similar price, maybe about 20 bucks more than I could for Advent. Not a lot of money, but at this price point, 20 bucks is a significant percentage of the price.

So far it shifts fine on the stand once it's set up, we'll see on the road once I finish up this build. I've always been 100% happy with Shimano stuff up and down the range, this was more just an experiment cause it's new and I had a specific case where it could be beneficial. I'd probably go with at least SLX otherwise
 
#40 ·
What's nice/special about it is it's 9spd, there are no others offering a clutch 9spd RD. If you like the ergonomics of SRAM, you can run SRAM 9spd shifters with a Shimano 10spd RD, but I HATE SRAM ergonomics compared to Shimano, so no go for me. 9spd means more space between the cogs, so less chance of debris getting in there and causing issues like with 10, 11 and 12.

One Pivot said:
The new deore 11-42 cassette is $28 on bike-discount. Shimano 10s shifters can be had for as low as $20 new, either slx or zee depending on whos running a sale. SLX derailleurs are 50 bucks all day long from nearly anywhere.

I totally understand being on a budget, but Ive never found the quality of microshift stuff to come remotely close to shimano. I dont think any 9 speed cassette shifted all that smoothly. My 11s SLX shifts amazingly, better than my xt, x9, or even xtr 9 speed stuff. I cant imagine 9 speed microshift works as well as 9 speed xtr.
Click to expand...
 
21 - 40 of 161 Posts
About this Discussion
160 Replies
36 Participants
Last post:
NordieBoy
Mountain Bike Reviews Forum
posts
16M
members
534K
Since
1990
A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Discussion Downhill - Freeride California - Norcal Shocks and Suspension Passion