Black Friday mountain bike deals: discounted parts

What the VTT transmission brings together in Black Friday

At the rear, VTT cassettes, rear derailleurs, and their pulleys form the heart of the gear shifting. VTT chains connect everything to the chainrings, whether single or multiple. Front derailleurs are for VTTs with two or three chainrings, and cables and housings relate to the mechanical controls.

The number of speeds, first criterion

A transmission works as a whole: the shifter, rear derailleur, cassette, and chain must match the same number of speeds, as the gap between the sprockets and the chain width varies from one standard to another. Upgrading from 11 to 12 speeds therefore requires changing at least these four parts. On a recent VTT with a single chainring, the front derailleur is removed; on a model with two or three chainrings, it must match the number of chainrings and speeds.

Specifications to note before judging a discount

• The freehub body of the rear wheel determines the cassette: Shimano HG for most cassettes up to 11 speeds, Micro Spline for Shimano 12-speed cassettes from Deore to XTR, SRAM XD for cassettes starting with a 10-tooth sprocket.
• The chainring is fixed either with four screws on a 104 mm bolt circle or directly onto the crank (direct mount); in this case, the offset must match the width of the rear hub, Boost or standard.
• The chain is sold with a specific number of links, to be shortened during installation, and often comes with a quick link specific to its number of speeds.

To judge a discount, read the entire designation: cassette gearing (11-51 or 10-52 teeth), derailleur cage length, number of teeth on the chainring, quantity sold, with some chains sold in workshop boxes. Strikethrough price and reduced price can only be compared if the specifications are the same: a 10-52 on sale is not a cheaper 11-51.

The other pages and VTT all year round

For other practices, check the road, BMX, and urban transmission from Black Friday; the transmission in spare parts brings together the complete groups. The VTT braking is often serviced in the same workshop session. Outside of operations, find the VTT transmission; the clearance and new arrivals complete the offer.

VTT transmission brands during Black Friday

Shimano reserves the Micro Spline freehub body for its 12-speed VTT cassettes, from Deore to XTR, and offers here cassettes, chains, and derailleurs from the Deore, SLX, XT, and Cues groups.

Sram popularised the single chainring in VTT and offers its 12-speed Eagle transmissions; its direct mount X-Sync chainrings come with a 3 mm offset for Boost hubs or a 6 mm offset for standard hubs.

T.A. Specialties, a French manufacturer of machined chainrings in Sissonne, Aisne, offers direct mount chainrings compatible with Shimano XTR, XT, and SLX cranks or Sram GX.

Sunrace produces 12-speed cassettes 11-51, like the MZ603, which fit on a standard Shimano HG freehub, without changing the wheel.

Race Face, a brand born near Vancouver, offers its Narrow Wide chainrings, with alternating narrow and wide teeth that keep the chain in place on single chainring transmissions.

Frequently asked questions

When should I change the chain on my VTT?

When the wear indicator shows an elongation close to the limit specified by the manufacturer; the duration varies greatly depending on the terrain and maintenance. Changing the chain on time preserves the cassette and the chainrings, as a worn chain often requires replacing them as well it.

Can you fit a 12-speed cassette on an 11-speed transmission?

No, not alone: the shifter, derailleur, and chain must also be upgraded to 12 speeds, and the wheel must have the correct freehub body. This is a group change, to be planned as such. To do it during Black Friday, which follows Thanksgiving and where discounts last through November at Vélo-Store, gather the four parts from the same family rather than just an isolated cassette.

Should I change the cassette at the same time as the chain?

If the chain has been changed in time, no. If it was very worn, a new chain often skips on the most used sprockets: the cassette should then be replaced too.

Single or double chainring for a VTT?

The single chainring simplifies maintenance and handling, with a wide cassette. Two chainrings provide finer gaps between speeds, appreciated on long rides and some entry-level VTTs.

How can I tell what freehub body my wheel has?

Remove the cassette and observe the splines: a Micro Spline body has many fine grooves; an XD body is threaded at the end; an HG body has wider splines, with one more pronounced. The specification of the hub, in its documentation, confirms this.