First Look: e*thirteen TRSr Cassette 2

You may have already seen it from our Eurobike coverage, but e*thirteen has finally made available their new and innovative TRSr 11-speed cassette. With 1x drivetrains becoming more or less standard on mid-to-upper-level trail and enduro bikes these days, the race for range between manufacturers is clearly on. From 12-speed cassettes to add-on cogs, no matter what the next big thing is, it’s always that: bigger, with brands only expanding the cassette with lower and lower gears. No stranger to innovation, e*thirteen took the race in the opposite direction with their new TRS range of cassettes, which use an innovative two-piece design where the three-cog alloy cluster is installed to a standard XD Driver by way of a lock-ring, to which then, the eight-cog steel cluster is keyed onto. By doing so, e*thirteen was able to eek out enough room to fit a nine-tooth cog on the higher-end of the cassette, allowing them to use a 46-tooth cog on the low-end, yielding a whopping 511% range in an 11-speed package. 

e*thirteen boasts a number of advantages by going with a wide-range “compact” cassette. In our opinion, the most advantageous one being that if you’re already running a SRAM or Shimano 11-speed drivetrain, this setup is still compatible. Another added benefit would be sizing down your front chainring to gain a bit of extra clearance and even shave a few grams. We did the math comparing a typical 12-speed setup with a 10-50-tooth cassette and 32-tooth chainring to e*thirteen’s 11-speed, 9-46-tooth TRSr cassette. Both options achieve almost identical range, with just a tad more high-end, by dropping down to a 28-tooth front ring. 

e*thirteen TRSr Cassette Features

  • Range: 9-46t, 511%
  • 11-Speeds: 9-10-12-14-17-20-24-28-33-39-46
  • XD Driver Compatible
  • Compatible With Shimano and SRAM 11-Speed Drivetrains
  • Weight: 287-Grams
  • Two-Piece Design With Alloy Cluster for Three Lowest Gears and Steel for Higher Gears
  • Lock-Ring Tool Included in Purchase
  • Colors: Black
  • MSRP: $349

e*thirteen recently sent us out the new TRSr cassette and we can report back with a few initial impressions. Out of the box, this cassette is pretty darn light. e*thirteen will be the first to point out that cassettes out there with a similar range not only weigh more, but the added benefit of running a shorter chain, smaller front ring, and shorter cage derailleur knocks bonus grams off the whole package, netting you, even more weight savings. And, that shorter derailleur cage along with smaller ring gives you a bit more clearance to aid in keeping them out of harm's way. 

As far as the installation process, which is a bit different than standard XD Driver cassette installs. As mentioned above, the cassette is a two-piece design. To install, the larger three-cog alloy cluster is first placed over the XD Driver splines and locked down with a lock-ring using e*thirteen’s tool, included with the cassette. Then, the larger cluster which is machined to accept three tabs found on the smaller cluster, is lined up and locked in place with the help of a laser-etched indicator displaying locked and unlocked positions.

Prior to install, we greased the tabs per e*thirteen’s instructions and installed it with the use of a chain-whip. It is a bit unnerving the first time as a good amount of force is needed to lock it in place, but over time this process has become easier. To uninstall the cassette it’s a bit more involved. You either need two chain whips (wheel off the bike) or you can unlock the two clusters with the wheel on the bike, using the bike’s chain to hold the larger cluster in place while using the whip to unlock the steel cluster. It sounds complicated but it’s really not. 

In the stand, the new TRSr cassette's shifting is on par with the SRAM cassette it replaced, which is a good thing. In our case, neither the derailleur limit screws,  b-screw, or cable tension required adjustment. That said, you should check all these things any time you install a new cassette.  You can learn more about general drivetrain maintenance in our From the Workbench article.

Stay tuned for our in-depth review of the TRSr cassette after we've logged some proper miles on it.

For more information, visit www.bythehive.com


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