OneUp Components RAD Cage - Review

Jul 25, 2014 at 11:59
by Mike Kazimer  
OneUp Components RAD cage review

OneUp Components RAD Cage

In the mid-1990s there was a brief period where a wave of colorfully anodized derailleurs, cranks, and brakes hit the market, produced by small operations looking to enter the burgeoning mountain bike scene. The demand for rasta colored cranks has long since subsided, and the drivetrain marketplace is currently dominated by two major players, but there has been a recent resurgence of unique solutions designed to allow riders to reap the benefits of a wide range 1x setup without shelling out an exorbitant amount of money. OneUp Components was one of the early entrants with the introduction of their 42 tooth cassette cog that surely had more than one person wondering 'Why didn't I think of that?' The company recently introduced their next drivetrain accessory – the RAD cage.

The RAD cage is the missing piece of the puzzle for riders assembling a wide range 1x10 drivetrain with a medium cage Shimano rear derailleur. What does it do? Once installed, the shape of the cage shifts the upper pulley wheel slightly rearward from the stock positioning, which eliminates the need to rely on a maxed out B-tension screw to coax the derailleur into reaching a 42 tooth cog. This type of pulley wheel positioning is similar to what's found on SRAM's XX1 11 speed derailleurs, although the RAD cage doesn't offset the pulley wheels quite as much. The revised positioning also allows the chain to wrap further around the cassette, which is claimed to improve chain retention and to help spread pedalling loads over a greater number of teeth. The cage is constructed from 7075 aluminum, and has markings to indicate which holes to use for either XT, SLX and Deore or XTR derailleurs during assembly. Note: The RAD cage is only compatible with Shimano medium cage derailleurs. Colors: black, green. Weight: 26 grams. Price: $35.00 USD. www.oneupcomponents.com

OneUp Components RAD cage review
  OneUp's RAD cage provides more room between a Shimano medium cage derailleur's upper pulley wheel and the largest cog on the cassette. This also allows for better chain wrap and reduces how far the B tension screw needs to be screwed in.

Installation / Ride Report:

If you're slightly mechanically minded, OneUp's claim that installation of the RAD cage takes less than 15 minutes is completely accurate. Armed with a set of hex wrenches and a Phillips head screwdriver, it's a relatively simple process to remove the stock cage and replace it with the RAD upgrade. OneUp's step-by-step instructional video is well done, and certainly worth a watch before you dive into this project. I ran the cage in conjunction with OneUp's 42 and 16 tooth rings installed on a Shimano cassette, which creates the following tooth pattern: 11-13-16-19-21-24-28-32-36-42, with the bold indicating the positioning of the cogs that replaced the 15t and 17t ones that were removed.

Once installed, setting up the rear derailleur is the same as it would be with a traditional cassette and cage. The RAD cage negates the need to max out the B-tension screw, allowing the derailleur to sit closer to the position it was designed to be in at the upper range of the cassette. Of course, it's worth mentioning that Shimano doesn't endorse modifications of any kind to their components, and you shouldn't expect to be able to warranty your RAD equipped derailleur should something go wrong. That being said, I'd imagine most riders are willing to take the risk in order to gain the wider gear range.

On the trail, shifts from the 36 tooth to the 42 tooth cog were quick and precise, without any hesitation, and there was no grinding from the derailleur's upper pulley wheels in the easiest gear. Shifting through the rest of the cassette was spot on as well, with no odd jumps in the gear progression as the chain moves up the cassette. In a blind test, it's unlikely that you would be able to guess that the cassette and derailleur have been modified in any way – the shifting performance is that flawless.


Pinkbike's Take:
bigquotesWhen you look at the numbers, it's hard to justify spending the money to upgrade to a 1x11 setup versus converting your existing drivetrain into a wide range 1x10. You may not get quite as wide of a gear range, but realistically, it's the easier, 42 tooth cog that most riders are looking for, not the 10t cog that's one of the selling points of an 11 speed drivetrain. For less than the price of SRAM's least expensive 11 speed derailleur, it's now possible for riders to create their own wide range 11-42t cassette ($90), install a RAD cage ($35) if they have a Shimano rear derailleur, bolt on a narrow wide chainring ($45) from any number of manufacturers, and end up with a highly effective 1x drivetrain. I'm not a math whiz, but those numbers sure make sense to me. The cost of 11 speed drivetrains is slowly trickling down, but it's taking longer than expected, and there's still not an option for those who want to ditch the front derailleur without shelling out a hefty chunk of change. That's where companies like OneUp and a handful of others come in, meeting a need that the two big players haven't responded to yet. It's a throwback to twenty years ago, although I'm still waiting for the return of rasta colored cranks and anodized purple everything. - Mike Kazimer


Author Info:
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160 Comments
  • 126 0
 Just a quick update on long cage and Zee short cage compatibility. SGS models of Shawdow+ (clutch) derailleurs and Zee (RD-M640) can be converted to use the OneUp RAD cage. This requires the purchase of a GS inner plate from one of several online retailers or your local shop. The part numbers are - Y5XC09000 (XTR), Y5XC09100 (XT, SLX) or Y50H09000 (Deore).

NOTE: Any of these three part numbers are functionally interchangeable. There may however be material or small aesthetic differences.

NOTE: Zee (RD-M640) uses the XT spring mounting hole on the RAD cage.
  • 7 0
 Awesome!
  • 3 0
 fantastic!
  • 9 4
 Any plans on making a SRAM cage for the future?
  • 16 0
 I love a bit of good news direct from companies!
  • 7 0
 so i can run a 42T with the ZEE FR using the RAD cage sweet
  • 3 0
 Is there a point to converting a zee derualer other than if you already had one. Would it be any better than a xt derualer since they would both be medium cages?
  • 3 0
 Long shot, but I'm curious: @OneUpComponents: have you tried running your 42t (or even the 40t) adapter on a capreo hub? It would be interesting to combine the two to actually get a wider spread than XX1. I'm sure there's going to be chain wrap problems on the 9t, but maybe this cage would make it possible?
  • 2 0
 @Vans4life14 Zee is cheaper, though probably only by about the price of the GS plate. It's supposedly constructed burlier, but you'd probably have a hard time proving that.
  • 2 1
 Great, now I can use Zee with my full suspension frame and 42t.
  • 1 0
 Ok thanks for clearing that up @groghunter
  • 1 0
 @groghunter: Zee, I already have in my parts bin.
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know of a website to get the plate for the xt/zee?
  • 1 0
 oh, i get it @Axxe, i've been running a zee since right before these started coming out, & kicking my self for going that route until 40t options became available. i'll be buying one. @Vans4life14 the other reason zee is important is there's a whole bunch of us who've been running 1x10 for years that bought short cage derailleurs as a matter of course, so we're a significant market for these parts.
  • 3 0
 bikeman has them.
  • 1 0
 Thanks @groghunter I guess I'll get a zee derualer when I finally make the switch to 10 speed.
  • 3 0
 @groghunter i am toying with the idea of combining a Canfield Brothers 9t capreo hub with 42 for a while now. Would be awsome if someone would actually test it.
  • 2 0
 I have fitted the RAD cage to a Zee FR using the part Y5XC09100 one up posted up there and yes it works great. I bought the inner cage plate from Petra cycles in the UK. I compared an SLX long cage to a Zee and the only differences are the metal clutch lever, the cage and the graphics the parallelogram body of both mechs is the same part. I already had both so put the RAD on the Zee because Zee is trendy right now ; ) and I don't like the idea of a little plastic lever waiting to get snapped off by a flying stick. It all works really well apart from the 16t sprocket which has a grumbly shift but it's great that one up include it as it's still better than the big step between a 15t and 19t.
  • 1 0
 Awesome! I'll do the same on my Hardtail in the future.
  • 2 0
 Do you have an option for saint mechs!
  • 1 0
 @oneupcomponents: Will the Rad cage and GS inner plate work on a shimano Saint derailleur? Is the cage on the saint also interchangeable like the others? These look, well, Rad!
  • 1 1
 I'd like to know about the Saint mech as well. Can it be converted like the zee?
  • 5 0
 We are still looking at the Saint mech and will update our Facebook page and website once we have determined if it can be used.
  • 1 0
 Any comment on using this with a capreo hub?
  • 3 0
 We haven't spent much time looking at the Capreo. It is a pretty involved and limiting change to swap to a specific hub/cassette. Also, the 9T is a pretty inefficient gear and wear would likely be a concern in a MTB application.
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the answer, even if it's "honestly, we haven't really looked at it." Appreciate it!
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the answer. Hope it does work. Would love to be able to run the Saint mech with an 11-42 cassette.
  • 1 0
 @OneUpComponents - Can your 40T cog be used with an X9 short cage derailleur? I couldn't find the specific answer on your website. With an 11T small cog it would give me a range of 29T and I believe the X9 short cage has a capacity of 30T. I'm assuming the answer may have to to with the chain growth on my particular bike, but has it been tried? And how much chain growth might I be able to get away with?
  • 2 0
 How had i not hear of Shimano's Capreo hubs! Shimano had an XD hub before SRAM started the 1x revolution. Why hasn't Shimano leveraged this! it blows my mind. Look at the Capreo sheldonbrown.com/capreo/index.html next to to the XD driver body www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xd-driver-body
  • 4 1
 @freestylAM there are some severe compromises in using a 9t cog, is probably why. even with a derailleur that's designed for it, there's only so much chain that can wrap around the cog when it's that small. You can also really wear a gear that small out very quick. Even SRAM going to 10t required a derailleur that would keep the upper jockey wheel closer to the cassette than an 11t, while still moving far enough to get out to 42t: it required a completely new thought process to the parallelogram.

That said, we're talking about what you can release as a drivetrain manufacturer, vs what you can release as a component manufacturer. If you buy a a OneUp, and it's skips a little, you know you're stretching the limits of what your other parts can do, and accept it (All props due to OneUp, that doesn't seem to be a common complaint.) Conversely, If you buy a whole XTR drivetrain & it doesn't work absolutely flawlessly, you're going to be pissed, they have to meet a higher standard.

9t may be durable & reliable attached to a 20" wheel used for casual riding(that's what capreo is designed for) but it may not meet the increased demands in hard, off road riding.

Or it may be fine(Canfield seems to be doing weill with their capreo solution) & Shimano may just have an intense need to reinvent the wheel, & reduce component cross compatibility across their products. It's certainly why a lot of people like me who rode in the late '90s & early '00s were such SRAM diehards for so long: we got tired of all the weird games Shimano would play to lock other vendor's parts out of their setups.

They still do it today: why can't you buy an XT short cage? product line differentiation is why.
  • 1 0
 @sino428. i can tell you i tried to use the 40T on my X9 Short Cage and it didn't work for me. So I ended up getting an X0 Mid Cage and now it works perfectly. But like you mentioned maybe it had to do with chain growth because I have a dw-link on my Ibis Mojo HD and it seems to have a lot of chain growth along with running a 38T in the front didn't help either with chain length.
  • 2 0
 I was bored at work and googled a bit. Amazing how outdated all my information is after just a few months. It seems that people are using Canfield plus 40 t OneUp with success. But It seems that Canfield already have left the 9t game. Also: i know, wrong thread, but in the 2015 Leanoardo Racing catalog they have a 9-42 cassette that apparently works with XD hubs (looks very expensive though, like XX0 money). So XD hubs apparently work with 9t. Exciting times, but I wait for now (running 11-42 anyway for over a year now).
  • 1 0
 Yea there's a point of diminishing returns vs buying Xwhatever1. My current sticking point for going 1x11 is SRAM not having double tap upshifting, thus the other thought process running in the back of my brain: will 11 speed Shimano(hopefully XT next year) work with an Xwhatever1 cassette? Cause that sounds like the best of both worlds to me.
  • 1 0
 ...I shouldn't have told people where to get the inner plate: Shimano NA & bikeman are now out of everything except a few XTR parts. Which are3 times as much, & are probably almost exactly the same, grumble. off to EU sites I go,
  • 1 0
 That is normal. When the Germans started to machine the first 42 tooth conversion cogs last year, the 16 tooth Shimano cogs were sold out for nearly a year in all of Europe.
  • 1 0
 Yea, except the notice they sent to tell me they were out of stock said "we actually sold out of those last night."
  • 1 0
 @hockeyg0d9 - thanks for the info. I knew that it would be cutting in close. My X9 is basically brand new and I'm running and 11-36 in the back without much trouble so I'll prob just stick with that for now. The trails I ride most of the time aren't the most demanding in terms of climbing so I get by ok.
  • 3 0
 We've had a lot of requests about converting Saint and Zee Shadow+ derailleurs. Well here is the info:

Both Saint (RD-M820) and Zee (RD-M640) can be converted to use the RAD cage. This requires the purchase of a GS inner plate from one of several online retailers or your local bike shop. The part numbers are - Y5XC09000 (XTR), Y5XC09100 (XT, SLX) or Y50H09000 (Deore).

Any of the three part numbers above will work for the conversion and in both cases the XT spring mounting hole on the RAD cage is used.
  • 1 0
 @OneUpComponents With the converted Zee Shadow+ derailleurs do I still need the longer B-tension screw? And can the derailleur handle the ratio of chainring 36t and cassette 42t?
  • 1 0
 Well that's awesome news! Thanks for checking into it so quickly!
  • 3 0
 @aimanisamon - The installation of a RAD cage will allow the screw to be backed off 2-4 full turns. As a side note, we do not recommend installing a longer B-tension screw in any setup.
  • 58 0
 Wow! A component that people want and need AND won't empty their bank account?!?! Hat's off to you OneUP!
  • 4 22
flag Mattin (Aug 6, 2014 at 6:07) (Below Threshold)
 Actually I think $35 for 26g of metal is really expensive and overpriced. You can buy a new complete derailleur for that.
  • 5 0
 Maybe an Alivio derr.....
  • 4 0
 The price is entirely reasonable, if anything I expected it to be higher. Do you complain at restaurants about the raw food cost? It ain't easy to develop and market truly useful and functional bicycle parts, especially a clever and unique one that performs exactly as claimed.
  • 3 27
flag Mattin (Aug 6, 2014 at 7:06) (Below Threshold)
 Let me rephrase that:

The current price for aluminium is $1.96 per kg.
The price for this little piece of aluminium is $1,346.15 per kg.

The material used in this cage is worth $0.05.
I know there are many extra costs coming onto that (machining, paint, shipping, profit, etc, etc).

Taking that in consideration, I still think anything over $20 is way too much for such a little part.
  • 4 0
 Might I suggest purchasing the raw material and creating the part yourself? You'll quickly find that it is very expensive to do so. $35 is a good price, mate.
  • 5 0
 Are you really complaining about a $35 part that allows people 99% of the functionality of XX1? The raw material is one if not the cheapest part of the equation. Report back how much it costs to make your own, we'd love to hear.
  • 1 0
 Considering the amount of R&D that went into this product to ensure that it works properly on a wide range of derailleurs yes I think $35 is a great price.
  • 4 0
 Putting on my pedantic engineer's hat, that's not pure aluminium, it's 7075 alloy with T6 heat treatment. The price per kg isn't relevant anyway, the raw material is useless if it comes as a billet or something else that can't be used in their machines.
  • 39 2
 Thank you OneUp for respecting consumer choice, respecting perfectly good legacy systems, and not ass-raping consumers
  • 19 5
 Oh come on Lee, the only thing really raping the consumer is his ability to control his desire. If one feels raped by the price of the "more affordable" X01, he should just not buy it. Vast majority of us can push 1:1 ratio on vast majority of trails in the world, it's just a matter of doing simple body weight exercises every day, like sun salutations and single leg squats. An interval or sprint session per two weeks does not require much. That comes from a father of two small kids. It's great that oneupcomponents does stuff like that, but we tend rape ourselves with denial. As to words of U2 Discoteque: u know you're eating a bubble gum, you know what it is but you still want some, you just can't get enough of that lovely dovey stuff
  • 5 0
 Semi agree with Waki on this. If you don't race, you don't need half the upgrades. It'll still be a bike ride!
  • 3 0
 Seriously, I have a 1x9 with a 34t ring on my XC bike. It takes a few rides to re-develop the fitness to get up every hill, but after two weeks I feel no need for more than 1:1.
  • 2 0
 True true Waki
  • 1 0
 I just ride with a 36 up front (1:1) ratio to improve my strength and fitness with out doing specific exercises. Even though there are times where It's been painful, I've been grinning (because I'm on my bike on the trails) and bearing with it for the last 3 months and now the 1:1 isn't so bad. Admittedly my rides don't really entail more than 1300m of climbing and I like to stop every now and then and chat with my mates so I fully appreciate that not everyone can for whatever reason do this, but if you stick with it, you'll progress and gain a lot of strength while having (hopefully) a good time.

If that's not your
  • 36 2
 SRAM and Shimano just got One-Upped!
  • 8 1
 They've definitely shifted the attention back on 1x10 drivetrains.
  • 9 1
 this is certainly giving a wider range of options in the market
  • 3 3
 This comment chain is rad!
  • 6 0
 One-Up has derailed the competition.
  • 5 0
 More options = more better. No one likes to be caged in.
  • 2 5
 How so, my XT RD is working fine with a WT 42 cog without this mode.
  • 2 0
 @TheOriginalTwoTone, why'd you have to switch gears like that?
  • 1 0
 took a while to crank out a derailleur pun. rusty gears?
  • 18 0
 Heh. "Mounting hole".

Heheheheh....
  • 4 0
 hehehehe
  • 1 0
 huehuehue
  • 6 0
 you can return a derailleur for warranty?!? this whole time I've been killing them and throwing them out. never would have thought to send it back and try to make them feel like it was their fault. GREAT idea
  • 1 0
 I just sent a XT for warranty, the shadow+ clutch was broken inside, pretty common thing it seems.
  • 1 0
 mantis- do not mistake a warranty for "crash replacement" or "user error". These are 3 different things
  • 2 0
 splash of sarcasm there, i know its my fault when i smash a derailleur. sram would be bankrupt if they gave me a new one each time i broke mine. i just got my first shimano in 10 years and love it, hope the clutch doesn't break before i smash it, but now i know i have options
  • 4 1
 It's about time. I've converted my 10 sp to 8 sp by removing the smaller cogs and sliding the larger cogs over to get a better chainline for brutal climbs (I'm not interested in hammering fire roads in a small cog), but my shimano derailleur doesn't play nice with this setup. I think I could use a RAD cage for more clearance, and even add some larger cogs! Whippee
  • 3 0
 You really need the RAD cage when using 16t cog, it's where the shifting improvement is the most noticeable.
Without it, 16t to 19t shifting was shitty at best (need to overshoot the trigger every time). Now with rad cage 16t to 19t is in line with other cogs, 13t to 19t is ok, but not as perfect.
  • 4 0
 Thanks Mac-Aravan. I've got two rides in on my new 1x10. The cables haven't finished stretching so I've been reserving judgement but I think I've got the same experience as you: 36->42 shifting is fine but the 13-16-19 isn't as good as the 13-15-15-19 had been. @mikekazimer the tidbit of information your review needed was the answer to the question: Does the RAD cage improve the performance beyond just adding the cogs. Did PinkBike test the OneUp cogs w/ out the cage and then again after installing the cage to see if the shifting changed?
  • 2 0
 I was planning to ditch my 42t because of poor shifting. Really slow shifting in the hard gears and not enough chain wrap on the 11t to eliminate skipping when pounding in the hardest gear. To be clear, I was not on the 42t bandwagon... Then the RAD cage came out. What a revelation. All the problems fixed. Back to crisp quick Shimano XT shifting... Extremely happy with my 32x11-42 setup. Thanks OneUp!
  • 2 0
 Got mine and installed it easily on my beat up XTR med cage, with a cracked carbon cage. Did not need the long B-screw. Shifts like XTR again. Seems to be better in the smaller cogs. When before it used to skip in the smaller cogs when sprinting all out on some choppy stuff, this was stable. Although a real full blown test is still due. Together with a 42t cog, Narrow-wide ring and the 16t cog, this completes a 1x10 full conversion.
  • 5 0
 I'm running the 42t with xx rear derailleur and cannot believe how awesome this system works!! way to go one up
  • 2 0
 i recently upgraded to the 40-tooth from oneup. it even came with a free 16T cog. no complaints with the 40t cog though the 16T cog would consistently fail on me when my gear happens to run across the said cog. i've tried the usual adjustments via the barrel adjuster on the shifter but still no luck. any advise on how i can improve shifting on the said cog? everything else works fine other than that one. my setup is: blackspire 30T narrow wide chain ring, zee shifter, slx cog, deore medium cage shadow+, all 10-speed of course, hehe.

in any case, i would like to thank oneup for producing a wonderful product and even throwing in a 16T cog for free. mega props to you guys!
  • 2 0
 you should read the article a little more closely. the cage they just talked about is what you need and is what one up made to solve those problems. Its a modded cage for your derailleur that will make it shift like new across the swapped cassette cogs.
  • 1 0
 I have had it on my bike for a good month now. It really works. I don't miss my front mech, and the rear is soooooo smooth. Highly recommend. Pics on request. Installed on a 2012 Rocky Mountain Slayer with Xt Rear mid cage, xt cassette, Saint Cranks, Race Face NW 32t front. Great setup and works flawless.
  • 1 0
 The RAD Cage works great with RaceFace Turbine Cinch, 42t/16t shimano XT cassette. Riding for 1.5 months on it and only 1 chain drop while in the 16t wheelie dropping on an odd shift; otherwise it shifting perfectly on the trail. Helps to add some lube to the clutch internals. Mine was dry when it came out of the box. The new xt trigger shifter are really crispy.
  • 1 0
 profoundly innovative! 10 teeth will just wear out way too soon anyway; as well as increase chain wrap friction (I am a REAL former USER of Capreo hubs with real experience). A 12 tooth low is the best lowest tooth count for balancing durability, top speed ability, and efficiency. Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be done.
  • 1 0
 I've adjusted the b tension so the derailleur is just clearing the 42t. Unfortunately by doing this I'm now getting crazy chain skipping on the 11t and 13t because the derailleur sits too far away not allowing the chain to wrap the small gears enough. Really frustrated because I installed it with completely new xtr drivetrain and now it seems the 11t is junk after only a few rides! Any suggestions? I'm dubious the rad cage will allow the derailleur to settle into the best position for the small gears
  • 3 0
 Installed mine last week.... shifting down the street, it seems to good to be true. I'll hit the local bike park Friday and we'll see how it does in action.
  • 4 0
 They should make a ten tooth small cog and lock ring to fit shimano cassettes.
  • 2 0
 TNT / Ultimate Machine did that 20 years ago. The 10T cog was threaded and replaced the lockring, adding one extra gear to whatever cassette you were using. You needed to respace the axle and re-dish the wheel but it worked.
  • 4 3
 Everyone bitchin that pinkbike reviewers are SRAM-whores.. read this article and stfu! Great write up Mike, thanks for putting this out there for all the value oriented people out there; you can truly have 99% performance for 30% cost, just do a bit of research first!
  • 1 0
 I got one if the first RAD Cages to go up for sale and installed it at the same time as my 16-42 cogs, a RF 30 front narrow wide, an XTR rear Deraileur and a XTR shifter on my YETI SB66c. I had never installed with a drivetrain or adjusted my gears to any degree, but with a little help from YouTube and a book, I was able to install and adjust my new drivetrain and have it work to perfection. It shifts smooth and precisely and does not rub, stick or drag. I could not be happier to have dropped redundant or unnecessary gear while also reducing weight and complications. This system has worked flawlessly so far. I do wish the offered other colors as green can be a bi limiting and not everyone wants to go with black.
  • 2 1
 Why don't One Up, and WolfTooth and all these guys just make a 10 speed cassette with 42T big ring and a smooth transition down to, say, a 13T small cog? There'd be no big shifting hiccups, no need for the 16T ring and spacers and all that... They could charge 200 bucks for it and it would still be a steal compared to XX1.
  • 1 0
 Hope was prototyping something like this, but ended up just making their adapters.

It was pretty cool too, though questionable what it would have cost: It wasn't a cassette so much as a whole freehub & cassette machined out of one piece of metal.
  • 1 0
 AbsoluteBlack make half a cassette...
absoluteblack.cc/cassette-adapter-28-40.html
  • 1 0
 For me, I want the full 11 - 42 range. I ride with a 32 up front and need the speed of the 11t but really like the 42t for hour long climbs.
  • 1 0
 It is slightly weird that Recon makes that Canfield capreo cassette, but doesn't make a full 11 - 42. Maybe part of their deal with Canfield?
  • 1 0
 Or they actually make a titanium 11 - 40: fairwheelbikes.com/recon-titanium-10-speed-mountain-cassette-p-3074.html cheaper than upgrading your entire drivetrain, but not cheaper than a X01 cassette.
  • 2 0
 @burnbern. Hour long climbs? I can but dream. Or just slow down lol.
  • 3 0
 42/13 ratio is 3.2 and 36/11 is also 3.2. So they're basically the same. You might as well save money and just get a smaller chainring.
  • 1 0
 11/36 was fine on smaller wheels for years, but I find on a 29er I get burned out too easily with just a 36 on the back and a 30T chainring up front. Regardless, there's a lot of demand for these big cassette rings, so why not go whole hog and just make a full cassette? Sucks having to rely on Sramano.
  • 1 0
 Absolute black makes a 13t lockring so you can put back your 17 and have a 13-42 cassette!
  • 2 0
 but why have a 13-42 cassette? That is the same range as having a 11-36 cassette. If you want an easier gear for a 1x, then get a smaller front chainring for half the price of a 42t.
  • 2 0
 Generally I agree, but if you've got a niner(bigger wheels means you need lower gears,) & are running a 30t, & still need a higher gear without buying XX1, your choices are: buy a new crank that will support smaller rings(expensive,) run a chainring on the 64BCD holes(OK for some, but I'd consider it ugly) or get a bigger gear in the rear than 36t. if you really don't like the gap in gearing you get with a 13-16-19 or a 13-15-19, then this would solve that problem.

Edge case, but there's a market.
  • 2 0
 Gotcha
  • 1 0
 Groghunter, this is exactly why I want one of these companies to just make a casette to run a larger cog for nice seated spinning, and then a better spread down to the smallest cog. Absolute's 13T might be the best option, but really, I just don't adapters, I just want a 10spd cassette with lower gears. If this means beginning with a 13T cog then that's fine, cause I rarely pedal downhill.
  • 1 0
 That Recon cassette that I posted is probably the best you'll find, if you want to keep an 11t. everything else is adapters.
  • 1 0
 Thanks, I'll check it out. That said, I just ordered a AbsoluteBlack 13T ring - pumped!
  • 1 0
 I don't see the big deal here ! One up components have done one big thing when inventing the 42t, but instead of using other brands stuff, why don't they simply build a hole cassette and a derailleur ???????

I s it only me who sees it this whey or not ?

It's starting to be annoying having to buy part from a company and other parts from an other one !
  • 1 1
 Then have, talk to Shimano or SRAM and bring your credit card! This gear is for those of us who already have a 1x10 speed drivetrain and want a wider spread. I'm not sure I could have finished the BC bike Race without a One-Up 40 tooth cog. It was waayyy easier than training!
  • 1 1
 Ever heard of Box components? Maybe they're what you're looking for!
www.bikemag.com/gear/box-components-launches-mtb-parts
  • 1 1
 They do look sweet! It's a brave company that take on the two big players, good on 'em.
  • 1 0
 How hard would it have been for Shimano or Sram to make SLX/X7 and XT/X9 10 speed 11-42 cassettes and derailleurs? A cassette doesn't need to be machined from a solid block of aluminum to work. Imagine a $60 10 speed 11-42 Cassette. Suddenly 11 speed isn't so attractive.
  • 4 0
 You answered you own question. They're not in business to help us, they're in business to make money off us.
  • 1 0
 OneUp seems to really have that whole setup dialed indeed.

Great products and craftmanship + 90% of the benefits of XX1-XO1 for a very reasonnable price.

Now that's intelligent innovation at it's best.

One suggestion for them if I may:
It would be great if those spiffy components would be available in anodized colors other than that signature green in colors like blue, red and orange. Green is definitely an acquired taste and doesn't not look that good with several key bike colors in my opinion. I think OneUp would benefit from offering more interesting colors even if it seems to be a detail at first glance.

That said keep the great designs coming as we need more of those kind of gutsy initiatives for real-world trail use.
  • 1 0
 I couldn't help but notice... OneUpComponents comments are concise and informative, a bit like communicating with your bike geek mate (we all have one).... appreciating that they are in business, and one assumes there to make money... let their example radiate across the mtb world to other supposed mtb companies !
I bet these boys (and likely girls) ride bikes, and they ride a lot.... not cap wearing desk jockeys with orders to fill and deadlines to meet... keep it real guys, you are providing a service and it's golden (or in your case, a flattering green ;-) )
  • 1 0
 One question for @OneUp components: What about sram deraileurs? Do you plan to release a cage for them or is the shifting perfect already? In this case medium or long cage works better?
  • 2 0
 Sram 10 speed derailleurs already have an offset pulley, no need for modification.
  • 2 0
 Even older Shimano derailleurs had the offset pulley, it is a design choice that seems to come and go with the generations. I am pretty sure that the upcoming Shimano 11speed XTR goes back to it. Before the RAD cage, I was trying to find out if there would be a way to use the new 11sp on my 1x10 drivetrain for that very reason.
  • 5 1
 That green looks radical dude.
  • 4 0
 3x8, 3x9, 3x10, 2x10, 1x10, 1x11, 15x32, 4723x6786....
  • 1 1
 Have a question for Mike Kazimer- is taht a process 153, how does it shift

Ive got a zee fr mech and a 32 narrow wide with a 40t oneup and I still get a bit of chainloss, with just an uppe guide, still better than the sram setup it came with, is teh rad cage worth it for the 40t?

either way, good work oneup, nice to hear you can modify the zee too!
  • 2 0
 im glad pinkbike actually acknowledges that mtb parts are expensive now and then, its a refreshing change from reading that £150 pedals are "good value"
  • 1 0
 I've been running this setup for about a month now. One up's 16 and 42 cogs with the Rad Cage and a a race face turbine 32t ring up front. It's efficient as hell and smooth as butter.
  • 3 0
 OneUp all summer long, loving it!! Thanks
  • 2 1
 Am I being stupid here? How does moving the upper jockey wheel backwards mean the chain wraps further round the cassette? Surely that would do the opposite.
  • 2 0
 Because you don't have to tight the B-screw, meaning that it wraps better on lower cogs. On 42t cogs the RD is less in tension also (and better clearance with the actuator arm).
  • 1 0
 The upper jockey pulley stays much closer to the small cogs with this modification, and it pivots further away to make room for the 42 as the derailleur moves up the cassette, this is the primary benefit of the RAD cage. It results in better chain wrap and control although it does seem counterintuitive until you see it in action.
  • 1 0
 has nobody else noticed how sick it looks? I would get this just to have a green ring and green cage on my drivetrain! It look soo good!
  • 1 2
 I have to be in the minority, but I really don't understand the hue and cry for the 42 tooth ring. I'm 205 pounds (sans gear) and have been running a 1x10 setup with a 34t ring and an 11-36 in the rear for two years now, and it works great. Now, I live on the east coast where we don't ride up for hours then have a nice long descent, everything we do is up and down up and down, so maybe the chainring I'm running is a little tall for someone who lives in, say, BC, but still, a 42 tooth cog and a 30t (or heaven forbid, a 28t) ring is absurdly light. You might as well just get an e-bike.
  • 2 0
 Yes. Those of you living on pimples won't get it
  • 2 0
 Come on our and I'll take you on a 3k' climb starting at 8500', and we'll discuss the lack of a need for anything smaller than a 34T in the front
  • 1 0
 Whos running 36t chainring and 42t cog at the back. Care to share some rexperience? Thingking of getting the one up n maintaining the chainring.
  • 1 0
 Been running mine a bit more than a month and works flawlessly. Great product.
  • 2 0
 Why not a picture before and after rad cage with the same setup ?!!
  • 1 0
 Great product but I need the equivalent for a long cage derailleur in order to handle 41t tooth capacity (2*10 with a 40t).
  • 1 0
 Awesome news about Zee compatibility!
  • 4 3
 The 16 tooth isn't green? WTF
  • 4 0
 The 16t is steel.
  • 2 2
 Silver and red color options would be very nice... the green won't really go with my red ano everywhere Frown
  • 3 0
 They make the same stuff in black too.
  • 1 0
 also if you want a silver 42 tooth large ring, wolftooth components makes one. see ebay...
  • 1 0
 yesssss..great product! running for a week and still like it Wink
  • 1 1
 Looking forward to the next Pinkbike maintenance tip - How to use electrical tape to fix your broken seatstay...
  • 1 0
 Math wiz here, 170 (upgrade) 231 (SRAM X1 MSRP)
  • 1 0
 It looks so nice when a cog and cage are one colour.
  • 1 0
 Do you need to lengthen you chain to use that sprocket and cage?
  • 1 0
 @mtbfan1996 - This depends on your current setup. If you are converting a 2X or 3X, it is unlikely you will need a longer chain to go 1X with a OneUp 42T and a RAD cage. If you already have a 1X with an 11-36 cassette you may need a longer chain. We do not recommend adding links to a worn chain but do offer KMC X10L chains on our site.
  • 1 0
 I didn't change my chain when going from 2x 36x24 11-36 to 11-42 with either 30 or 32t NW front chainring, I even have some room for 34 I think (but it's better to have longer chain to ease shadow+ mechanism).
When mounting the RAD cad I noticed that the chain slack is shortened, about 1 or 2 link I guess. I didn't try it with 32 chainring yet.
  • 1 0
 yet another stupid upgrade
  • 1 0
 Does it also work with the new 11-speed XTR derailleur?
  • 1 1
 16 th is gone under 1000km while the original xt s are going fine!
  • 1 0
 my 16t is about 500km now, still pristine (no mud yet).
  • 1 1
 Don't need this with a Sram derailleur?
  • 2 0
 works perfectly with Sram stock mid cage
  • 1 0
 +1 for the 1:1
  • 2 4
 I'll buy it when they get rid of the most annoying word ever "RAD". So stupid and annoying.
  • 1 2
 WHAT ABOUT SRAM!?!
  • 1 0
 SRAM does not have replaceable/removable cages. But, I have heard (admittedly not confirmed) that the SRAM stuff wraps better right out of the box.

As an aside, i put a new chain on when I got my oneup 42t even though my current chain was relatively new and still showed no wear on the gauge. Once installing the 42 and backing out the B screw and going for a ride the amount of skipping on my small cogs under load was nuts. i put the "old" chain back on and (as i knew it would) problem solved.

i just received my RAD Cage yesterday and will be installing it as soon as I have time. As soon as I do I'm slapping on a new chain to see if that extra wrap on the small cogs eliminates that skipping on what is otherwise a very good condition cassette and chain.
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