Looking for the ultimate in range with your 1x setup? OneUp Components announces the release of their Shark 10-50T modular upgrades for the current Shimano 11-speed cassettes. You read that right...a 10-50T 11-speed cassette. OneUp pulls this massive 500% range off by offering three upgraded bits for both the cassette and rear derailleur; the Shark 50T Sprocket, an offset pulley derailleur cage kit to accommodate the 50T sprocket, and a 10T cluster. Still utilizing the standard freehub body, the new Shark components make this an easy swap for users still using non-XD Driver setups. We got the chance to check out the new goods from OneUp first hand, and even got to take a little spin on the 11-50T setup. Check out the press release from OneUp below, as well as our initial impressions.
From OneUp Components:
OneUp Components Shark 10-50T: The widest range 11-speed 1X system ever.
A climb-crushing, descent-hammering 500% of range.
OneUp Shark is a set of modular upgrades for Shimano 11-speed mountain cassettes. Extend the range of your stock Shimano 11-42T cassette by almost a third, by adding a 50T sprocket and cage kit, a 10T cluster or both. Shark allows you to build the perfect cassette for the trails that you ride.
Shark 50T Sprocket and Cage Kit
Increase your chainring size by 4 teeth, and still gain range on both ends of your cassette. This means a higher top speed, a better average chainline (you now spend more time in the middle of your cassette) and legs for days on your next backcountry epic. The converted 11-50T cassette is the widest range cassette available that uses a standard freehub body.
Shark 50T Sprocket Tech Specs:
- Cassette Progression: 11,13,15,18,21,24,28,32,37,42,50
- Sprocket Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum (50T), Nickel plated hardened steel (18T).
- Maintains the 42T as the smallest aluminum sprocket, preventing premature drivetrain wear. No major drivetrain manufacturer goes smaller than a 40T cassette sprocket in aluminum.
- Compatibility: XT M8000 11-42T cassettes (For Shimano 11-40 use the OneUp 45T sprocket)
- Freehub requirement: Standard freehub
- Cassette range improvement: 19%
- Colours: Grey or Green
Shark Cage Tech Specs
- Pulley Offset: 50% more than stock
- Compatibility: Shimano Shadow+ 11spd rear derailleurs
- Colours: Grey or Grey/Green
Shark 50T Sprocket and Cage Kit MSRP: $125 USD
Looking for even more top end? Add the Shark 10-12T Cluster and OneUp MiniDriver, to gain another 10% range on any 11-speed Shimano mountain cassette.
OneUp has collaborated with Hope Technology to develop a non-proprietary, freehub body standard that accepts a 10T sprocket. This shortened version of a standard freehub is available for Hope, Stan's and DT hubs with more coming soon. The MiniDriver open standard isn't shrouded in patents, making the production of inexpensive 10T equipped cassettes a future possibility.
10T Cluster Tech Specs
- Kit contains: 10-12 cluster, 14T and 15T
- 11-40 Shimano converted to 10-40 gearing: 10-12-14-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-40
- 11-42 Shimano converted to 10-42 gearing: 10-12-14-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42
- 11-45 OneUp'd Shimano converted to 10-45 gearing:10-12-15-18-21-24-27-31-25-40-45
- 11-50 OneUp'd Shimano converted to 10-50 gearing: 10-12-15-18-21-24-28-32-37-42-50
- Compatibility: Shimano 11-spd 11-40 and 11-42 cassettes and OneUp'd Shimano 11-45 and 11-50 cassettes
- Freehub requirement: OneUp MiniDriver (or compatible)
- Cassette range improvement: 10%
- Colour: Nickel Plated cluster with Green Lockring
- MSRP - $45
The 500% range of a Shark 10-50T cassette matches a typical 2x11 drivetrain, which should be enough to silence any remaining 2X hold outs.
MiniDriver Tech Specs
- Length: 4.5mm shorter than a standard freehub
- Lockring Thread: M29
- OneUp DT star ratchet compatible MiniDriver
- MSRP - $40
Ride faster, higher and longer with a wider range cassette.
Vital's Initial Impressions
- Chain line - Recommend 48mm +/- 1mm (51mm +/- 1mm for Boost).
- B-tension – Start at 5 full turns back from bottomed out. Fine tune from there.
- Chain length – Setting chain length uses the standard big-to-big plus 4 links method.
OneUp's directions for installing the Shark Cage.
Once on the trail we found ourselves spending the majority of our time out of the extremes on the cassette. We bumped our front ring up to a 34T based on OneUp's recommendation and we're glad we did. Even on a fairly steep climb, we only occasionally used the 50T rear cog. Mostly using it as a bail-out gear on the steepest of climbs or as we neared the end of a long ride and our legs were flogged. While we were in the 50T, we did experience some drivetrain noise, but OneUp let us know this was remedied with their production Shark cage (ours was pre-production). That said, we can't comment further on drivetrain noise with the new Shark components as we experienced no atypical sounds coming from any other gear.
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