# ebay RECON cassette. STAY AWAY!



## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

Thought I would give this recon aluminum cassette a try. After 300kms the teeth are rounded off and the chain skips under power. That's what I get for buying a 100 cassette lol. This was the Ti nitrate coated version as well so doesn't matter how they coat the **** its still ****.


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## lifanus (Feb 25, 2011)

one seller of this cassette included in red letter in his item listing "Not For Heavy Duty Use" 

ebay link


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## onespeedbiker (May 28, 2007)

Truly no offense is intended but you probably should have done a little more research before you bought an alloy cassette. I have a friend who used to ride pro triathlons and used alloy and ti cassettes; they were good for one race.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

tell me about it. It was only $100 so I'm not crying about it just wanted to give it a try. My usual is Ultegra.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

What do you mean "only 100"? That's more than Ultegra cassettes cost.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

Kontact said:


> What do you mean "only 100"? That's more than Ultegra cassettes cost.


Huh? Where? My lbs sells them for 160. The da sells for 250 and the 1090 300! Where is this amazing fantasy source?


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

svard75 said:


> Huh? Where? My lbs sells them for 160. The da sells for 250 and the 1090 300! Where is this amazing fantasy source?


Are you joking? 

Shimano Ultegra 6700 Cassette - Road Bike Cassettes

The MSRP on Ultegra cassettes is $99. That's what shops usually sell them for. If you use the Internets (like you did when you bought the aluminum thingy) the price drops to well less than $100. I can't imagine a shop getting away with charging $160. Who would pay that?

RBR is a US website with mostly US posters, so the assumption is that all information presented is in US dollars unless stated otherwise.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

Wasn't in my interest, but I do get curious about some eBay components regarding if they're too good to be true or not. Thanks for the heads up.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

Kontact said:


> Are you joking?
> 
> Shimano Ultegra 6700 Cassette - Road Bike Cassettes
> 
> ...


I'm impatient so I usually get it here but I found any component I buy from my lbs is 100% marked up in comparison to online shops. For example I bought an xtr crankset for my mtb of jensonusa for 299 and out of curiosity I asked the guy for cost. He pulled out his 2009 mrsp supplier book and quoted me 799 for the exact same thing! I'm sure if I had more time I could try other lbs but so far the three in my area are pretty much the same. 

Anyway I now have time to order a couple of these. Thanks for the link.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

Online is about the same as wholesale, but you should never pay more than MSRP at a shop. That's ridiculous. I pulled that MSRP right from Quality Bicycle Parts. $160 would be much more than double dealer cost!

I'd find a different shop. Those prices are out of line.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

Twenty years ago, alloy cassettes or freewheels were special event use only, usually mountain stages or climbs where weight mattered. Back then, getting a bike under 19-20 pounds was significant. Aluminum cassettes have a very short life but are cheap to manufacture.


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## beston (Jul 4, 2008)

I had a RECON cassette. Bought it for around $100 new with a group buy on slowtwitch.com a couple of years ago. It was light, but It was also the worst shifting cassette I have ever come across. After a few weeks of trying to adjust the derailleurs, I just gave up.

Stay away from this piece of crap.


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## MerlinDS (May 21, 2004)

Just got a6700 ultegra cassette at nashbar for 67 and free shipping. If u want to buy local, walk into your lbs and give them 75 cash, I guarantee they don't let you leave empty handed.


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Did you use a new chain? How heavy are you? I have customers using these on MTBs and get 500-700 miles out of them. Road bikes around 1000 miles.


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## mpcbike (May 12, 2009)

MerlinDS said:


> Just got a6700 ultegra cassette at nashbar for 67 and free shipping. If u want to buy local, walk into your lbs and give them 75 cash, I guarantee they don't let you leave empty handed.


All cassettes in US market had a tarrif(sp?) placed on them earlier this year(not kidding). $67 with free shipping is better than I can buy a new 6700 cassette for at wholesale. $75 doesn't make enough margin on a 105/1050 cassette at current wholesale prices to be worthwhile.


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## MerlinDS (May 21, 2004)

Well that sucks, I get paid on margin so I understand where u r coming from.


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

beston said:


> I had a RECON cassette. Bought it for around $100 new with a group buy on slowtwitch.com a couple of years ago. It was light, but It was also the worst shifting cassette I have ever come across. After a few weeks of trying to adjust the derailleurs, I just gave up.
> 
> Stay away from this piece of crap.


I bought one too just to try it out. It was definitely light, 11-27 @ 90 grams but the shifting was so inconsistent. I gave up on it and will use it as a paper weight on my desk.


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## rgordin (Oct 22, 2010)

Performance has Ultegra 6700 cassettes online for $75 and though that is not the in-store price, if you mention the online price, the store will sell it for the online price.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

DIRT BOY said:


> Did you use a new chain? How heavy are you? I have customers using these on MTBs and get 500-700 miles out of them. Road bikes around 1000 miles.


Brand new KMC UL Gold chain and cassette at the same time. I weigh 210lb.


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

svard75 said:


> Brand new KMC UL Gold chain and cassette at the same time. I weigh 210lb.


Weight might be an issue.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

DIRT BOY said:


> Weight might be an issue.


I don't doubt that but you won't see all the conditions list on the ebay store. I haven't actually had any issues with shifting, they may have corrected that in these newer designs. Anyway I don't blame them for this. Its a very real world usable cassette for a couple of races max and its superlight.


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## djconnel (May 7, 2006)

I love my Recon cassettes: I've got two, 12-23 and 12-27. For short hillclimbs they're great. I clean my chain before using them. I don't use them in crappy conditions. They're super-light, a small fraction the cost of other top-level cassettes, and for training rides who cares about 100 grams anyway? I get low-cost weight savings when I need it and for that these are perfect. For "put it on and forget about it" you should be using Ultegra/Rival level stuff.


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## thegoodword (May 13, 2013)

Recon 10 speed cassettes (especially alloy) are garbage and their customer service is even worse. For starters, the e-mail reply is slow and the phone # is for Taiwan. Are you going to call Taiwan just to get worthless customer service? After quite a long wait, I finally received an argumentative e-mail reply blaming me for the cassette breaking. I used a Recon gold alloy on one ride and it broke. I was not shifting under load, carelessly, or improperly. When I asked about a warranty replacement, I was essentially told I did not know how to ride and that is what broke the cassette. The reply said, "You are not a good fit for alloy cassettes." These cassettes shift okay with a new chain and new front crank, but not anywhere near as crisp as a SRAM or Shimano cassette. Five teeth broke off the second smallest cog. Stay away from this company's products. The weight savings is not worth throwing your money away.


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## mann2 (Oct 16, 2012)

I saw these cassettes in one of the local LBSs, the shop owner basically told me it was crap and advised against it


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## demonrider (Jul 18, 2012)

djconnel said:


> I love my Recon cassettes: I've got two, 12-23 and 12-27. For short hillclimbs they're great. I clean my chain before using them. I don't use them in crappy conditions. They're super-light, a small fraction the cost of other top-level cassettes, and for training rides who cares about 100 grams anyway? I get low-cost weight savings when I need it and for that these are perfect. For "put it on and forget about it" you should be using Ultegra/Rival level stuff.


To each his own; because to me that makes no sense. I can get at least _two_ Ultegra 6700 cassettes for the price of one of these Recons. But I assume by "top-level cassettes" you mean something like a Dura Ace Ti cassette, even then; ~$160+ is *not* a small fraction of ~$230; and for what, all to save some 50g over the DA cassette and barely 100g over Ultegra. To top it all off, they seem to shift much worse than Shimano cassettes.

Does not compute.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

mpcbike said:


> All cassettes in US market had a tarrif(sp?) placed on them earlier this year(not kidding). $67 with free shipping is better than I can buy a new 6700 cassette for at wholesale. $75 doesn't make enough margin on a 105/1050 cassette at current wholesale prices to be worthwhile.


You need to find a new wholesaler.


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## djconnel (May 7, 2006)

I'm just glad I didn't read this thread before getting first a 12-23 and then a 12-27, because they've been fantastic for me, and wear life is more than sufficient for my use, which is only timed hillclimbs. They're a cheap way to save grams when they count. But you don't need to listen to me: feel free to listen to those who say they suck.


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

djconnel said:


> I'm just glad I didn't read this thread before getting first a 12-23 and then a 12-27, because they've been fantastic for me, and wear life is more than sufficient for my use, which is only timed hillclimbs. They're a cheap way to save grams when they count. But you don't need to listen to me: feel free to listen to those who say they suck.


How is $99 for a cassette cheap when you can buy an ultegra for less and it lasts 4 times as long?


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## djconnel (May 7, 2006)

It's cheap on a $/gram saved basis relative to other options which are commercially successful. If you don't care about grams, then great -- you can save a lot of money on your bike.

That ultegra cassette is over 100 grams heavier. Try buying a frame 100 grams lighter and see what that costs.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

100 grams isn't all that much to save given you have to add/remove the cassette before every race and then replace them in a few hundred miles when they wear out. You'd have to be a super weight weenie not to save such a small amount of weight elsewhere on the bike.


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