Review on Wolf Tooth Components GoatLink 11 by Alex Foley

I purchased this product after reading about the improvements it offers when running a SRAM cassette on a Shimano drivetrain. Namely after adding a larger rear gear expander over the 42 and switching power to and from 10. I have an XTR RD and an XX1 10-42 cassette: shifts well. To be honest, SRAM cassettes never shift better than Shimano, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well they do at cross-pollination. All of this was installed with a fresh chain. I opted for a 44 tooth expansion gear as the last enduro I sat in had some long gears and a little help goes a long way. After dialing in another B screw, it shifted up and down in range as before. Sure, the move to the 44 was a little rebellious, but it was part of the aftermarket and definitely in the RD gear lineup. The addition of Goatlink made the transition to 44 a little smoother with less B-stretch, but it wasn't a groundbreaking OMG change. Keep in mind that 44 is a full crash gear in normal driving, so I rarely use it outside of racing. If you read the propaganda and their charts, the free chain improvement percentage for the 10-44 combination is 32% and -9% less chain wrap in a 10t cog. I don't understand how they claim 99% and 27% for the same numbers for a 10-42 bone material cartridge when all their numbers are based on a 10 ton gear. This part does not change. My other complaint about this part relates to the bolt they provide to attach the Goatlink to the dropout: it hooks in about half the depth of the OEM Shimano bolt. On my bike: it literally uses half that. The OEM Shimano bolt goes right to the end of the dropout. Maybe it's a built in point of failure in case something catastrophic happens, but to me it means breaking out of the hanger and rendering your hanger useless compared to breaking/twisting like a stock axle mount would. I have contacted Linderets regarding this and have not yet received an answer to their arguments for this. Any mechanic/engineer/machinist knows that 50% thread engagement with the bolt diameter is the bare minimum. The fact that this bolt does not grip and is not free-floating like the standard Shimano means: if it rattles loose (clutch switches tend to do so), you look for the bolt on all fours. in the dirt. I may overreact and think about it, but I've seen and experienced similar things. Last but not least, the m8000 RD can be converted to a 49t cassette. The GS cage can handle a difference of up to 39t and the SGS option can handle a whopping 47t difference. The XTR is slightly smaller at 37t, but that means you're making maximum use of the 48t gearbox be able. They have this ability in the factory, which makes this product redundant. Again, if the benefits are in the 10 ton gear, why is it 9% worse running 10-44 versus 10-42? Tiny Screw B? Every bike and its settings are different, so your results may vary. I've noticed very little use from the native part, even after extensive mods theoretically stemming from the family. It got a little cleaner at 44 out of 36, but not enough to say it was worth it. Fastening screw, in my opinion, is bought less than a spare part. axle holder and give it to a friend to try. I didn't see any benefit. *As an update I gave this to a friend to use on his Trek Slash with an e13 9-46 cassette and XT drivetrain. It originally had trouble hitting the 9t gear, but now it can. I still have to "help" but it helped his move.