🔧 Shimano CS-HG31 Altus Cassette Sprocket Review

I have several bikes and they all ended up in my shed for different reasons. I have road bikes, mountain bikes, balance bikes and bad weather/salty road bikes. I don't need $200 utility bike cassettes. I want strong and simple cassettes for this. It fit the bill and fit the bill. The black looks nice on a charcoal gray bike, but I also thought the fairing would help withstand the elements a bit.

Ideal for a quick second set of rims My commuter mountain bike can be used on and off road. Perfect for Shimano 8-11 speed hubs, so there is no need to use a washer with a 7 speed cassette. Has the same gear spacing as a 7 speed cassette just with an extra gear so I can still swap easily between these new bikes and my old 7 speed without having to do a lot of derailleur adjustment. Just don't use the biggest gear as my derailleur only has 7 gears.

I bought a used Trek T-900 tandem and when checking the chains found the main drive chain was over stretched so I have it replaced. I immediately noticed that 3 and 4 sprockets were slipping under load. Inspection revealed some worn gears so I took this Altus cassette in the same 11-32 range as SRAM which was OEM. I already had the right Park tool for uninstalling and reinstalling, and since I've done this a few times it was a pretty easy task. Fixed gear slip issue. I can't comment on the…

This is a budget Shimano 8 speed cassette. This basically means it's heavier and not as pretty as their higher tier parts. I installed it on my "utility/commuter bike" for which aesthetics and (light) weight are not high on my priority list. What matters to me is the performance and durability this part is sure to give you. There are various special tools that will work for the installation. I used a chain whip and a cassette lock ring remover, which are also good tools if you ever need to…