This article is your guide to work on Shimano and Shimano-compatible 10-speed cassettes (sprocket clusters) -- identifying stock cassettes, replacing worn sprockets and building custom combinations. The tables below list current models from major brands, and some discontinued models.

Another article on this site gives more general information about cassettes, and on how to upgrade from an older cassette.

In case you're not sure whether your bike has a cassette Freehub or a thread-on freewheel, we have a separate illustrated article explaining how to tell them apart.

Cassettes listed in the table below will fit most Shimano and Shimano-compatible Freehub bodies, with the following exceptions:

• FH-7800 and FH-7801 aluminum 10-speed bodies with tall splines work only with 10-speed sprockets. The Shimano cassettes listed here will fit, but don't try to use a cassette with fewer sprockets. Some other brands of 10 speed cassettes, in particular, SRAM, don't work with the taller splines.
• The shorter 7-speed body won't fit a 10-speed cassette, unless you modify the largest sprocket or install only 8 sprockets from a 9-speed cassette (maybe even 9 sprockets from a 10-speed cassette -- let us know if you try this!). A simpler alternative is to replace the 7-speed cassette body with an 8/9/10-speed body.
• 11-tooth sprockets require a "Hyperglide C" freehub body and lockring.
• The Capreo body has four special sprockets, with 9, 10, 11 and 13 teeth, in 9-speed spacing, and so it can't be used in a 10-speed system.

Colored backgrounds in the cells of the tables below identify assemblies of two or more sprockets on a spider to save weight. The lighter cassettes are more expensive, sometimes much more, so you really have to decide for yourself how important it is to save a few ounces. Sprockets on a spider can not be separated from one another, so you will have to replace all of them even if you only wear out one of them! They can be replaced by flat steel sprockets with spacers sandwiched between them, and vice versa. Assemblies of the same sprocket sizes shown in the same background color are compatible with one another, though they may differ in materials and finish.

Some Shimano flat steel sprockets and spacers are in bolted or riveted assemblies, indicated by tooth counts in italics in the table. The bolts or rivets only serve to keep sprockets and spacers in order when the cassette is not installed on the freehub. They can be removed to replace sprockets or build up custom combinations.

Model numbers covered in current (2010) Shimano product literature are in boldface, like this: CS‑7800.

The ramps and shaped teeth of Shimano Hyperglide sprockets, and their imitations, are designed to improve shifting in the stock progressions, but it is possible to mix and match sprockets with some small penalty in smoothness of shifting. Miche sprockets are available individually in all sizes, useful in building up a custom progression.

The Shimano parts lists linked below will help you identify models and order replacement parts.

SRAM, IRD and SunRace also offer 10-speed Shimano-compatible cassettes -- see additional sections that follow the Shimano section.

Harris Cyclery sells some but not all Shimano 10-speed cassettes. The table below, though, is a complete as it can be made as of November, 2010, in order to indicate compatibility and interchangeability. The table, unlike others, shows both "road" and "mountain" cassettes.

IRD has many combinations that are different from Shimano's. Some combinations are rather nice, and others have some uneven steps.

ES series cassettes have the four largest sprockets on aluminum spiders, two sprockets each. The spiders are indicated by background colors in the table below. These 10 speed cassettes fit all Shimano Freehub bodies including aluminum ones with tall splines.

Two-sprocket spider assemblies must be recessed on the back side so the innermost sprocket overhangs the flange of the Freehub body. I haven't checked them so I don't know for sure whether all are recessed. If so, all with the same tooth counts will work either in the innermost or middle positions

As of this writing, Harris Cyclery does not sell IRD cassettes, but they are included here for the sake of completeness -- John Allen.

IRD Web page describing cassettes

Miche makes cassettes to fit Shimano hubs. Miche also offers individual sprockets in all sizes, useful in building up custom combinations. One of the combinations indicated below is rather odd, suggesting that it might have been assembled from whatever sprockets happened to be lying around, and that others might be available already made up. Harris Cyclery sells only the individual Miche sprockets, but these cassettes are included for the sake of completeness.

Harris Cyclery sells a few SRAM cassettes, where they fill in gaps in Shimano's offerings.

Note: Some SRAM cassettes do not work with Shimano aluminum Freehub bodies that have tall splines.

• XG-1099 ("XX") cassettes have 8 sprockets (all but the innermost and outermost) CNC machined from a single piece of steel.
• OG-1090 series cassettes use "PowerDome" construction, with several sprockets machined from a single piece of steel; also reported to use some titanium sprockets and a carbon-fiber spider.
• XG-1080 "PinDome" cassettes have 8 sprockets (all but the innermost and outermost) riveted together near the outside, with numerous separate, short rivets between each two sprockets, for greater rigidity with lightened sprockets. Unlike with traditional Shimano three-rivet assemblies, it is not practical to remove the rivets to use the sprockets separately.
• OG-1070, PG-1070 and PG-1050 series cassettes use steel sprockets, and the three largest are on an aluminum spider.

At least some OpenGlide (OG) series cassettes skip teeth on some or all sprockets. The skip-tooth cassettes are reputed to shift more smoothly, but to be noisy, probably due to roughness of chain disengagement from sprockets under power when the chain is at an angle.

It is probable that all of the 3-sprocket spider assemblies which start with 21-tooth sprockets are interchangeable without compromising smoothness of shifting.

SRAM 2011 technical specs listing 10-speed cassettes (see pages 18 ff.)
SRAM 2011 technical manual with information on XG-1099 cassettes (see pages 28-29).

For SunRace cassettes with flat sprockets that skip the same sprocket sizes, it is fair to assume that the sprockets are interchangeable while maintaining smooth shifting.

As of this writing, Harris Cyclery does not sell SunRace cassettes. They are included here for the sake of completeness.

The different model numbers with the same tooth counts differ in materials:

CRSZ: One-piece aluminum CNC, ceramic coating
CRSX: Steel sprockets, largest two sprockets on a spider, aluminum spacers
CSRS: Steel sprockets, largest two sprockets on a spider, polymer spacers

SunRace 2010-2011 catalog

Shimano wants you to use one of its standard combinations, and offers a wide-enough choice to suit the needs of most cyclists, but you don't have to if you don't want to!

It is not difficult to customize Shimano cassettes. If you substitute an un-approved cog, Uniglide or Hyperglide, SRAM, SunRace, IRD, Miche, or some other brand, it will still work, but the shift to/from that cog will probably not be as smooth as a Hyperglide shift normally is. Since people managed without Hyperglide for several decades, this shouldn't scare you off. In particular, if you substitute the top or bottom sprocket, you will only have one shift that isn't HG; shifts to or from the extreme sprockets tend to be less troublesome than intermediate shifts anyway.

Shimano cassettes that don't use spiders have most of the sprockets held together by 3 small bolts or rivets. These are not essential. Their function is convenience, in allowing the cassette to be installed slightly more easily. To make a custom cassette, you will often need to remove the screws or rivets. Just discard them, they are unnecessary in practice.

• Some cassettes use screws with a 4 mm hex head. These can be removed with an adjustable wrench.
• Some cassettes use screws with a 2 mm Allen head. These are frequently mistaken for rivets.
• The easiest way to remove rivets is to grind off the heads where they protrude from the largest sprocket. I generally do this on a bench grinder.

When you build your own cassette, generally, the smallest sprocket needs to be one with a built-in spacer, designed for the top-gear position. While you can't insert or remove a sprocket within a spider module, you can add sprockets on either side of these modules.

Sprockets are available individually, too: