Sort of hidden amongst the new products on display at the Wolf Tooth Components booth at Interbike, was the latest product to come out of their collaboration with Lindarets. Those with a keen eye would have noticed the mountain bike that was running Shimano XTR 9000 components, but with a SRAM XX1 cassette that was also running the WTC GC 44 adapter.
While we were able to spot the new GoatLink 11, Marc was holding off on the specific details until now. As many pointed out in the comments section, running Shimano components with a SRAM cassette can be done without any modifications to the drivetrain. But for Lindarets, just partnering the two different groups didn’t result in shifting that met their expectations. The point of the GoatLink 11 was to bring the performance up to the level that it should be for the components involved. After extensive CAD work and nearly a year of testing, GoatLink 11 is a go…
Just like the other Mountain bike specific GoatLink, the 11 replaces the standard B-link on the derailleur in order to optimize both free chain and tooth engagement. According to Lindarets, with the GoatLink installed free chain is within 1% of a standard Shimano set up and engagement is improved by 27%. But that’s only part of the story since the GoatLink 11 was designed with wider range shifting in mind. Because of that, the GL11 drastically improves shifting function when running a 10-44 or even a 10-45t cassette.
Like the other GoatLinks, the 11 is machined in Minneapolis by Wolf Tooth Components and weighs 19 g with hardware for an 8 g net weight addition. This “V2” eddition eliminates the steel B-Tab pin and includes a stainless steel bolt. The GoatLink 11 is available now for $27.95. For more information check out the Q&A from Lindarets below.
Compatibility and Technical Details (From Lindarets):
|
Range |
Free Chain |
Chain Wrap |
Notes | |
|
11-40 |
264% |
M9000 Stock | ||
|
11-42 |
282% |
|
|
M8000 Stock |
|
11-45 |
309% |
36% |
-8% |
|
|
11-46 |
318% |
32% |
12% |
|
|
10-42 |
320% |
99% |
27% |
XX1/X01/X1 |
|
10-44 |
340% |
32% |
-9% |
|
|
10-45 |
350% |
28% |
-7% |
Not Optimized |
|
9-44 |
389% |
26% |
-8% |
Not Optimized |
- The GoatLink 11 is compatible with M8000 (XT) and M9000 (XTR) series eleven-speed Shimano rear derailleurs.
- The GoatLink 11 mounts only to standard derailleur hangers.
- Double chainrings are not currently supported
- Triple chainrings are not supported.
- Direct Mount-native frames and SRAM derailleurs are not supported.
- All improvements are based on nominal Shimano-specification derailleur hanger geometry. An unmodified Shimano rear derailleur adjusted for the specified cassette serves as the baseline (0%), and an unmodified rear derailleur adjusted for a 40t top cog as the target (100%).
- Due to variations in derailleur hanger geometry, chainstay length, chainring size, B-screw adjustment, and suspension configuration, individual results will vary.
Question & Answers (From Lindarets):
Q: I heard that XXTR works OK without modification- why bother?
A: In short, we wanted better than just OK. When you’re spending $845 (XTR/XX1) or even $515 (XT/X01) for a chain, cassette, shifters, and derailleurs, they should work really, really well. That goes doubly so for shops- no one wants to send a customer out the door with equipment that doesn’t live up to its potential.
Q: Should I use the GoatLink 11 when running an XT 11-42 cassette with an XTR rear derailleur?
A: No- it doesn’t make enough of a difference for us to recommend the GoatLink 11 for this application.
Q: What’s so special about a 10-42?
A: The issue isn’t so much clearing the largest cog (though the GoatLink 11 certainly helps when we get up to 44s and 45s)- it’s keeping the top derailleur pulley close to the cassette across the entire range. While Shimano’s system was designed for 11-40t cassettes, SRAM’s XD models are 10-42. By the time you get into the bottom cogs, an XT or XTR top pulley is 10mm (30%) further from the cassette than it was designed to be. Because the chain is engineered to be flexible, this extra difference, or free chain, makes shifting noticeably less precise.
Q: Who makes an 11-46t cassette? That’s huge!
A: No one… yet. But it sure would be nice to be able to use your existing derailleur and shifter should one hit the market, wouldn’t it?
Q: Why does engagement go down sometimes?
A: Shimano components are designed to work fantastically within their intended ecosystem. Unfortunately, that makes it really hard to make them do other things. We felt that the minor decrease in engagement was an acceptable tradeoff for improved shifting- but wanted consumers to be able to come to their own conclusions.
Q: Can I use this to run a double with my 11s cassette?
A: That’s something we are continuing to test. We hope to have more information by the time M8000 SGS (long cage) rear derailleurs are widely available.
