SRAM released Eagle back in 2016 – the 10-50t cassette that would be the first wide-range cassette and the final nail for off-road front derailleurs. Shimano followed suit, literally one-upping SRAM with a 10-51t before SRAM reinstated itself as the range masters in 2020 with the release of its 10-52t cassette, which has a generous 520 percent range.
There is always room to eke out a little more performance, leaving an open door for brands like e*thirteen to manufacture cassettes that add even more range to your MTB groupset. I previously tested the e*thirteen Helix Plus cassette which offers a wide 556 percent range using a 9-50t cluster. More is definitely more, and e*thirteen has taken it even further with the e*thirteen Helix Race, which has a massive 578 percent range. Can you have too much of a good thing though?
