Changing cassettes for Bontrager MTB wheel

[Mamba]

Folks, just bought a used spare wheelset, and am shopping for an 8 speed
cassette for it. I've tinkered with most of the stuff on my bikes, but have
never installed a cassette.

I figure I need a chain whip to tighten it once I fit it onto the splines,
correct? Do I also need a locking ring of some kind to ensure it stays
tight, and if so will it come with the cassette? Seems a waste to have to
cart the wheels down to my LBS if the install process is simple.

From shat I can see, SRAM 8 sp cassettes have the same spacing as Shimano.
Any user preferences on either make? Usage will be mainly XC MTB - any fav
models among current offerings out there?

Thanks

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Folks, just bought a used spare wheelset, and am shopping for an 8 speed
> cassette for it. I've tinkered with most of the stuff on my bikes, but
> have never installed a cassette.
>
> I figure I need a chain whip to tighten it once I fit it onto the splines,
> correct? Do I also need a locking ring of some kind to ensure it stays
> tight, and if so will it come with the cassette? Seems a waste to have to
> cart the wheels down to my LBS if the install process is simple.

The locking ring will come with the cassette. For installation you don't
need a chain whip, only a tool to tighten the lockring. For removal you'll
require both the lockring tool and the whip.

> From shat I can see, SRAM 8 sp cassettes have the same spacing as Shimano.
> Any user preferences on either make? Usage will be mainly XC MTB - any
> fav models among current offerings out there?

Shimano cassettes have a history of shifting better, although that seems
less of an issue lately (the SRAM units are getting better).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

[Frank Drackman]

"Mamba" <gw@nottoday.net> wrote in message
news:13egs6boa1rrv06@corp.supernews.com...
> Folks, just bought a used spare wheelset, and am shopping for an 8 speed
> cassette for it. I've tinkered with most of the stuff on my bikes, but
> have never installed a cassette.
>
> I figure I need a chain whip to tighten it once I fit it onto the splines,
> correct? Do I also need a locking ring of some kind to ensure it stays
> tight, and if so will it come with the cassette? Seems a waste to have to
> cart the wheels down to my LBS if the install process is simple.
>
> From shat I can see, SRAM 8 sp cassettes have the same spacing as Shimano.
> Any user preferences on either make? Usage will be mainly XC MTB - any
> fav models among current offerings out there?
>
> Thanks
>

The Park Tool website has great information about working on your bike. The
cassette information is at:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=48