The big news with the Ultegra CS-R8000 11 Speed Cassette is you now have more gearing options, with one twist. The increased call for overall drivetrain range for road, gravel, road, and endurance cycling prompted Shimano to fully invest the R8000 drivetrain with more capability. You get the standard popular cassette options up to combination to 11-32T, but the twist is Shimano also added an 11-34T to the mix, but built to be stiffer and more durable throughout, and that features cogs, finish and tooth profiling just like R8000. However it has a different build and series name- that is the HG800 11-34T and is not part of the R8000 line.

The new Ultegra RD-R8000 Shadow Rear Derailleur comes in two sizes, SS (short cage), and GS (mid-cage). Cassettes up to 11-30 are compatible with the SS version, while the 11-32 and 11-34 models requires the GS model. This set-up is also fully compatible with Dura-Ace R9000 / R9100 so if you need more gearing on your Dura-Ace bike, you can opt for the Ultegra R8000 GS rear derailleur and wider range cassette options.

Shimano delivers an incredible amount of systems engineering in the shape, tooth design, and shifting gates in their cassettes that nothing shifts smoother, faster, or more reliably. The Ultegra R8000 cassettes feature precision made nickel-plated steel cogs that wear slowly and resist corrosion. One grouping of of the three largest cogs are pinned to an anodized aluminum spider with a 2 cog pairing mounted to a carbon carrier, while the remaining 6 cogs are individual. An anodized aluminum lockring holds the assembly together when mounted on the freehub. If you install the cassette yourself, take a long look at how each cog is made, and how each cog is aligned to it's neighbors. So much of what we take for granted with Shimano cassettes is intricately detailed in plain view, and no company holds as many shifting related patents as Shimano does.

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