Miche’s Primato cassette continues the groupset’s theme of high performance, precision engineering and very keen pricing. With it’s high lustre chrome finish and a choice between Shimano and Campagnolo patterns it’s a great choice for racing, audax, winter training, and even a spot of light touring.
Emerging from the understated packaging, the mirror finish is mesmerising, yet closer inspection and riding in wet, coastal conditions with minimal lubrication suggests it’s sufficiently hardy for four seasons’ service. Curiously, while obviously machined to save weight, the mid cluster of sprockets are drilled, reminiscent of a bygone era.
Our 12-25 ten speed cluster coupled with the Miche Race Evo provided nigh on perfect ratios for my style of fast paced road riding-up hill and down dale, laden or otherwise. Running a 700x23 wheel/tyre comb along with a 53X36 chainset equated to gearing between 37.8 and a whopping 116.1 inches while a compact triple would provide a useful bail out for weary legs and/or hauling trailers/tag-alongs in more mountainous regions. Being a cassette means not only easy replacement of favourite ratios but easy tweaks to suit conditions.
Nylon spacers are largely fit and forget-especially compared with the aluminium type but that said they proved trickier to snug down in the first instance. I’m a man for a’la Carte componentry and am delighted to report these performed harmoniously with a KMC chain, Campagnolo Centaur mechs and the Race Evo crankset. Shifts both up and down the cassette are effortless-even under load thanks to precise machining and selective ramping. Priced to compete with Veloce, it delivers markedly slicker shifting and could be an inexpensive means of putting extra sparkle into this or say a Mirage groupset.
Verdict
Good, durable and keenly priced Campagnolo alternative.
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Miche Primato 10spd cassette
Size tested: 12-25
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
The Primato, in keeping with the rest of the groupset is a 10 speed cassette designed as a compatible rival to mid range Shimano and Campagnolo road groupsets and is both versetile and extremely competent in 12-25 range.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
230g, 10 speed chrome plated sprockets with ramped teeth and nylon spacers. Campagnolo varient tested.
230g
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
There's no doubting the cassette's quality and it performed faultlessly in all contexts, suiting both road and audax using double and even laden tourists with a triple. Finish, despite a deliberate, provocative lack of lubrication shows no sign of the dreaded rot-even tested in very damp conditions. A good choice for general riding.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Good machining, sensible ratios, keen price and hardy plating.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 1m 81 Weight: 70 kilos
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)