Rear Cassette Ratios

[gazzab]

Anyone know anything about rear cassettes?
Whats the difference between 11-32 and 11-34?

[Selmer]

2 teeth more on the latter block. Gives you a 'smaller' gear for ascending. Either way, at that 'end' of the block, with small chainings the differences aren't apparent as at the other 'end' where a couple of teeth makes a bigger difference.

[beyond rational]

11 is the number of teeth on the smallest cog, the highest number (32/34) is the number on the largest cog. 34 teeth gives a slower ratio (i.e makes pedalling easier uphills)

[neil_cardiff]

Echo the above, but would like to add my personal preference - I prefer the closer ratios of the 11-32, as I tend to push bigger gears (usually 34 and 44 at the front) - the 34 would be handy at times, but find that I get on better with the former...

Additonally, it is to be noted that as you get more proficient at your riding, you should hardly ever be using the inner chainring (or granny gear) - I rarely leave the big ring - the middle is used for when I have to climb tough stuff

In short, granny gears are for pussies

[pawsmcgraw]

i find using 21-11 and a triple chainring on the front gives all the gears i need but without the big jumps in caydence.Works far more efficiently for me than the huge spaces in gears you get with a 34-11

[Locoblade]

neil_cardiff said:

.....you should hardly ever be using the inner chainring (or granny gear) - I rarely leave the big ring - the middle is used for when I have to climb tough stuff

Maybe you should try riding terrain with hills

[pdV6]

Locoblade said:

neil_cardiff said:

.....you should hardly ever be using the inner chainring (or granny gear) - I rarely leave the big ring - the middle is used for when I have to climb tough stuff

Maybe you should try riding terrain with hills

There are one or two hills where Neil & tend to ride.

I have noticed, though, that on my old (relatively heavy) ali hardtail I'd be hitting the granny ring for the steep stuff. Since getting a much lighter carbon full susser, I can't recall having used the granny ring at all (except for dialling in the shifter after a cable change).

[Locoblade]

Maybe I should insert the word "proper" in between "with" and "hills"

Edited by Locoblade on Tuesday 5th December 10:57

[gazzab]

The hills I am going up are VERY steep - a real balancing act to keep the front wheel down and the back wheel from spinning. I find that you cant anything but the granny gear (particularly this time of yr) because:-
i) you will get too much wheel spin (and fall off)
ii)you will find it hard to accelerate when you are faced with some stumps or rocks to hit.