Attention Equipment Geeks! I have a rear cassette question

[slinkedog]

Ha! DUH!!!!!! Can I delete this entire thread to save my pride???

[Adventure Girl]

Another way.... Count each tooth twice, then divide by 2!

[SadieKate]

Your secret is safe with us!

[slinkedog]

Oh no, it's posted here for God and everybody to see just how stupid I truly am.

[slinkedog]

Just so you aren't in suspense, it is a 12/25. I think I want a cassette with a 34 for my little gear. I think it would help my climbing immensely.

[SadieKate]

Just so you aren't in suspense, it is a 12/25. I think I want a cassette with a 34 for my little gear. I think it would help my climbing immensely.

Whoosh! I've been holding my breath. Inquiring minds wanted to know!

Me likes 34! The kneesies think 34 is super nifty. Just remember, the 34 might want a new derailleur.

[slinkedog]

Oh, I didn't know that. Well, Christmas is coming. Maybe I'll ask for a new rear cassette and derailleur from Santa. I'd like a new front derailleur, too. Mine is kinda wacky.

[eofelis]

Just so you aren't in suspense, it is a 12/25. I think I want a cassette with a 34 for my little gear. I think it would help my climbing immensely.

All 4 of my bikes have 12-34 cassettes on them. And they aren't all mtn bikes! My road bike has one too. I can climb damn near anything. I love it!!!!

[slinkedog]

Hey Surly and SadieKate... do you guys have a triple in the front? I'm concerned that if I get a 34 with my 30 in the front, I'll be spinning out if I'm in both my littlest gears.

[bcipam]

Just so you aren't in suspense, it is a 12/25. I think I want a cassette with a 34 for my little gear. I think it would help my climbing immensely.

I bought my Lemond Zurich with a 12/25. I had them put on a 27 and eventually got convinced to change out the rear Ultegra derailleur and cassette for an XTR derailleur and cassette which now gives me 12/34. At times I wished I hadn't done this and just struggled with the 27 to make me a stronger climber but with all the touring I've done through Utah and other states I am soooo glad for the 34. I don't go into it as much as before but glad it's there when needed.

Just a word of caution: need to find a good mechanic to make the proper adjustments. In the beginning I could not drop into the 30,32 and 34 found a good mechanic and now the shifting is very smooth - not as smooth of course as the 25 or 27 but works OK for me. You also lose some "fine tuning" by moving the cassette up. But then, I can climb up almost anything.

[slinkedog]

Hey tprevost! I'm not sure how much of a difference it has made just because I put it on right before my son started soccer last year, at which point I essentially stopped riding my bike. So I didn't get a lot of chances to go do some of my benchmark hills for comparison. I'm sure it is helpful, though. I'm still tempted to try a mtb cassette in the back. We'll see.

We'd LOVE to ride with you. I'm very bad on hills and slow on the ones I can make it up. We'll be great riding partners!

[DebW]

As with everything, there are tradeoff. With wider gears, you give up quickness and precision in shifting, plus you have bigger jumps between cogs and more weight. A wide range cassette requires a derailleur with a long cage and with the jockey wheels positioned farther from the cogs, thus slower and less precise shifting. Though with the 9 and 10 speed cassettes these days, having a couple low gears you seldom use isn't much of a hardship (I still use a 6-speed freewheel) unless your shifting is affected.