22/32/44 Chainset - Thinking of going from 11-34 to 11-32 cassette - advice?

[Bodhbh]

I can't see it will make much difference tbh. And with a touring load half the time (in the UK) I find myself double or triple shifting everytime the gradient changes half a degree anyhow And it is a consumable that'll get chewed thru soon enough - why not at least wear out the current one? (well, unless you just want to put theory to the test, which is fair enough).

 

[I like Skol]

My hybrid runs 26/36/48 and an 11-26t cassette and I can't remember the last time I switched to the 26t granny ring other than by accident. Are you sure you really need a 34 or 32 tooth sprocket with a 22 tooth chainring? I bet if you actually looked at the gears you use you will find the 22/34 combination just isn't there.

I also recommend not wasting your money on the XT cassette. For 9 speed I have been very pleased with the mileage I am getting from Sram PG950 cassettes. In fact I ordered one today FROM CHAINREACTION just for stock as the same cassette does my hybrid and my road bike and they are at a really good price at the moment.

Fitting an 11-26 cassette was one of the first jobs I did when I got the hybrid as I knew I just wasn't going to need the 11-32 it came with (that went straight on ebay)

 

[Sterba]

Get the 11 - 32. If ever you had to use it, somebody walking their bike up the hill would overtake you.

 

[oxford_guy]

I still think the 11-32 one still looks like the best compromise, think will still manage the hill I have to cycle up home on from my commute every day without having to drop to the smallest chain set ring, whilst still have a good low gear available for climbing that and worse hills when with a full camping load. As for going for the XT version - this is the first time I've had to replace the cassette in almost 5 years on a touring bike that cost over £1,300, so for less than £10/year, it hardly seems like a big expense for a nice cassette.

 

[oxford_guy]

BTW if I do find the 11-32 still too low, I could always swap to a 48/36/26 chainset (from 44/32/22) when that eventually wears out (though it still looks like there's quite a bit of life in that) - this would give be a range of 118 to 21.9 inches, according to this website, but I'll see how I get one with my current chainset and the 11-32 cassette on a week long tour I'm doing in a fairly highly part of the Czech Republic at the end of August...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My 2p.

Stick with what you've got.
&
don't bother with going for XT over LX unless you're getting a NOS bargain. You won't notice the difference when touring.

 

[jjb]

I vote for the 32 or smaller (1:1 gearing was fine for the alps, for me, with camping gear). And I vote for aspiring toward a lighter touring bike as it's nice when touring uphill. You know what your own spending priorities are; don't go crazy.

 

[andrew_s]

Go ahead and get the 11-32. I don't suppose you'll notice much difference, but there's no problem at all with swapping cassettes.

Get the 11 - 32. If ever you had to use it, somebody walking their bike up the hill would overtake you.

People say that, but mostly they are comparing walking with no bike on the flat with riding up a steep hill. No matter how slow you ride, it's still quicker than pushing a bike up the same hill, especially if the bike's got full panniers on it.

 

[ColinJ]

People say that, but mostly they are comparing walking with no bike on the flat with riding up a steep hill. No matter how slow you ride, it's still quicker than pushing a bike up the same hill, especially if the bike's got full panniers on it.

I agree. I hate walking with my road bike. I accept that there are places that I have to push or even carry my MTB because I like to do some serious offroad on it, but I try to ride up all roads no matter how steep. I get up anything up to about 20% and used to manage 25+%, but struggled with those severe gradients once I got very fat.

 

[Ticktockmy]

When I am touring, I tend to get off and walk the bike if my speed drops below 5MPH going uphill, after all if you are touring speed and being quicker does not come into it, well not for me. As to Cassette once touring fully loaded 11-32 or 11-34 will not make much difference. My concern regarding anything to do with the drive system is will it last a reasonable distance. Over the years i have used many makes of chain and cassette, and have not found much difference between them for durability.

 

[I like Skol]

My thoughts are that you shouldn't set the bike up for that once in a blue moon time when you do actually want to climb the side of the Alps. If you do, you end up compromising the bikes function for the other 99.99% of the time you are riding it.

 

[Bodhbh]

People say that, but mostly they are comparing walking with no bike on the flat with riding up a steep hill. No matter how slow you ride, it's still quicker than pushing a bike up the same hill, especially if the bike's got full panniers on it.

I think last I pushed it was about 2 - 2.5mph, riding the same gradient was 3.5mph (with a MTB drivetrain). That and using a bunch of muscles that normally never get used, it soon gets tiresome pushing a loaded bike uphill. As usual, each too his own, somepeople like the change.

 

[andym]

Go ahead and get the 11-32. I don't suppose you'll notice much difference, but there's no problem at all with swapping cassettes.


People say that, but mostly they are comparing walking with no bike on the flat with riding up a steep hill. No matter how slow you ride, it's still quicker than pushing a bike up the same hill, especially if the bike's got full panniers on it.

+1 on that. It's one of those myths that keeps getting recycled - the variant is that you have to pedal really fast to avoid falling over. Personally I think they say it because someone else said it.

 

[Amanda P]

Either one. We're splitting hairs here; you won't notice the difference.

 

[oxford_guy]

Have ordered the 11-32 one, expect difference will be very minor, but possibly helpful when not loaded touring