Cassette change

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gavroche

Getting old but not past it
Location
North Wales
I have a Cube Peloton with a granny gear of 30/32 which is the best of my three bikes but, not being a born climber, is it worth changing the cassette to a 34 teeth ? Would it really make a lot of difference when going up steep hills? I would appreciate your valued opinion on that.
 
Can't have too many low gears!
 
2 teeth would make a surprising difference. If you really can’t do hills, 30-34 would be a very low gear to have, it must be a tiny gear inches number only measurable by some sort of atomic clock, or something.
 
I have a Cube Peloton with a granny gear of 30/32 which is the best of my three bikes but, not being a born climber, is it worth changing the cassette to a 34 teeth ? Would it really make a lot of difference when going up steep hills? I would appreciate your valued opinion on that.
To be more explicit, I put an11-34 mtb cassette and rd on a Scott roadie, giving 30-34 on a 23lb bike. Still couldn't quite get up my nemesis ramp. Did the same tjing to my old steel mtb, giving 28-34, and got up it on a bike 10lb heavier. It's around 21 or 22 gear inches, maybe less. The mtb is going to get even lower, maybe 22-36!
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Agree with Skolly. It's only 1.5 gear inch lower. So, chances are if you're struggling, you'll still struggle though the magnitude of the struggle may be fractionally less.
 
When going 32->34, which other sprockets are you changing ??
If you're only altering the 32 sprocket to 34 then fine.
If you're altering 4-5 sprockets to get the 34 sprocket then check you're not putting a nasty step in your most commonly used gears.
Something like a 17-19 step going to 17-20, a 12% step going to 17.5% step.

Luck ......... ^_^
 
Why not do the experiment and decide for yourself? 2 extra teeth on the back gives you a 6% lower ratio. So what is moot is whether a 6% change is worth it. Why not weigh yourself and the bike, add 6% and go and ride. Take that 6% off and ride again. Did you feel the difference and is it worth it?
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Just ride for an hour in this heat and you'll lose easily a kilo in weight as you sweat. If you don't believe me, weigh yourself naked before and after riding in hot weather.
 
I've just checked the specs.
The stock block is an 8 speed 12-32 with a 50-39-30 road triple.
That gives you a nice range of gears, 112.5"-25.3".
If you can find a 12-34 block then it's fine as it only shifts your first gear by roughly 1/2 a gear down.
I wouldn't recommend fitting an 11-34 block, unless you have an 11-32 block fitted, as it will shift all the top gears upward making them harder to use.
That's unless you really want to pedal downhill roughly 10% faser ....... ^_^
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Would it make a difference? Well, my experience of adding the two teeth to give me a 34/34 bottom gear instead of 34/32 was that it did make a significant difference.

It also made me slower because I always go direct to bottom gear (whatever that happens to be) on any hill of any size, and pedal at the same rate, so I just slowed down - but it became easier.

But there are other considerations, like can your derailleur handle it, what effect will it have on all your other gears etc.
 
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