New gear cassette

[Amac]

Hi guys,
I just wanted to pick your brains if I may.

I have just had a new chain and cassette fitted on my hybrid (for the first time on a 6 year old bike), the chain was really worn and stretched, at a local independent bike shop.
I must say first of all the bike and gears feel great, like a new bike.

The only thing that surprised me a little, was the original cassette was a HG200 7-Speed MTB Cassette - 12/32.
The guys have fitted HG41 7 Speed Cassette - 11/28.
I have checked the gear ratios which are the same except for 1st and 2nd.

Do think I should pick it up with the buke shop?

I have kinda got used to my old ratios, its not so much of a problem as I rarely use the small front ring, so I do have lower gears to go into if I needed to.
I guess I will get used to the slightly new ratios, it just surprised me a bit the didn't replace wit the same one.
Or do you think I am just being a bit picky

Cheers....

 

[Cycleops]

A bit naughty of them to change the ratios without first referring to you. If you’re finding you really don’t like the new setup I should take it up with them.
Don't think you’re being picky at all.

 

[ianrauk]

Take it back and explain you wanted like for like so please change it.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

If it has taken you 6 years to wear out a chain/cassette combo then you can hardly be said to be doing a lot of cycling. So you won't notice the difference. In a couple of rides/months, whichever comes soonest you will have forgotten the old set up.
Which would you rather LBS did....fix the bike with slightly different ratios, or leave you with no bike for however long it takes to get an identical cassette?

 

[vickster]

As above. This is why I personally prefer to buy my parts online and pay the extra £5 bolt on charge that my LBS charges (and I don‘t pay RRP for the part)

 

[C R]

If it has taken you 6 years to wear out a chain/cassette combo then you can hardly be said to be doing a lot of cycling. So you won't notice the difference. In a couple of rides/months, whichever comes soonest you will have forgotten the old set up.
Which would you rather LBS did....fix the bike with slightly different ratios, or leave you with no bike for however long it takes to get an identical cassette?

But the LBS could have asked, how would you feel if you took your car to have the gear box fixed and the garage fit a 4 speed gearbox instead of the 5 speed you had?

To the OP, I don't think you are being picky, they should have at least asked if you were happy with the change.

 

[vickster]

My guess would be that the shop didn’t check what was on there (presumably they didn’t ask the OP and he didn’t tell them up front) and they just fitted a 7 speed cassette that they had to hand

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

The OP still won't notice the difference. First World problem. He says he is used to the ratios. Really? At the level of one chain/cassette every 6 years he can hardly be used to anything on the bike; certainly not at a level that he would notice the difference.
Then there is the question of how long he actually spends in top gear. How long does anyone spend hammering in top gear.
Mountains and molehills come to mind.

 

[Tigerbiten]

I don't look at the top and bottom sprockets but the middle ones.
It's more a question of what's your most used gear and how big the steps are each side of it.
The 12-32 I found looks like a balanced cassette, 4 reasonable steps then 2 wider steps at the low end.
The 11-28 is not so balanced. The wide 15-18 step is right where you don't want it.

Luck ............

 

[Amac]

Hi guys,
Thanks for getting back to me.
I think I will see how I get on, I think it will feel ok.
It was very worn, I have only being doing weekend rides in the summer. Until I retired this year, I was going to get myself a road bike, but no luck.
So I have being a lot more on this bike, hence getting it a bit better.
I was just a bit surprised they did not fit like for like, as I did ask before hand if they would need to order parts in, but they said they carried stock.
I will just stick it down to experience

 

[byegad]

Living in hilly Co' Durham, I'd be camped out on their doorstep to complain.

Very naughty to do that without consulting you.

 

[Sharky]

What's the front, double or triple?
If triple, you probably have a low enough gear with the new cassette, but if double, you may notice it on the really steep climbs?

 

[Amac]

What's the front, double or triple?
If triple, you probably have a low enough gear with the new cassette, but if double, you may notice it on the really steep climbs?

I am on a triple, so I will be fine gear wise I think, its just now that I have being doing a fair bit more cycling, I don't use the small ring much. Feels as if I am giving in now daft really

 

[Tigerbiten]

It's not really the top and bottom gears you need to worry about.
Unless you live somewhere very hilly, you won't use them alot.
It's more about your most commonly used gear and how the the new block affects how big the steps are around it.
The bigger the step between the gears, the more likely you are to get stuck in a half gear.
You feel you could go faster but you cannot quite get into the power band of the next gear up.
It's fairly common for somebody how has changed their cassette to get a bigger range not to like it if they suddenly get a big step right in the middle of their most commonly used gears.

Luck ............