Quoted message said:
RonSonic said:I live in Florida and ride mostly a mountain bike and a 'cross bike. Both are
presently 8 speed. Since it's mtb season I've considered upgrades, like going to
9 speed with it. Being Florida and mostly flat, I've been happy with the 12-28
cassettes I've been running. I rarely use the 12, but it's got an excuse,
someday I'll be in a race and need it (I hope to eventually race at a level that
such a thing could make a difference) mostly it's there in case. The 28 gets
pretty darned lonely. I don't remember actually using it, but it could happen
and I figure if I ever do want it, I'll want it real bad. We won't even talk
about the granny ring up front, I don't think it's been used since I adjusted
the limit screws (it'll be adjusted out and gone before the end of summer)So I was thinking of going to nine and everybody makes cassettes that are 11-32
or 34 even. This will give me FEWER useful gears than what I've got now. The
commonly available road cassettes all stop short of the 28 I've got now. What a
pain. Does everyone else need an 11-32? I understand, elsewhere in this great
country they have "terrain." Still? Just a few years ago there was nothing
bigger than a 28, were there places that nobody could go that they go now?
Doesn't it take more skill to stay upright pedaling a 22x32 than to just stand
on the pedals?I'm not sure I understand your problem, but I think you're saying you
are thinking about going to 9s to give you gearing in case you do a mtb
race in a place where you will have some significant hills.
The point is that all of the MTB cassettes that we see advertised are 11-32 or
11-34. This seems unlikely to be a necessary gear range for everyone.
Admittedly, me and Florida is a special case but given that these bikes all have
triples this seems a needlessly wide range of cogs with unecessarilly wide gaps.
Ron
Quoted message said:My thought on it is that if you are not able to train on that type of
terrain you will not be able to race on it. Using an 11 on a downhill
takes significant skill as does using the 32 with the small ring. I
don't see how you could possilbly use these gears in a race if you
didn't get the chance to train on terrain that required them.
Personally, I think going up a steep trail does take practice.If you did upgrade to 9s it seems to me you should get at least 2
cassettes- one for FL and one for mountains (assuming that you get the
opportunity to train in mountains).