Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
To me, the big question has to do with what gear you need to hit the "sweet spot" on the flat. One of those cassettes has a 16t cog, the other has a 17. If you're like most people, you will find one or the other of those cogs indespensable.
True.
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Motorhommmer, you could even buy both cassettes and hack them together into one super cassette and pick a range that suits your needs best rather than relying on Shimano's gearing choices.
11,12,14,16,18,21,24,28,32
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11,13,15,17,
20,23,26,30,34 <- Are you sure about the 20? Wouldn't that one be a 19 instead?
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11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,23,24,26,28,30,32,34 <- Quite a range to select from here.
Since you're running a tripple with a 26t up front how likely are you to need to go all the way up to 34 on the back? Are they pretty large hills?