Mountain Biking - What's different between 11-32 and 11-34 cassettes?Z

Hi all,

Would you please explain the differencies between 11-32 and 11-34 cassettes?

I will put a new cassette onto a new rear wheel which has a 1.25" thick slick road tire.

Thanks in advance.

11-32 has 11 teeth on the small cog & 32 teeth on the large cog.
11-34 has 11 teeth on the small cog & 34 teeth on the large cog.

If you do a lot of steep climbing get the 11-34.

but check that your rear derailleur can take a 34 first

11-32 has 11 teeth on the small cog & 32 teeth on the large cog.
11-34 has 11 teeth on the small cog & 34 teeth on the large cog.

If you do a lot of steep climbing get the 11-34.

Watch out for the 34 if you are a powerful rider. I have had 2 of the 34 sprockets fold on me, just by power going in. It has even got to the stage where I now Buy LX 11/32 in preference to XT 11/32 cassettes as I have been putting a bend into the sprockets. XT may be lighter, but with the lightness has come a bit of weakness that causes me problems.

And No- I do not class myself as a powerful rider, but On both occasions, the folded cassette has come on extreme hills, where that oomph of power has been required. I spin well but even I find that 22/32 is a slow speed gear, and is only used on the extreme parts of the hill.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9404/image44bt.jpg

I'm not sure if the graph will make any sense but I'll try to explain it.

- The blue lines are 11-32, and the greens are 11-34.

- the numbers on the left represent the speed in kph at 90 crank revolutions per minute.

- the numbers on the bottom are gears.

- numbers are for 22/32/44 chainrings (bottom 22, middle 32, top 44)

So... the steeper the lines are, the harder it gets when you change gears up. For example when you change from 8 to 9, 11-34 (green) will hurt your legs more than 11-32 as the line is very steep.

It seems like 11-34 is easier on the low gears (up to 5th), but harder on the high gears than 11-32.

I have just got into off road riding (have been on road for a couple of years). I was worried about the lowest gears etc., but found that even with a 22 front and 30 rear it's not gears you run out off it's the ability to keep the front wheel on the ground, even laying over the bars each pedal stroke or rock lifts the front wheel into the air.
So either cassette would be fine (with a 22 front) but as Royalflash said check your rear deraillier can cope if you go 11~34.
Ps. the above is with ultra steep hills that even the four wheel drives have a bypass for.

The cassette with the 34 cog is for long caged rear mechs, the 32 is for the standard sized mechs.

Rear mechs have a max cog size, if you're planning on using a 34 check your manuals before commiting.