Mountain Biking - Cassette Question

I'm buying a new 9 spd cassette. what's the difference between 11-32 and 11-34. I use a long cage derailleur. are there any inherent advantages or disadvantages with either cassette? Thanks in advance. happy trails!

i don't know that much about cassette numbers, but I think the 11 is the number of teeth on the smallest (hardest) cog, so those two are the same. the 32/34 is the number for the biggest (easiest) cog. and the more teeth the easier the gear. so the 11-34 has a slightly "easier" lowest gear. if that makes sense. someone correct me if i'm wrong please:D

interesting. your input is much appreciated. what can people tell me about gear ratios. i want to go fast.

Two teeth on the largest cog is the most obvious difference, but the progression of teeth are also different.

11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34

11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32

Most people choose by the size of the largest cog.

for a little explanation on the calculations (and a neat speed calculator) see:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gain.html

but basically, the bigger the front chainring, the harder/faster it goes. the smaller the chainring up front, the slower/easier it goes.

the reverse is true for the cassette, the smaller the rear cog, the faster/harder it goes. and the bigger the rear cog, the slower/easier it goes. some of the speeds overlap, bikes don't have as many speeds as they advertise.

thanks a lot smittyben. that was the exactly the kind of advice i was looking for. happy trails all!