Originally Posted by
Psimet2001
It will tend to run and shift better. Also it's not just "I can swap cassettes" It's more - "hey if I accidentally put a cassette on that is larger than my current one I won't detonate my rear derail."
This would be a bizarre accident...
I used to run long chains, but now I run short ones. Friction may be an issue in big ring big cog combos, but if you're up against sufficient wind or hills to put you there, you've selected the wrong ring. I also like to keep cassettes and chains together.