Originally Posted by
aquateen
Yes, it looks like the 6500 can handle a 22 gear jump but I ended up just ordering a Deore derailleur for more cassette accessibility.
IMO that was a good decision. I see that you have a Trek 1000. I also have one that I used for commuting and have also used it for light touring. The bike is equipped with a Deore rear derailleur with a 12-34 cassette, and a 48/36/24 crankset. This is an excellent combination for where I live. You can probably imagine how that bike climbs with those gears. The Deore RD has been on the bike for 10 years, eight of those commuting. It is reliable and a good value. I can't say I've ever regretted having those low gears.
That derailleur will also set you up for some chainring changes when you find out that a 28 tooth chainring is not small enough
Bike, low geared Trek 1000, at the top of Lava Butte, near Bend, Oregon. I took this picture to prove to my daugter-in-law that an old guy could also get to the top. She did it the day before.
Lava Butte:
Lava Butte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia