Some years ago I asked a similar question and someone named "Sheldon Brown" responded and directed
me to their website! I have referred to that website many, many times since then and I highly
recommend it as a "favorite" when it comes to questions about components, etc. "Sheldon Brown"
<
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> martiarch wrote:
> > Could someone please explain the sizing on cassettes...I'm looking to buy a new cassette for my
> > mountain bike. What are the differences between 11-32 , 11-34 and 12-34...
>
> Those are the numbers of teeth on the smallest and largest sprockets respectively.
>
> An 11 will let you go a bit faster downhill or on the road. A 34 will let you climb with less
> effort, but more slowly. A wider range will cause bigger spacing between intermediate gears, which
> could be annoying.
>
> Some older freehubs won't accept an 11 tooth without minor modification.
>
> See also
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html
>
> and
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
>
> Sheldon "Kah-Sept" Brown +-----------------------------------------------------------+
> | In my opinion two characteristics disqualify skating | as vehicular travel. | The first is the
> | necessary side-to-side swerving motion. | The second is the very poor braking deceleration. | I
> | think that skating should not be allowed on either | pedestrian or vehicular facilities. --
> | John Forester |
> +-----------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
> Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
> shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com