So, there I was, under that tree, just enjoying life while eating a watermelon with a big spoon. Yes, I rode up the mountain with it in the rear bags. I fancied eating it. SRAM also offers just two cassette sizes in its Eagle lineup – 10-50 and 10-52. The 10-52 is the widest-range cassette made by either manufacturer. Although there are currently two options, it’s likely the 10-50 will be phased out in time because it has been superseded by the 10-52. That is why if you’re buying the 11-34 cassette to replace an older cassette, you should also buy a chain that will be long enough to carry down to the 34th teeth. 11-30 vs. 11-34 Cassette Weight

Then think about your typical speeds while climbing on the steep sections. You need a gear that will allow you to spin at a least 60 rpm and still keep those speeds. Gravel bikes are best viewed as a crossover between a road and mountain bike. As such, it’s normal to see them specced with either a road or mountain bike cassette. Our cassettes are manufactured with fine tolerances, therefore if you do not change your chain, there is a chance issues may arise such as shifting and noise.Whereas the 11-30 cassette is very comfortable and easy to ride, the 11-34 is more complex due to the switch in gears from 30 to 34. Shimano got on the low-gear train with its GRX components including 46/30 chainsets. Going for a triple chainset The 11-34 weighs 339g, while the 11-30 weighs 271g. However, this weight is just the average because the 11-30 and 11-34 cassettes come in different sizes. As mentioned above...I'm running a 50/34 10 speed with 11-32 cassette but would like to change to a configuration that would make climbing hill easier. SRAM introduced its XD freehub standard when it started rolling out cassettes with a 10-tooth smallest cog. It recently ported this design over to the road with XDR, which also allows the use of 10-tooth cogs, but is slightly wider than the road bike standard.

The 11-34 cassette is very good for hiking or mountainous areas, and the large range in the cog sizes makes it easier to ride in such areas.

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At the top of a mountain not so far from home, there is a beautiful willow tree. I like to take a break under its shadow when I cycle, after going all the way up. It creaks and sways along with the wind. It's a relaxing, quite zen experience. PS MTB triple chainsets have the wrong chainline (typically 50mm) for a road bike (typically needing 43.5mm). If you are specifically using a Shimano HG freehub, you need to consider how wide the cassette you are buying is. Road wheels have slightly wider freehubs than MTB ones – by 1.85mm – and 11-speed Shimano HG road cassettes are slightly wider than 8- or 9-speed ones, again by 1.85mm. Tech Tip: This cassette is compatible with all Shimano 11-speed road derailleurs. However, you should choose the same tooth count as your existing cassette or confirm the maximum cassette capacity for your derailleur before choosing) Grayed-out rows in the table below indicate cassettes not listed in the 2015 new-products listing or 2016-2017 catalog. SunRace appears at this time to be specializing in MTB cassettes, at least among the 10-speeds.

While those numbers look very close, 34/34 is 6% fewer watts, 34/36 is roughly 12% fewer watts. That can be the difference between redline and just cruising along. The 11-30 cassette is usable on any setup. It also fits the Shimano ultegra speed of 11-speed systems perfectly. The average speed with this cassette is 13.2km/h. What is 11-34 Cassette? For grades beyond 10% having a gear that you can spin at the rate you can climb makes a big difference. Cassettes listed below will fit most Shimano and Shimano-compatible Freehub bodies, with the following exceptions:

Swapping your chainset

If you have the 11-30 cassette and intend to climb, upgrading to the 11-34 cassette would be better, as that is the best option for climbing. SunRace does not give tooth counts in the 2016-2017 catalog but there are tooth counts in the earlier catalogs. SunRace listed a 12-32 10-speed cassette in the 2013-2014 catalog but did not give tooth counts for it. If a compact chainset isn't small enough, you can go lower still with a sub-compact like the FSA Energy. These typically have 46T and 30T chainrings for a roughly 10 percent drop in gears. Using an 11-34 cassette, you will need a long cage derailleur and a long chain to accommodate the cassette’s 34th teeth. In the last couple of years, Shimano has introduced 11-34 cassettes at Tiagra, 105 R7000, and Ultegra R8000 levels, so the old 105 5800 is now the only enthusiast-level groupset you're likely to find on a new bike that doesn't officially work with 11-34, and there's not much 5800 left on bikes in the shops. You can always upgrade the rear mech to R7000.