New Groupset

[Doyleyburger]

Just go for the compact and the 11-32 mate. Don't have to use the 32 do you, but it's there when you need it.
That's how I would look at it anyway. Best of both worlds

 

[goody]

52-36 chainset and 11-28.

 

[cyberknight]

My maths/units differ (I lie; I'm using the calculator (see above)) but with 34/22 (he's comfortable going up in the second largest sprocket in a 12-25 8sp cassette) at 90rpm gets you 16 kilometres per hour. Think if you're out of the saddle cadence could easily drop to 45 and that would mean he's climbing it at 5mph: entirely reasonable.

Ahh i think we have both took the meaning of what gear the OP is using from different ends of the cassette

 

[Newman8]

I use 52/36 with 11/29 & came to find that suited me only after hundreds of miles of experimenting with different set-ups since moving to hillier terrain... I use that entire range of gears on almost every ride here, but took my bike on holiday to a much flatter area (Florida) & don't think I used anything lower than a 36F with 21R & actually spent most of my time on the bigger front ring & somewhere close to the middle of the cassette.
The easy answer is - if you have the choice - why not have as wide a range as you can (52/36 with 11/32). I really don't see any issues having slightly bigger jumps between gears - but you would have to change to a long cage derailleur too. Even on 28-29t you may find a medium cage is better, but I think I read that both Shimano & Campag claim their new short cage versions work with 29t.

 

[Ajax Bay]

my current set up . . is: 25-12 rear cassett, 50-34 front. The steepest hill I ride is . . a 12degree incline. I find I can climb this using small gear and front and second cog from top on rear cassette. The type of riding I do currently is a variety of steep up hills, long down hill sections as well as a good amount of flat or small inclines.

OP can manage his steepest hill on 34-23(or 22 - depends on cassette make up). He does not need a 32 at the back, does he? Trade that for a closer ratio cassette ie 11-28 which will address the 'spin-out' issue (with a 52) and keep the gear step %ages as low as possible, yet give him the hill gearing he needs (with one sprocket in hand). So I'm afraid I do not agree with the 'have as wide a range as you can' (@Newman8 though good comment) or the 'Best of both worlds' (@Doyleyburger - which worlds are you talking about?).

 

[Newman8]

Yes - fair point Ajax... I suppose what I was trying to say was that your needs, as far as your gears go, can change:
I try to take my bike for a couple of days worth of riding on any family holiday & that's taken me to Florida (very flat) Wales & Scotland (some big, but altogether more gradual hills) in the last 3 years - all with different kinds of riding to here in Cornwall (which is just lots of short-sharp 10-20-25+% climbs & descents & repeat over & over, but having a big range of gears covers me for wherever I go. It doesn't really matter if I travel somewhere & only use 5 or 6 gears instead of 9 or 10, but I still find myself often wishing I had that one slightly easier gear to go down to.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I still find myself often wishing I had that one slightly easier gear to go down to

I think we've literally all been there; and looked down in anguish wondering why the chain is stepping up to the larger sprocket (reason: there isn't one). But then just thought 'right: get up this one'. However short a gear one has, I suspect one would still get that 'slightly easier gear' feeling.

 

[Doyleyburger]

'Best of both worlds' (@Doyleyburger - which worlds are you talking about?).

Only read the first post by the OP. Didn't realise he had such strong legs that he could cope with most hills on a 25t.
I like a compact plus the 11-32 at the back coz I can ride all day in and around in the mountains if I wish to on that cassette

 

[Mile195]

Go 50/34 at the front - that's for sure.

At the rear well it sounds like you would perhaps be better off with the 11-32 reading your post the first time. However, you might find the bigger differences between gears a bit annoying if you're anything like me. For the past few years I've been riding 10 speed 12-27, but I've just gone back to 12-25 (which is what the bike was originally fitted with) because I always found there to be something of a gap between the third and fourth gears which annoys me on my commute. I don't regularly encounter enough uber-steep hills to have the 27 just sitting there not being used nearly all of the time.

All that aside, cassettes are easy and relatively inexpensive to change. So you could go for the biggest range for now, and if you're not so keen just change it for a different one when you've worn it out. Or if you don't want to wait that long, change it sooner, and I'm sure someone will give you a few quid for a part-worn cassette on here or ebay.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Go 50/34 at the front - that's for sure.

Why so sure? Why not 52-36?

you would perhaps be better off with the 11-32 reading your post the first time

Why? He is content NOW with 34/23 so why would he need the 32 (even with a 36 on the front)? You make a good point about the disadvantage of having a cassette with spacing wider than you needs (the steps are larger).

I find climbing fairly easy with my current set up.

(which is 50-34 and 12-25.

your needs, as far as your gears go, can change

Well said - he can swap to an 11-25 for flatter stuff (or in extremis to an 11-32 for a hill fest). A GS caged RD will handle that range.

 

[Mile195]

Why so sure? Why not 52-36?

Why? He is content NOW with 34/23 so why would he need the 32 (even with a 36 on the front)? You make a good point about the disadvantage of having a cassette with spacing wider than you needs (the steps are larger).
(which is 50-34 and 12-25.

Well said - he can swap to an 11-25 for flatter stuff (or in extremis to an 11-32 for a hill fest). A GS caged RD will handle that range.

In the first post, the focus seemed to be on the hills and I can't see much benefit in the larger chain rings in these circumstances, as well as the fact I think the 50/34 is cheaper (don't quote me I haven't checked though). However, I see that the follow up posts show that isn't actually the case which makes what I said somewhat void.
In any case though, whatever cassette the OP chooses, it's easily swapped out if it's not quite right further down the line.