When will Shimano realise that not everyone wants a 11 or 12T bottom sprocket?

[HLaB]

not everyone wants a 11 or 12T bottom sprocket

that is the case but the majority do, its just simple economics.

 

[Smokin Joe]

When cassettes were still relatively new Campag used individual sprockets, enabling you to select whatever ratios you wanted.

It had a downside of course, like when I discovered I'd raced for eighteen months with two 18 sprockets on the back.

 

[Salty seadog]

I'd raced for eighteen months

That's some race.

 

[AlanW]

When cassettes were still relatively new Campag used individual sprockets, enabling you to select whatever ratios you wanted.

So did Shimano, you could walk into your LBS and pick your individual sprockets build your own cassette. I recall all the different sizes were mounted on a peg board in the shop, sort of like a engineers pick 'n' mix.

But Shimano very soon wised up to that and started bolting the last three or four together and also the next three to that. But people simply removed the tiny bolts, so they upped the anti and put rivets in instead, swines! So instead on buying one sprocket at a time as it wore out, you had no choice but to buy a whole new cassette.

 

[chriscross1966]

I wish they'd make a screw on freewheel that was 9-10-11-13-16-20-25.... it would be handy for my custom Brompton.... but they don't, cos they go with what the mass market wants...

 

[fatjel]

I tend to use the 34 front ring pretty much all the time so the 11t cog on the back sees quite a lot of use.

Options can only be good tho

 

[gavroche]

I use the 32t at the back far more often than the 12t because I am no racer.

 

[si_c]

I use a 12-25 block on the back most of the time, but I live in a pretty flat area. If I'm doing a hilly ride I'll put an 11-32 or 11-34 on, but the 11t won't see much use.

 

[AlanW]

I use a 12-25 block on the back most of the time, but I live in a pretty flat area. If I'm doing a hilly ride I'll put an 11-32 or 11-34 on, but the 11t won't see much use.

Same as you my preferred cassette is a 12-25, apart from the bike I use for audaxing which has a Dura Ace 12-28 cassette. Which, if it wasn't so dam expensive or they offered the exact same ratio in Ultegra or 105 then that would be my cassette of choice. That said, two weeks in and I do like the 14-28 and yes I do spin out on the odd occasion and wished I could go bigger, but hey.....its a compromise I guess.