Rant: a guy at the shop swore by going up 2 teeth on my rear cassette, and I can't tell if he saved me or wrecked me

Nora Baker · 2026-09-29T07:05:07.472118+00:00

So there's this older mechanic at the shop on 3rd, rides a steel frame with a rack and panniers, and he told me back in March that I should swap my 11-28 cassette for an 11-32 because my knees were toast on the two big hills on my way to the office. I did it, and honestly the climbs got easier right away, I stopped showing up sweaty and mad, and I figured he was a genius. Then the derailleur started skipping in the middle gears, I bought a longer cage one for $60, and now my chain slap is worse on the bumpy stretch by the bridge. Some days I think he fixed my knees and other days I think he just made me into a guy who buys parts. The thing is, my commute is only 4.5 miles each way, so was the climbing pain even worth messing with the whole drivetrain? Curious if anyone here has changed gearing for a short ride and regretted it, or if I just need to shut up and tune the thing properly.

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Rant: a guy at the shop swore by going up 2 teeth on my rear cassette, and I can't tell if he saved me or wrecked me | Bike Commute Talk - Topic Shares