As if selecting the perfect fixed gear ratio wasn’t hard enough (for me, 42/17 in summer: 42/19 in winter) I then entered the world of cassette gear ratio variations. Because I was lazy I didn’t actually go and count the teeth on my old cassette and instead went off some (wrong) specs I found for my bike online. I had thought it was an 8-speed 11 to 26 teeth Suntour cassette and so was fine about getting a 12 to 25 replacement as I rarely use that smallest cog, but then I found out my old cassette is a 12-25 as well, so I’ve gone and got exactly the same. Doh!
So next time it’s up for replacement (this time next year), I’ll think about getting one of the cassettes starting at 13 teeth. Ideally the 13-23 as that has lovely single tooth changes nearly all the way up. It would mean that the one steep, but fortunately not long, hill I face I’d have to do standing up, but I could still do it; I’ve made a point of sitting down as much as possible this last year to avoid undue stress and strain on the bottom bracket, but it’s made bugger all difference - it still died within a year.
Then again though, I should try to remember I am a commuter, not a racer and I do have to get up that hill when I’m half asleep in the morning, or not feeling that well, or when faced with insane head winds, so perhaps I should stick with the same.
Oh well, there is a year to think about it.