What is with the obsession with 11t cassette sprockets?

I'm looking to get some logical gearing for IM Wales, I'm a relatively strong rider (~4.2W/kg FTP) but the gradients out on course can exceed 15% and I've got it on pretty good authority that the descents are mostly technical, with barely any opportunity to really get some speed up.

I use a 52/36 chainset, and ideally would like a 12-32 cassette. I usually use an 11-28, where I live and train is similarly hilly and I often find myself at threshold or above in the 36/28 (the roads are pretty rough, which doesn't help)

Nowhere sells them. It seems that no matter how many teeth the biggest ring has, they always put an 11t at the tight end. The only exception is the 12-25, which is puzzling.

I'm probably going to end up buying a 12-25 and an 11-32 and frankencassetting them, it seems that they've really neglected the non-racing, touring demographic with the 11sp products.

Maybe I'm not understanding the product, but isn't this just a 12t ring?
The cassettes in question all already have a 12t ring, they just have an 11t ring before it.

I essentially want an 11speed 12-32 cassette.
If I was being really specific:
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 32 would be perfect.

Why not just get a compact crank?

Why not just get a compact crank?

replace the chain rings with 50-34 instead and go along with the 11-28

I answered this a little further up the thread.

It'll cost me more to replace the chainrings, and going from a 36 to a 34 inner chainring won't lower the gain ratio as much as the switch from a 28 to a 32 cassette

What is with the obsession with 11t cassette sprockets?

I'm looking to get some logical gearing for IM Wales, I'm a relatively strong rider (~4.2W/kg FTP) but the gradients out on course can exceed 15% and I've got it on pretty good authority that the descents are mostly technical, with barely any opportunity to really get some speed up

Sorry to jump in on your question, but is Tenby that tough it needs such low gearing? I was hoping to get round on the 53/39 with a 11/28 cassette that is on the bike. I'm nowhere near as strong a rider as you. Should I be worrying and changing my gears?

My guess the rationale for an 11-32 is that anyone wanting 32 is probably going up steep hills, hills that at some point they are going to want to go down, and the 11 could prove a bit more useful for going downhill.

Yeah, the options in 10sp were much better.
I'm using 11sp though.

Sorry to jump in on your question, but is Tenby that tough it needs such low gearing? I was hoping to get round on the 53/39 with a 11/28 cassette that is on the bike. I'm nowhere near as strong a rider as you. Should I be worrying and changing my gears?