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I'm currently running an Alfine on vertical dropouts with 32/18 and thinking of going to 32/19 to give me a bit less chain to tension.
Am I likely to notice a difference between 74.6 / 24.4 and 70.7 / 23.1 gear inches?
I tend to use the lower gears a bit more than the higher ones but don't want to be spinning everywhere.
A bigger sprocket will make the chain tighter and the gears easier!
You could try adding a half link to see if that corrects the chain tension.
play with the sheldon brown gear calculator.
but in my experience, the difference between 74 and 70 is just noticable but not enough to be a deal breaker, 24 to 23, i would be spinning so madly on even the steepest inclines i wouldnt notice