I'm a bit confused now - you lot are talking inches, I was talking teeth ? I should really go and read sheldon's site, shouldn't I. I'm sure the answer to my confusion lies within it somewhere...
Sheldon has a calculator. Stick in the teeth (amongst other details) and you'll get the inches.
Colin
Hmm, then again, I might have to re-count the teeth on the smallest front chainring. I counted 28, but shimano website reckons 30 for it's tiagra triple.
If it's really a 30, then the lowest gear is 31.7 inches...
I'm feeling a lot less wimpy all of a sudden - unless I'm deluding myself that it's harder to ride up hills on my bike than other peoples...
I'm a bit confused now - you lot are talking inches, I was talking teeth ? I should really go and read sheldon's site, shouldn't I. I'm sure the answer to my confusion lies within it somewhere...
Sheldon has a calculator. Stick in the teeth (amongst other details) and you'll get the inches.
Colin
Yes, I've just found it. Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted. I'm less surprised now that I can't sit and spin up hills and run out of gears. I actually DO run out of gears :-)
Velvet
My lowest gears are around 30", so your lowest is not that unusual.
Yes, I've just found it. Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted. I'm less surprised now that I can't sit and spin up hills and run out of gears. I actually DO run out of gears :-)
My lowest is 39 -- but I do live in Southampton, which is really a pretty flat place to live. I never run out of gears. Though on the Dorset Coast Audax, I was down to about 4kmh at the top of Abbotsbury Hill so I was getting pretty close.
Yes, I've just found it. Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted. I'm less surprised now that I can't sit and spin up hills and run out of gears. I actually DO run out of gears :-)
My lowest is 39 -- but I do live in Southampton, which is really a pretty flat place to live. I never run out of gears. Though on the Dorset Coast Audax, I was down to about 4kmh at the top of Abbotsbury Hill so I was getting pretty close.
Yes, you see, I live on the north downs. Half-way up a valley/hillside. Anywhere from my front door involves hills of one kind or another, and it's not possible to find a gentle incline without also having to deal with at least steep hill at some point in the ride, whether out, during, or return form. And that's going up a steep hill - can't go down then have a gentle gradient back up, they just don't seem to exist around here.
My lowest gears are around 30", so your lowest is not that unusual.
It's not unusual[1] to have a 30" gear at the bottom, but that doesn't make it right in any particular case. If you're not out to go especially fast, aren't auditioning for superhero status and have sustained climbing to do with luggage (not an unreasonable expectation for trundly touring use) then it is a bit high. That profile mirrors my use, and I'm very happy to have a 22" bottom gear, even though I don't use it *that* much. 30" is somewhere between 3rd and 4th on mine, I'd be struggling on some of the hills around here if my gears stopped there.
Pete.
[1] <boom>Doctor, Doctor, I keep finding myself humming "The Green Green Grass of Home"; I think it may be Tom Jones Syndrome...; I've not heard of that, is it rare?; It's not unusual...</boom> -- Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗
My lowest gears are around 30", so your lowest is not that unusual.
It's not unusual[1] to have a 30" gear at the bottom, but that doesn't make it right in any particular case.
I know, when the OP said
" Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted."
I wanted to point out to him/her that there ARE others who have gearing similar to his/hers. Thats all.
:-) That's a hers, ta... I'm intrigued by this gearing :thing, so will be starting a separate thread to see what gear ranges people have, on what sort of bikes, and what sort of terrain.
"Velvet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
MSeries said:
Peter Clinch said:
MSeries wrote:
>My lowest gears are around 30", so your lowest is not >that unusual.
It's not unusual[1] to have a 30" gear at the bottom, but that doesn't make it right in any particular case.
I know, when the OP said
" Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted."
I wanted to point out to him/her that there ARE others who have gearing similar to his/hers. Thats all.
:-) That's a hers, ta... I'm intrigued by this gearing :thing, so will be starting a separate thread to see what gear ranges people have, on what sort of bikes, and what sort of terrain.
MTBs often have setups that go about 20 to 100, road bikes with a 53/39 double tend to go in the region of 45 to 120. -- Mark South Citizen of the World, Denizen of the Net <<Tiens! Ce poulet a une grenade!
Anywhere from my front door involves hills of one kind or another, and it's not possible to find a gentle incline without also having to deal with at least steep hill at some point in the ride, whether out, during, or return form.
Yes, you see, I live on the north downs. Half-way up a valley/hillside. Anywhere from my front door involves hills of one kind or another, and it's not possible to find a gentle incline without also having to deal with at least steep hill at some point in the ride, whether out, during, or return form. And that's going up a steep hill - can't go down then have a gentle gradient back up, they just don't seem to exist around here.
You could get an MTB and just ride across the fields. ;-)
Yes, you see, I live on the north downs. Half-way up a valley/hillside. Anywhere from my front door involves hills of one kind or another, and it's not possible to find a gentle incline without also having to deal with at least steep hill at some point in the ride, whether out, during, or return form. And that's going up a steep hill - can't go down then have a gentle gradient back up, they just don't seem to exist around here.
You could get an MTB and just ride across the fields. ;-)
Jon
Nope, not for me, MTB'ing. And besides, around here the fields are full of hills too! I've yet to fall off onto tarmac proper, so I may change my idea, but for the moment I love cycling on roads. Ban all cars and it'd be perfect :-)
" Looks like I have 29.5-114, which seems to be quite a bit higher than gearings others have quoted."
I wanted to point out to him/her that there ARE others who have gearing similar to his/hers. Thats all.
Plus those of us who replied are likely complete sprocketheads who spend hours putting every combination of cog available in the entire world and the surrounding spaces into our custom gearing spreadsheets and wondering /why/ no- one makes an 11.5 tooth cog...
You wouldn't believe the amount of time it took me to decide on an 11-34 cassette for my trike rather than a 9-32 :-)
:-) That's a hers, ta... I'm intrigued by this gearing:thing, so will be starting a separate thread to see what gear ranges people have, on what sort of bikes, and what sort of terrain.
My smallest gear is around 40" (42x28). The steepest hill I have ever been up on thsi bike had a 28% sign at the top to warn people on the way down - if there had been a sign at the bottom as well I'd have taken a different route. Fortunately it was only short hill (a few hundred metres) but it still *bloody* hurt.
Hmm, then again, I might have to re-count the teeth on the smallest front chainring.
It might be easier to clean the chainring and look at the markings. 😉
I thought it would be marked, but I can't see it on the smallest ring, and it's really sparkling clean (the bike's not yet reached 300 miles out on the roads LOL). Hard to see though when it's hidden behind two others which is why I ended up counting teeth.
Any idea exactly where it'd be marked on a set of shimano tiagra chainrings?
