MTB speed increase ideas

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

A friend of mine just got his first MTB. It's an entry-level beast,
and used for commuting right now. My friend wants to extract more
speed out of the thing. I checked it out, and his gearing is one
culprit....a 42T large ring and a 12T sprocket is his fastest gear
combination.

He took it back for a tune-up (general sporting goods store), and they
indicated something about using a 9T or 10T sprocket!?! Does such a
thing even exist? I told my friend to forget about it, but it piqued
my curiosity....

I have one with an 11 tooth small sprog in the back but I have never
heard of a 10T or 9T since it does not look like they would fit over the
bearings and such in a rear hub. Maybe I missed something. My absolute
top is a 58/11 and I have to lose the granny for that but pedaling a
58/11 around town is a serious quad workout, just not practical once I
see a hill.

Quoted message said:

In the meantime, I've got a cassette with an 11T sprocket to 'upgrade'
his bike, and I'll suggest a chainring swap from a 42T to a 44T. This
will buy him a little more speed.

Are there any other obvious speed improvements to be made? Slicks will
reduce rolling resistance, but I'm reluctant to suggest them because
the bike will still be used for some light-duty off-road use. Since
the speed problem is due to him 'spinning out', slicks won't
appreciably change his top speed anyway.

I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a suitable semi-slick that can be used for
fire/gravel roads and/or light trail use?

Cheers,
Dave

Bill Sornson said:

Quoted message said:

Sorni, I think this is a different "Bill."

Rats. You're right, of course. The "road racing tubulars" should have
tipped me off, but that spinning 150 RPM for 20 minutes is just so...BAKA!

My apologies, Iron Bill. Hope you liked the song, at least 🙂

I didn't say I got any useful power at 150 RPM but I can do that cadence for about that time and then I have had it, even at 12 MPH.

The cadence itself wears me out.

Bill Baka

bill said:

Bill Sornson said:

bill said:

... "Spinning out" is not a problem for someone who can spin.
I can spin 150 RPM at a road speed of 25 MPH and keep at it for 20
minutes.

Clark Kent Baka! LOL Bill, I'd pay money to see you spin 150 RPM for
/half/ a minute! (This on the purple girl's Huffy or another marvel of
rolling efficiency?)

Pay me real money and I'll spin 200RPM for you for 30 seconds.

I don't think he has it, typing from the closet in his upscale trailer.
Bill Baka

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:42:07 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

A friend of mine just got his first MTB. It's an entry-level beast,
and used for commuting right now. My friend wants to extract more
speed out of the thing. I checked it out, and his gearing is one
culprit....a 42T large ring and a 12T sprocket is his fastest gear
combination.

He took it back for a tune-up (general sporting goods store), and they
indicated something about using a 9T or 10T sprocket!?! Does such a
thing even exist? I told my friend to forget about it, but it piqued
my curiosity....

I have one with an 11 tooth small sprog in the back but I have never
heard of a 10T or 9T since it does not look like they would fit over the
bearings and such in a rear hub. Maybe I missed something. My absolute
top is a 58/11 and I have to lose the granny for that but pedaling a
58/11 around town is a serious quad workout, just not practical once I
see a hill.

A 58/11?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In the meantime, I've got a cassette with an 11T sprocket to 'upgrade'
his bike, and I'll suggest a chainring swap from a 42T to a 44T. This
will buy him a little more speed.

Are there any other obvious speed improvements to be made? Slicks will
reduce rolling resistance, but I'm reluctant to suggest them because
the bike will still be used for some light-duty off-road use. Since
the speed problem is due to him 'spinning out', slicks won't
appreciably change his top speed anyway.

I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a suitable semi-slick that can be used for
fire/gravel roads and/or light trail use?

Cheers,
Dave

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH. I
was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
think I will save that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH. I
was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
think I will save that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

When I was racing, I used to routinely make 45 MPH in flat-out level
ground sprints. With a 53/13 this put my RPM in the 135 to 140 range.
This is no big deal for a practiced rider. Our coach used to make us
spin 180 on rollers during the winter. The trick is to do it without
bouncing off.

Today, the bigger chainrings such as the 58 are great for races with
strong tailwinds or downhill sprint finishes, but useless for most
races, because the organisers are usually afraid of downhill sprints.
In the old days when a 14 tooth was the smallest in the rear, the 58
was much more common--it gives a ratio in between a 53/13 and a 53/12
(closer to the former).

Bill said:

bill said:

Bill Sornson said:

bill wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> ... "Spinning out" is not a problem for someone who can spin.
> I can spin 150 RPM at a road speed of 25 MPH and keep at it for 20
> minutes.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Clark Kent Baka! LOL Bill, I'd pay money to see you spin 150 RPM
for /half/ a minute! (This on the purple girl's Huffy or another
marvel of rolling efficiency?)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pay me real money and I'll spin 200RPM for you for 30 seconds.

Quoted message said:

I don't think he has it, typing from the closet in his upscale
trailer. Bill Baka

Hey, Bill. Go scavenging for electronics discarded on the roadside on your
purple girl's Huffy lately? ROTFL

Bill "Battling Bills" S.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:00:13 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH.

Yeah, sure... off a cliff.

Quoted message said:

I was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
think I will save that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>
I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
Bill Baka

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but it
will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny gear
the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH. I was too
busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max speed was
50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle but not on a
bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I think I will save
that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

B.S. Either take all them damn magnets off your front wheel, or stop lying
so much.

Bill Sornson said:

Bill said:

bill said:

Bill Sornson wrote:
> bill wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> ... "Spinning out" is not a problem for someone who can spin.
>> I can spin 150 RPM at a road speed of 25 MPH and keep at it for 20
>> minutes.

Not me. 120 RPM for about a mile maybe, and I have had some motivation
with big dogs that would not quit.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Clark Kent Baka! LOL Bill, I'd pay money to see you spin 150 RPM
> for /half/ a minute! (This on the purple girl's Huffy or another
> marvel of rolling efficiency?)

The huffy still works after 14 years but had been relegated to my grnadkids.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pay me real money and I'll spin 200RPM for you for 30 seconds.

Quoted message said:

I don't think he has it, typing from the closet in his upscale
trailer. Bill Baka

Hey, Bill. Go scavenging for electronics discarded on the roadside on your
purple girl's Huffy lately? ROTFL

Sorry, I have a homebuilt with over 500 Gigs of storage, 2.5 Gigs or DDR
ram, a dual layer DVD burner, and so much more I will stop here before
your poor little brain fries.

Quoted message said:

Bill "Battling Bills" S.

Bill ( Sorni is only a minor pain in the ass, unlike Brickston) Baka

R Brickston said:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:00:13 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH.

Yeah, sure... off a cliff.

Down hill stupid. On a highway with real good pavement and no holes.
Dunce.
Bill ( Who can pedal a 58/11 at 50, but it is wasted effort) Baka

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
think I will save that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

> I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
> caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
> I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
> too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
> As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
> Bill Baka

di said:

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

A 58/11?

Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but it
will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny gear
the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH. I was too
busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max speed was
50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle but not on a
bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I think I will save
that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

B.S. Either take all them damn magnets off your front wheel, or stop lying
so much.

About what? My cranks all have each of the three rings individually
changeable and this one came up on Ebay. There are many 56 and 54 tooth
rings available for my bolt pattern. The 11-28 seems strange to me but
it is a 7 speed that came on a 26" wheel so I used it. I don't know what
it was off of since someone gave it to me. I can pedal the 58/11 around
the flat parts of the neighborhood but forget acceleration or even minor
hills. And yeah, it did say the peak speed was 50.2 on a steep highway
downhill that the trucks go up at maybe 10 MPH. That part is fine with
me since there is no cut through the rocks for a bike lane. If someone
got that close I would have to drop the bike and climb a cliff real
quick. 50.2 MPH down about a 20% something downhill not level nor uphill.
Bill Baka
I only did it once since the damned over powered cars still went up at
about 50 if they could get past the semi's.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:39:40 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:00:13 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

R Brickston wrote:
> A 58/11?
Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH.

Yeah, sure... off a cliff.

Down hill stupid. On a highway with real good pavement and no holes.
Dunce.
Bill ( Who can pedal a 58/11 at 50, but it is wasted effort) Baka

You mean 50 KPH.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
think I will save that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka
>> I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
>> caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
>> I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
>> too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
>> As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
>> Bill Baka

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:48:12 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

di said:

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

R Brickston wrote:
> A 58/11?
Yeah
I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but it
will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny gear
the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH. I was too
busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max speed was
50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle but not on a
bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I think I will save
that for something with a motor.
Bill Baka

B.S. Either take all them damn magnets off your front wheel, or stop lying
so much.

About what? My cranks all have each of the three rings individually
changeable and this one came up on Ebay. There are many 56 and 54 tooth
rings available for my bolt pattern. The 11-28 seems strange to me but
it is a 7 speed that came on a 26" wheel so I used it. I don't know what
it was off of since someone gave it to me. I can pedal the 58/11 around
the flat parts of the neighborhood but forget acceleration or even minor
hills. And yeah, it did say the peak speed was 50.2 on a steep highway
downhill that the trucks go up at maybe 10 MPH. That part is fine with
me since there is no cut through the rocks for a bike lane. If someone
got that close I would have to drop the bike and climb a cliff real
quick. 50.2 MPH down about a 20% something downhill not level nor uphill.
Bill Baka
I only did it once since the damned over powered cars still went up at
about 50 if they could get past the semi's.

Well... let's not forget that Big Shot Billy had to recant his 50 MPH
tricycle fabrication also.

R Brickston said:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:39:40 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

R Brickston said:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:00:13 GMT, Bill <[email hidden]>
wrote:

> R Brickston wrote:
>> A 58/11?
> Yeah
> I got it on Ebay, where you can buy anything. My crankset allows for
> changing individual rings and I bought this thing as a sort of joke but
> it will swap out with my 46 tooth top MTB ring. Since I lose my granny
> gear the uphills are harder but I can still pedal at around 50 MPH.
Yeah, sure... off a cliff.

Down hill stupid. On a highway with real good pavement and no holes.
Dunce.
Bill ( Who can pedal a 58/11 at 50, but it is wasted effort) Baka

You mean 50 KPH.

No dip [censored], 50 MPH down a 20% grade with trucks on my ass.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I was too busy paying attention to the road but the computer said my max
> speed was 50.2 MPH and it was scary on a bike, routine on a motorcycle
> but not on a bike. I have heard of the TdF guys topping 75 MPH, but I
> think I will save that for something with a motor.
> Bill Baka
>>> I just bought a 26x1.80 slick yesterday aw Wal-mart only because it
>>> caught my eye and I was there to return a defective (Belkin) router.
>>> I got the super heavy duty tube too, but by the time I was done it was
>>> too hot to ride. 92 degrees at 10 A.M, 100 by noon, and 112 by 4 P.M.
>>> As much as I like to ride, I hate sweating buckets even more.
>>> Bill Baka

R Brickston said:

Well... let's not forget that Big Shot Billy had to recant his 50 MPH
tricycle fabrication also.

That was the only blatant mistake I have made on here and I was 4 years
old so get over it.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

R Brickston said:

Well... let's not forget that Big Shot Billy had to recant his 50 MPH
tricycle fabrication also.

That was the only blatant mistake I have made on here and I was 4
years old so get over it.

I literally L'd OL! Good one, Bill! 🙂