Bicycle Mechanics - What is the best gear ratio for touring?

Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.

Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.Depends on how weak you are and how steep and high the hills might be. With all due respect to Cdale, a road triple is not much of a tournig setup unless you live in Florida.You can stick a 26 ranny on it and your RD if a shimano road model will handle a 30 cog and current mtb RD are good for 34s.

Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.

You can change the crank or just the chainrings on your current bike. A 48/38/24 chainring setup works well for me with an 11-34 cassette. Goes from a high gear of a bit over 117 gear inches to a low of 19 gi. It's not as low as using an MTB crank but for everyday riding I tend to spin out a 44/11. YMMV.

Thank You, Your comments are well taken. I was straight up a 800 foot hill unloaded and at that point I know I need to do something with the good old bike. Ken J.

I am 40 but fit and have done plenty of seriously loaded touring, including a trans-Australia ride, and my philosophy is to go pretty much as low as you can. I now run a 26-39-52 set-up on the front and a 13-34 on the back (only an 8 speed - would go 11-34 if I had a 9 speed). I have never needed anything lower than a 26-34 lowest ratio, even when fully loaded. The 13-34 still gives nice increments between the gears, even if not the ultra fine-tuning available on cassettes with single tooth increments. As for the front, mine was originally 52-42-30, as yours is a present, and all I needed to do was replace the inner two chain-rings. You need to check whether your front derailleur will handle the drop though.

That said, if you have a road rather than MTB rear cassette (ie 11-25 or something similar), I guess that going for the really low front chain rings (44-33-22) may work - although you'll probably need to replace the whole front unit. I doubt that you'll miss the top end gearing much when touring.

Of course, just replacing your two inner chain rings would be the cheaper option: the "disadvantage" is that your have bigger drops between the front gears. Generally, I say in my 39 most of the time, and just drop down into the 26 (and readjust the back) before the start of steep hills. Likewise, I tend to only move up to the 52 when on long downhill runs.

Good luck,

Tom

52/42/30 sounds like a 130mm bolt circle, which can take 48/39or38/26or24 chain rings the new Cdale touring rigs come with 4 arm MTB cranks and chainrings of 26/36/48(or close to it) and can go lower.

52/42/30 sounds like a 130mm bolt circle, which can take 48/39or38/26or24 chain rings the new Cdale touring rigs come with 4 arm MTB cranks and chainrings of 26/36/48(or close to it) and can go lower.
Actually, it's a 130/74. You need the 74 to get the granny ring.

I just re-geared my commuter bike to handle towing a kid trailer. Trailer + kid weighs in at 50-60 lbs, so I knew I needed some extra gear to handle it. I have 130/74 so I switched from 52/42/30 to 50/39/28. In back I put on an LX derailleur and have an 11-32. That is fine for the moderate hills I will have when towing the trailer, and more than enough for an unloaded bike. Its all about how much you will carry, how steep/long the hills and how strong you are. I can spin pretty well (75-80ish) in 28/32 up a semi-steep hill while towing the trailer and maintain a speed just higher than walking pace.

Depends on the route and what type of touring. Most gear combinations for flat to rollers, suck in the hills and vice a versa. I still like the old half step + granny for heavy cross country touring. Go to Sheldon Brown's website and look around at the suggested gearing combos.

There is not a low enough gear for me. I am going to order a 16t front to use as a quad next week and set up with a 34t rear. I have a 38t Suntour rear freewheel and have not been able to get a real derailer to work with it (a Huret Duo Par does not work). I think a Suntour AG is the only thing that will work but cannot find one yet (look everyday on ebay).

A bike shop owner in MN says he has a 12t front and a 41t rear. Sure wish I had that set up.

Everyweek I travel over the mountains in So Cal along some trans US bike route and everytime I see a tourer I stop and talk to them and everyone has said they did not have a low enough gear.

I have a bad leg so I wish I had a 12t front and a 41t rear, no one locallly knows how to do this.

Actually, it's a 130/74. You need the 74 to get the granny ring.
Well no sh**.
I was talking about the middle and big rings.