Upgrading EZ Sport

[bkaapcke]

If you were thinking about upgrading an EZ Sport (27 spd) drivetrain, what components would you use & why?

[sch]

uh, why....? Unless something breaks, what would be the reason? 10speed cassettes are worse than useless. The functionality difference between different grades of equipment (eg DA, Ultegra, 105, Sora)
are lost on most recumbents.
Steve

[PaPa]

If you were thinking about upgrading an EZ Sport (27 spd) drivetrain, what components would you use & why?If the bike came equipt with mountain bike componentes, then look for Shimano LX, XT or XTR. SRAM equivalents would be 7.0-9.0 or the newer X.7-X.9. If using a Shimano rear derailleur, you'll need to pair it with either Shimano shifters or SRAM's Rocket aor Attack shifters. Another wise and inexpensive investment, is quality brake pads.

The functionality difference between different grades of equipment (eg DA, Ultegra, 105, Sora) are lost on most recumbents.
Steve

Really, Steve? Could elaborate please?

[bkaapcke]

I am thinking of the 14-32 cassette put out by Rans. I ride on flat ground and close ratio gears seem to make sense. Comments?

[sch]

Sounds like you are making the only gear change that makes sense. 11 and 12t cogs don't have much use on 26" wheeled bikes for most riders. These are meant for speed ranges well above 20mph. If you really ride in flat terrain you could do what a friend just did: ditch the front der and put a 38-42t front cw on as a single front cw and you would probably do fine with a 7-8spd bike. A 1.5-2x gear ratio is more than adequate for flat terrain tooling around. (Road bikes have drive ratios top gear to bottom gear of 3.5-4.3x.) You would probably do even better with a 13-26 or 12-27 cassette, if you kept the triple cw setup now on the bike. You would still have a pretty low gear with 30x26 and really nice close ratios, single step upto 15t, double step to 21 teeth and triple step for the final shifts. You would get better shifts with a shorter cage rear der if you did this, but the stock long cage would handle it. The cadence changes are smoother with closer range cassettes.
Steve

[bkaapcke]

What did he say? I gotta read it again. Whew. bk

[jeff-o]

You might also consider getting shorter cranks for your bike... 155mm instead of 170mm. Most people who have them seem to like them.

[twahl]

I am thinking of the 14-32 cassette put out by Rans. I ride on flat ground and close ratio gears seem to make sense. Comments?

A cassette with gears that better suit your particular riding is a good idea. I don't know that I'd call that an upgrade, just a modification to better suit your needs. We put "campus" pedals on my wife's EZ-Sport, which have spd clips on one side and are flat on the other. This works out well for her. Other than that, a seat bag and a headlight for riding at night (and blinkie of course) is about all we've seen any need to do.

I could see a lighter bike in the future for her. We regularly exceed 20 MPH on our normal rides, and I think our average is usually right around 14. I think she'd actually see noticeable benefit from a weight reduction.

[bkaapcke]

Yes, I have the sora 170mm cranks with 52-42-30 chainrings.

[BlazingPedals]

To mangle a quote I heard from 'way back, "you can train a pig to race; but it'll never be a racehorse, just a fast pig." The moral of the quote is, don't spend too much money trying to make an EZ-Sport into something it isn't. I've done it before with an old bike, and pretty soon you find you've spent enough money to get a better bike, but all you have to show for it is a somewhat-improved old bike.

Exactly what are you trying to accomplish with the upgrade? Improved shifting? Lower weight? Speed?

[bkaapcke]

I was just looking at the drivetrain & thinking about 'what can I do to make this less clunky' when shifting and considering gearing changes to better suit where I ride.I decided to go ahead with Rans' 14-32 cassette, so that's taken care of. The shift equipment is Sram X9, which is good enough. I guess it's the 91/2 foot chain that gives it the 'oh so clunky' feel. Not going to be able to do much about that. However, I do thank you guys for the input. It got the brain working. bk

[Big Bad John]

I upgraded my EZ Sport CX with lower gearing. I changed out the stock off-brand bottom bracket (was supposed to be a Shimano BB-UN40 according to SUN specifications...NOT!) for a Shimano BB-ES71 (68 X 113) and the stock Shimano Sora 30-42-52 crankset and el cheapo pot metal and plastic Wellgo pedals for a Shimano standard DEORE with 22-32-44 chainrings, 1" Knee-Savers pedal extenders, and SUN ZuZu's Pedals. I've also gotten rid of the stock cassette for an 11-34 Shimano MegaRange. I've still got enough top end gear for upper 20's on the flats and a 16.8 gear-inch ratio on the bottom for climbing some VERY steep hills here in central Mississippi with the heavy bike, my gear, and my heavy carcass. That low gear-inch ratio equals approximately 52.8" per crank revolution or about 4.5 MPH @ 90 RPM. I kept it 8-speed for easier-to-locate parts on tour (especially chains) and have really enjoyed the change so far.

I've also upgraded the wheels to SUN RhinoLite rims with 36 spokes front and rear laced to Shimano DEORE hubs. I've added fenders, rear rack, and a rack-bag. I got a taller riser and a longer setback on the stem to get the bars where I wanted them (had to get longer cables, too) and I'm finishing up a pretty neat generator/battery combination lighting system. I also found out that the SUN seat has a slide adjustment underneath the seat bottom which allows you to loosen 4 phillips-head screws and side the seat bottom forward about 1" to get it further away from the seat back. It really helps to greatly reduce the "sliding forward" so many have complained about. Also, I added washers between the aluminum seat flange and seat base to tilt the seat nose up about 1/2". That little trick virtually stopped the "sliding forward" problem. I've just about got the thing dialed in to my large body, so you know what that means...

Time to upgrade! BBJ

[bkaapcke]

Well, I just got the rans 14-32 cassette. It has a 7 gear macined aluminum unit which is 14-32 and two slide on gears which are 11 & 12. Result; I still have 11-32 gears with a way upgraded cassette. At this point it looks like overkill. Maybe, with a new chain, it will improve shifting. bk

[bkaapcke]

Big Bad John, with a longer stem and setback, those handlebars must be high and close to your chest. Is that what it takes to get rid of hand pain?

[Big Bad John]

bent brian: I'm a big fella, between 6'4" and 6'5" and 300 lbs. (and dropping). With my X-seam, I needed the seat all the way back and that put the bars way too far forward. By adding a taller riser, longer setback on the stem, and longer cables, I was able to get the grips up and back to where I needed them for my large frame. The original setup caused pain between my shoulder blades after 15 miles or so from continually reaching for the bars. I'll try to post a pic this weekend. BBJ