Touring - Your Gear Combination?

I'm considering a 48-36-26 crankset with an 8 speed 12-32 cassette. Does that sound like it would be low enough or should I consider a 34T low, or even a 44-32-22 with a 34T (that sounds too low to me)?

What is your combination and are you happy with it?

(This will be going on a '95 Schwinn Passage Sports/Touring 700x32 btw)

As you asked

I have a Rohloff Speedhub (26inch to 96 inch)

Happy??? Ecstatic more like it

george

22 front 32 rear, here, and next time i get a cassette it's gonna be a 34. i roll with a pretty good-sized junk-show, however. did an XC in the USA with 26X34, that was OK. Not ok in New Zealand, though, where the hills are steep.

I have a Rohloff Speedhub (26inch to 96 inch)

Happy??? Ecstatic more like it

george

I thought Speedhubs had a 526% range. That would make your range more like 18 to 96 inches, which would explain why you are ecstatic! ;)

I use 52-42-30 and 11x32 on 20 inch wheels. That gives a nice range from 19 to 95 inches. For a full sized wheel my favorite set up is a 46-34-24 crank with an 11x32 cassette. That gives a range of 20 to 113 inches with good granularity between the gears.

I'm sure it's possible, but I don't know if anyone has truly plumbed the depths of "too low" in touring bike gears!

Speedo

Gear inches =front cog divided by rear cog times wheel diameter. A 700cc tire is approx 27" in diameter, so (26/32)*27=21.9 gear inches. (26/34)*27= 20.6 gear inches. I have heard some tourers like to get under 20 gear inches.

On my recumbent I have a 48-36-26 with an eight speed 11-32. I made it up 15% grades on my tour last year with no problem.

My gearing is 44/32/22 with a 13 - 34 Cylcotouriste cassette from Sheldon Brown to give me evenly spaced gearing. My low end used to be 18 gear inches. Since I am now switching from 700c wheels to 26 inches ones the low end drops to 16 gear inches.

I ride a fixed gear at 80 gear inches around town, up hills etc. This is equivalent to my second highest touring gear. On tour I like knowing that I can easily drop down to a lower gear if I feel tired, sick or perhaps just not feeling like blowing up a hill.

~Jamie N

I'm considering a 48-36-26 crankset with an 8 speed 12-32 cassette. Does that sound like it would be low enough or should I consider a 34T low, or even a 44-32-22 with a 34T (that sounds too low to me)?

What is your combination and are you happy with it?

(This will be going on a '95 Schwinn Passage Sports/Touring 700x32 btw)

Ahhhh! on of my favorite topics.

I use a 42/26 double up front and an 11-34 at the back giving me a 103" to 21" range

I'm considering a 48-36-26 crankset with an 8 speed 12-32 cassette. Does that sound like it would be low enough or should I consider a 34T low, or even a 44-32-22 with a 34T (that sounds too low to me)?

What is your combination and are you happy with it?

(This will be going on a '95 Schwinn Passage Sports/Touring 700x32 btw)

I use a 46-34-22 crank and an 11-34 cassette. Nice wide range with good bail out gears. I can get by with a 24 but it just makes riding up hills where I really need the low gear harder.

For my commuter bike, I use an XT trekking crank which is a 48-36-26 and an 11-34 cassette. Very nice gear combination and crank (Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=81&subcategory=1031&brand=&sku=17945&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Cranks) still has some of the LX ones which are great cranks for the money!) You could even put a 22 on it to have a great range for touring...and everyday riding too.

I'm okay with my stock T2000 gearing, 52/42/30 and 11-34. I climbed some steep stuff in Vermont last year fully loaded and made it, but I'm semi-young and pretty stupid. Maybe a 28 tooth chainring would have been a better option. I'd have to think your 26-32 combo would be more than enough. I think you'd miss that 48 tooth chainring if you went to the 44/32/22, especially if you ever rode the bike unloaded.

Thanks for all the input! From what you all have said it looks like I should at least go with a 34T cassette. I really would like one of Sheldon's Cyclotouristes anyway. <drool>

As far as the 48-36-26 goes, I'm going to give it a try and if it's too high I'll just put it on another project bike, a High Sierra with 26" wheels.

Btw cyccommute, I did consider putting a 22T on the 48-26-26, but wouldn't that give too much of a tooth spread? I'll be using a Shimano FD-M530 that's good for a 22T capacity, but 26? Do you know of a fd that would work with a 26T spread?

PS Shemp: 52/42/30? I may be stupid, but I'm not that young. :D

Thanks for all the input! From what you all have said it looks like I should at least go with a 34T cassette. I really would like one of Sheldon's Cyclotouristes anyway. <drool>

As far as the 48-36-26 goes, I'm going to give it a try and if it's too high I'll just put it on another project bike, a High Sierra with 26" wheels.

Btw cyccommute, I did consider putting a 22T on the 48-26-26, but wouldn't that give too much of a tooth spread? I'll be using a Shimano FD-M530 that's good for a 22T capacity, but 26? Do you know of a fd that would work with a 26T spread?

PS Shemp: 52/42/30? I may be stupid, but I'm not that young. :D

Shimano's capacity ratings are way conservative. I have a Tiagra shifting my 46/34/22 which is outside it's listed capacity. I have an Ultegra shifting the other bike and it's handling the 48/36/26 which is right at the limit of it's range. Both shift just fine. And the chain doesn't even come close to the cage. It'd be worth an experiment.

The Tiagra is a much better triple front derailer than the Ultegra, by the way.

For the past three years I ran with 24-36-48 in front and 12-34 in back (700 mm wheels). It was an excellent gearing setup, except for the time I travelled in the Alps. I became exhausted pushing up steep hills all day long.

This year I switched the front to 22/36/48. The change down from 36 to 22 is not a problem, but the switch up is a little iffy, but so far it's working out. I haven't tried the new setup fully loaded on hills... I hope to have something to report after this summer's trip, probably in August.