DogBoy

Most road-bikes come with 39-53 and 12-25 cassette. Triples come with 30-42-52. Personally, I can't push much more than 52-14 without a serious downhill, and for most of my riding, I only use a 39. I also find that I need more range than a 30-25 when doing long rides with steep hills or when towing my daughter. As such, I completely changed the gearing on my bike from 39-48, 12-25 to 28-39-50, 11-32.

Anyway, Here is my question. Are typical bikes geared too high for typical riders? What kind of gearing do you have, and how often do you use the tallest gears if ever?

caloso

I have an Ultegra triple (52/42/30) with a 12-26 9spd cassette. Since I live in superflat Sacramento, I could leave it in the 42-15 combination all day, every day and be just fine. Maybe I should just surrender to the Dark Side and get or build a fixie...

On the other hand, I use the big ring all the time as I often use my commute as a training ride.

Kabloink

If your a racer type training for racing or fast group rides the road bike is geard just right. For any other use, its geared ridicously high.

I retrofitted my commuting road bike with a 48/34 crank and a 12-28 cassette. It now has a much better gearing range for commuting than when I had the old 52/42 crank on the bike.

Erick L

My top gear is 44-12. It used to be 42-11. Commute is flat and almost never use the top gear except with a very strong tailwind. I rarely use the middle ring (32T) except in a headwind and never use the small ring (22T, though I need it for touring).

Use the gear calculator at sheldonbrown.com with rpm@speed as gear units and see what you might need.

cheg

Lots of bikes, lots of gear variations. All bikes are commuter bikes, right? I listed the cogs and the calculated gear inches since they all have different wheel sizes. I don't often use gears over 100". I'm trying to increase my cadence so I'm generally staying mid 80's low 90's for high gear unless I'm going down major hills. The folding bike has one set of gears for flat places like florida and another for places with hills like home.

Road bike (700c):
13-15-17-20-24-28-32 rear, 52-48-29 front
Gear inches: 107-99-93-86-82-76-70-64-58-53-50-46-43-40-37-32-28-24

Folding bike
w/ 451 drive wheel
12-14-16-18-21-24 rear, 58 front
Gear inches: 99-84-73-66-57-50

w/ 3x7 hub gear, 405 drive wheel
13-14-15-17-19-21 rear, 71-52-38 front (equivalent)
Gear inches: 103-96-90-79-76-71-66-58-52-47-43-38-35

Mountain bike (26" wheels w/ 2.5" slicks)
11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32 rear, 44-33 front
Gear inches: 110-101-86-82-76-65-57-50-43-38-32-28

KeatonR

My cross bike came with a 46/38 and 12-26. Before that I've always had 52/39, so this has been interesting. So far I like it, but when I put my road wheelset together I might decide that I either need a 48 up front or an 11 in the rear. Or both. We'll see.

jnbacon

Um ... you are the Dark Side, Darth Geared.

For my flat, flat commute, the one gear is enough. And it has been good training for when I go geared on the weekends.

[edit: My one gear is a 45x17 with 165 cranks]

Bolo Grubb

I am fixing up an old tour bike that I will use for commutting as well.

It will have a 48/36/24 triple and a 13-28 6 spd cassette. eventually I will upgrade it to a 9 speed 14-30 cassette or something similar.

Cyclaholic

This is an extremely interesting topic that I haven't delved deeply into before. I understand the gear ratios & tooth numbers but could someone please enlighten me as to what "gear inches" refers to? or maybe just point me to a resource on the web? ...thanks

[edit] ahhhh, just found sheldonbrown.com which has the answers, so nevermind

Nightshade

Geez, ya were doing good 'til "eventually I will upgrade it to a 9 speed 14-30 cassette or something similar."

Do ya really NEED a stinking 9 speed? Really,do ya???

All these bikes that have more gears than most people can remember much less use......

Sloth

48/36/26, 12-27 cassette. This works rather well. I use the 48 tons on my way in, the 36 on the way back. They 26 is a bailout for a couple of large hills, when I'm just shot.

Don't miss the 53/39 I had on my last bike. OK for general riding, not very good for commuting.

Nightshade

"Don't miss the 53/39 I had on my last bike. OK for general riding, not very good for commuting."

I agree!! Why they ever came up with a combo this wide is ??? 14t is just to big
a drop for comfort. I wish I could setup my bike as a 39t/48t and may be I will
someday.

pedex

Because the market right now is RACE bikes and everyone keeps buying them thinking they are good for everything else, and it isnt so.

For most the gearing is too high, the saddle to stem drop is too large, and for general riding or commuting they arent really a good idea.They are meant to be ridden fast, much faster than most can make them go.They arent meant for casual commuters or rec riders, but these days, its one a very small set of options readily available for sale.Most are expensive enough to make even locking them up an issue for many folks.

For me the gearing is a non issue,I run SS or fixed and about 75-80 gear inches, but the other traits of a typical race bike are not good for me and what I do.

cryogenic

I'm running a 34/50 up front and 11-23 out back... I don't use the 50-11 very often, if at all... I find myself on the 34t ring almost exclusively as it gives me enough gear to tool along at 15-17mph, which is about all I can realistically muster while crusing around my area.

-=(8)=-

48/36 - 25/12 9 speed....
I would like to get a custom 48-28 7 speed .
The 25 is not low enuff for the hills around here.

cryogenic

you could get a 13-29 campy cassette and maybe a compact double (34/50 or 36/50)

madhouse

I just finished replacing the drive train on my road bike. I went with the 53/39 instead of the 50/36 and I'm still questioning my decision. I don't need a 53 tooth chainring, but the 39 ring is perfect for 95% of my riding. With a 12-25 9sp in the back I ride almost exclusively in the 2nd - 7th cog. I have occasionally hopped into the big ring for sprints to the next sign or quick down hills. So, yes my gearing is taller than I need and the 50/36 would be a better overall range, but the 39 ring fits like a glove.

My commuter came with a 52/42/30 tripple. I have occationally dropped it to the smallest gear, but I have only needed a smaller gear once. I have only put it in the 52 ring twice; once just to see what I could crank out with the wind at my back, going downhill. The other, to dust the cocky 14 year old son of the LBS owner. This bike would be better served with a 48/38/28, but that combination is rarely seen.

MichaelW

On my commuter bike I fitted a Stronglight Escapade compact chainset. I have used this as a 36/48, a 28/38/48 and a 40 single, depending on the terrain.
The rear cogs are a std 12-28 cluster.

There is no standard gearing that is right for commuting, the gearing should match your strength and work-rate to the terrain and load.

michaelnel

I just built my Soma Double Cross with a Sugino XD600 crank (46/36/26) and XT cogset (11/34). I ride in the middle of the rear cogset and on the 36 ring 90% of the time, so I think this gearing is about perfect for me.

EXCALIBUR

I have 30-42-52 triple chainrings with a 12-26, 9 speed cassette. For cruising around town, I can stay in the 42 chainring all day. It's easy to start off from a stop light in 42x19 and graduate to 42x17 or 42x16 as my speed picks up. 42x15 is good for speeds above 20 mph. When I get on a good stretch of open road, why not just go for it in 52x17. Allez! Allez!

bkrownd

Uh, what's it matter to you what somebody else wants on their bike? Living on the side of a mountain, I like having all those gears in back...and I'd like to have more. It's that useless 52 chainring I'd like to get rid of - never used it.

Nightshade

"Because the market right now is RACE bikes and everyone keeps buying them thinking they are good for everything else, and it isnt so."


THIS is the real heart of the issue of gearing. The market SELLS what sells. Many will change
the gearing to the terrain they ride on (or will ride on) but many will become frustrated and quit
cycling because the bike they are sold is want to make them into a Lance wanna be.

To me a much better way to overcome the "toy" image of bicycles is to sell a person a type of bike
then........add the CORRECT compnents for the use the buyer will use it for. Install the right gears
front and back, the right tires,the right bars, the right seat, fenders etc. ...........the first time to make
the bike into the right machine for the buyers use and comfort.

While some will say I'm dreaming I don't think so. With oil supplies dwindling worldwide while demand
soars a change in personal transportion WILL be forced on populations worldwide......in time.

pedex

Road frame with eyelets for fenders and racks/panniers, plus enough frame clearance for this
Single chainring-44 or 46T
7-9spd rear
geometry so average rider has zero saddle to stem drop
decent commuter type tires with kevlar
optional handlebar options since drop bars are a waste for most folks

build it, and they will come

-=(8)=-

....Thanks !
Do you think the stock Tiagra shift junque would be compatable ?

catatonic

Hey I use the gears on my setup all the time..well except the small ring on my double

Heck I even set-up the crank/bb combo to bring my large ring in, so the "cross-chaining" issues aren't as severe...there is only one cog that is now a definate no-no on a 10-sp rear, due to the improved chainline.

Racing is overused in this industry though. But doubles are good for more than racing. I actually found doubles to be easier to maintain...my triple road setup really ticked me off as it never shifted right, ever.