Getting more gear inches...
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 50
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Getting more gear inches...
Hi,
I have a locally made folder with sixteen inch wheels, with a 55 teeth front crankwheel and a rear six-speed freewheel with the smallest teeth at 14T. This makes for a gear-inch of 60 or so, which is quite pathetic considering the high cadence in order to reach 30km/h.
I was wondering, how I could get more gear inches, so I can ride quickly and more efficiently? The truth is that I have gone searching for a six speed freewheel with less teeth (11T, 12T) to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get more gear inches? So far I have not seen a bigger front crankwheel, but I have thought of getting shorter cranks, and I was wondering if that would help me get more speed?
Thanks!
I have a locally made folder with sixteen inch wheels, with a 55 teeth front crankwheel and a rear six-speed freewheel with the smallest teeth at 14T. This makes for a gear-inch of 60 or so, which is quite pathetic considering the high cadence in order to reach 30km/h.
I was wondering, how I could get more gear inches, so I can ride quickly and more efficiently? The truth is that I have gone searching for a six speed freewheel with less teeth (11T, 12T) to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get more gear inches? So far I have not seen a bigger front crankwheel, but I have thought of getting shorter cranks, and I was wondering if that would help me get more speed?
Thanks!
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Albany, WA
Posts: 7,393
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 321 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
You have summed it up accurately. Getting another freewheel will be almost impossible.
The only viable option is another chainwheel. I am assuming (in the absence of a pic) that the crankset is one piece with the chainwheel. The easiest option is likely to be to get another crankset with the biggest chainwheel you can find. That will probably be 56T, although 60T ones can be found without too much trouble. A cheap used cranset from ebay is the way to go; or take it to the LBS for them to pull of the crankset to advise you; they may even have an old used set for you.
The only viable option is another chainwheel. I am assuming (in the absence of a pic) that the crankset is one piece with the chainwheel. The easiest option is likely to be to get another crankset with the biggest chainwheel you can find. That will probably be 56T, although 60T ones can be found without too much trouble. A cheap used cranset from ebay is the way to go; or take it to the LBS for them to pull of the crankset to advise you; they may even have an old used set for you.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Arizona
Posts: 862
Bikes: Swift folder, single speed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This is a problem with smaller wheels. I have a 56 X 15 single speed setup on my 20" wheel Swift. That gives a nice 75 inch gear. How does Moulton get their high gears - well over 100 inches I believe - with their 17" tires?
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 50
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
AFAIK, Moultons have some really expensive proprietary freewheels with 9,10 and 11 T as their smaller 3 gears. It's just what every small wheel bike needs...
Alright, sounds good, I'll ask around for a 60T or bigger crankwheel, since there's no other option. Though I did see a 12T six speed free wheel on ebay going at $25USD. Not bad, but not sure it would fit either, there's something like 120 and 126mm versions, am I right?
Thanks.
Alright, sounds good, I'll ask around for a 60T or bigger crankwheel, since there's no other option. Though I did see a 12T six speed free wheel on ebay going at $25USD. Not bad, but not sure it would fit either, there's something like 120 and 126mm versions, am I right?
Thanks.
#5
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,611
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1661 Post(s)
Liked 1,815 Times
in
1,055 Posts
Without knowing anything about your "locally built" folder's general configuration, folding regimen, frame material, OLD, chainstay length, handlebars, drop-outs, bottom bracket, which 16" tire size you have, etc., it's hard to make a specific recomendation.
General comment: A Sturmey-Archer AW hub could give you a 91 gear inch top with your existing 55T chainwheel (assuming ISO35-349 tires). A Sturmey 8-speed hub could give you a 142 gear inch top.
HTH,
tcs
General comment: A Sturmey-Archer AW hub could give you a 91 gear inch top with your existing 55T chainwheel (assuming ISO35-349 tires). A Sturmey 8-speed hub could give you a 142 gear inch top.
HTH,
tcs
#6
Drops small screws
I'm much less mechanically-minded than the other guys here, so this may be a nonsensical post in the context of your particular bike--but I do know that my 20"-wheel Swift with a Sram Dual Drive internal gear hub has a range of about 21-120 gear inches.
#7
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times
in
339 Posts
Best option is the Sturmey Archer 8-speed hub. Other solutions, in no particular order:
1. Loosescrews.com has 60T chain rings for like $40, which will help a little. Keep looking on ebay and you will occasionally find larger chain rings still. You can have custom rings made, but that gets very expensive indeed.
2. You can get a 7-speed freewheel with a 13T smallest cog.
3. You can switch your rear hub to a cassette; that will give you the option of a 11T.
4. Shimano Capreo group gives you an even smaller one-- 9T.
5. Shimano Nexus 4-speed, Sturmey Archer 3 speed, 5-speed, or 4-speed --if you can find one-- are also pretty good options.
6. Sram dual drive sounds interesting, but I don't know the details.
6. A similar solution, a bit exotic but much cheaper, would be a Sturmey Archer AW hub (available used cheap cheap cheap) with two cogs, spaced 2 or 3 apart, such as 13T and 15T if you want the highest gears possible; this will give you six speeds, rather evenly spaced, topping out around 76 gear inches with your 55T ring.
1. Loosescrews.com has 60T chain rings for like $40, which will help a little. Keep looking on ebay and you will occasionally find larger chain rings still. You can have custom rings made, but that gets very expensive indeed.
2. You can get a 7-speed freewheel with a 13T smallest cog.
3. You can switch your rear hub to a cassette; that will give you the option of a 11T.
4. Shimano Capreo group gives you an even smaller one-- 9T.
5. Shimano Nexus 4-speed, Sturmey Archer 3 speed, 5-speed, or 4-speed --if you can find one-- are also pretty good options.
6. Sram dual drive sounds interesting, but I don't know the details.
6. A similar solution, a bit exotic but much cheaper, would be a Sturmey Archer AW hub (available used cheap cheap cheap) with two cogs, spaced 2 or 3 apart, such as 13T and 15T if you want the highest gears possible; this will give you six speeds, rather evenly spaced, topping out around 76 gear inches with your 55T ring.
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 50
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I don't really mind going down to 5,4 or 3 gears, neither do I mind going up to 7 gears, but the problem with more gears lies in the fact that my bike might not have enough clearance. I'll check with my bike store and see what they can do.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,453
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
As mentioned previously, the following options would be best.
1. Sturmey XRF-8 internal gear hub (28 hole, 116mm OLN)
2. Shimano Nexus 4 internal gear hub
3. Shimano Capreo hub/sprockets
4. SRAM Dual Drive (Internal 3+external sprockets, make sure dropouts wide enough)
1. Sturmey XRF-8 internal gear hub (28 hole, 116mm OLN)
2. Shimano Nexus 4 internal gear hub
3. Shimano Capreo hub/sprockets
4. SRAM Dual Drive (Internal 3+external sprockets, make sure dropouts wide enough)
#10
Senior Member
Shimano make 7sp freewheels starting at 11t, possibly the cheapest option.