hdblair

I am relatively new to bents (rode traditional bikes for a long time), having purchased a EZ Sport several months ago. A friend and I ride each morning for about 1 hour. He has an EZ-1. I notice that my Sport is significantly more difficult to peddle up a hill on our trek than my traditional bike or on my friends EZ-1. Is there a difference in gearing between the two bikes? If so, is there someway I can change gears to make it easier to ride up hills? Thanks.

BlazingPedals

If they both have stock gearing, the EZ-1 will have significantly lower gears, since they both use the same size chainrings but the EZ-1 has a 20" drive wheel. You can accomplish the same gearing with the EZ-Sport by putting a 22/32/44 mountain bike crankset on it. You could also buy rings for a custom setup, perhaps a 26/38/50T set.

Neither bike will climb like an upright road bike. They're heavier and you can't stand on the pedals.

bkaapcke

For climbing, the fore/aft placement of the seat is critical on the EZ Sport. The seat needs to be far enough forward so you can really push your back into the seat when climbing. You can then push against the seat back and get more power to the pedals. Move the seat back, even 1/2 inch from the optimal point, and you lose most of your climbing power. Play around with the seat position and you'll see what I'm talking about. BTW, congrats on getting a sport. They are much better bikes that they get credit for. bk

bentstrider

I finally got myself an EZ-1 SC also.
Not entirely the same as an upright, but the comfort factor is definetely there.
That thing about having the seat far enough forward for optimized pedal output is right on the money.
I feel as if I'm climbing just as good on the EZ-1 as I was on my Montague folder.

BKXray

The majority of 'bents, for some reason, come with too tall gearing. I definitely feel that MTB gearing (like the 22-32-44 mentioned above or 26-36-46) would be more appropriate. It is afairly easy switch for the EZ Sport. MTB cranks in square taper BB are VERY common. Just switch out the crank and lower the front der.

hdblair

Thanks all for the comments. I will give the seat adjustment a try and start looking for the appropriate gearing.

hdblair

Hi All: Been educating myself on cranksets. It seems my Sport has a Shimano Sora FC-3303 170x52/42/30 crankset. Suggestions here have been to change to one of the following: 44/32/22, 46/36/26 or 50/38/26. Can someone give me an idea the effect each of these might have on my riding? Where would the best place to purchase a set?

BlazingPedals

Changing to a 44/32/22 will give you about 2 gears lower throughout your range. So if you're going fast on flat ground you will run 2 gears higher or be spinning faster to achieve the same speed. OTOH, you'll have two extra low gears for the hills! One thing to be aware of with mountain bike cranks is that most of them are 175mm instead of 170. Longer crank arms will affect your spin slightly, but will give you more leverage to winch yourself up the steep stuff.

Another thing to be aware of is the diameter of the smaller chainrings. They won't match the curve of your front derailleur cage. A road derailleur will work, but if you're going down to a 22/32/44 set, a mountain bike derailleur would work better. Don't throw away any parts, because as you get stronger you may want to go back to the original gearing.