Biketouringhobo

Granny Gear 24t or 22t on my Crankset for Hills/Mtns???

I am using Shamano Deore Crankset 24-32-42t 10/9 Speed 64/104mm bcd and 11-34t 9 speed cassette and should I replace the 24t Granny Gear for a 22t Granny Gear or Stay with the 24t Granny Gear on my Surly LHT 26in 52cm 2008???. and I was running 24-34-46t 74/110mm bcd

Leebo

How steep are your hills? Strong legs? Weight carried? 22-34 is low, that's what I used on my last outing. Wished I had lower on some of my 8% grades. The 22 will probably be less that $ 30.00, go for it. Nice have it when needed, can't use it you don't have it.

KC8QVO

My thought would be to get the smallest gear inches you can reason with. You won't use your granny gear much. If you really need to drop down you need to drop down. If you don't have low enough you can't ride. Some will argue if you get down so slow anyway it would be better to get off the bike and walk. If you are on a busy road in the mountains this may be a smarter idea (so you aren't weaving holding your balance at a low speed), but if you hit any trails or other areas with steep sections low gears are really helpful.

On my day tours I have a decent load of stuff - cook set, food, hammock set, my 2 "normal" bike bags (tools, tube, first aid, etc), 108oz water (2x 22oz nalgene bike bottles, 2x regular 32oz screw lid nalgenes) plus what ever else I throw in weather wise for layers or what ever. I'd say the stuff adds about 35lbs.

Earlier this year I added a 4th chain ring, smaller, so I could gear down super low. Believe it or not, I've actually used it more than I ever thought I would - because it is there and I can. It makes it nice to have the real low range when I hit a challenging hill. The lowest gear I can petal at a cadence of about 80 going 3mph. I'll have to see if I can find the chart of the gear inches I calculated... I had a thread about it over here, not sure if the GI chart is there though.

robow

well said

mdilthey

You might as well slap it on there! Can't really hurt. If you haven't bought it already, maybe invest in everything else, first.

psy

Yes. And you wouldnt regret replacing your cassette with a 12 - 36 either

https://www.pricepoint.com/Brand/Shim...FUhufgod6lgCbg

sam21fire

I've got a 24 on my Trek 520 and 95% of the time that's enough...but as posted above, when the grade gets into the 8% range 24 may not be quite low enough. On the flip side, when I'm grinding along in low-low granny I'm only doing about 3-5 mph and balance becomes an issue. My knees keep bugging me to get a 22 but I'm not sure if I could maintain enough speed avoid a low speed 'track stand' situation.

Has anyone have experience with this?

Sam

wahoonc

I have a 22x34 on my expedition bike, there have a been a few steep section where I was reaching for another gear lower. I would put it on there and see if you like it or not, if it is too low you can always shift up a cog. I have seldom heard people complain about having gears that are too low, usually they complain about them being too high.

Aaron

engineerbob

How did you do that?

Biketouringhobo

I would have replace my 2008 XT RD for 12-36t 9speed or go to 10speed that more money out of my pocket and I am living on SSI and SSDI $953.40 a mouth and the Raceface 22t chain ring 10/9 speed
is cheaper at $25.99 at bikeman(dot)com and my 24-32-42t is Raceface chain rings 10/9 speed
and from raceface I most use there 22t chain ring and sometimes I have to push my Surly LHT up
hills does to my heart races and I don't need to kill my legs and Fully Loaded=Pushbikes up hills/mtns

P.S. I use Sram 970 11-34t cassettes 9 speed and Sram 971 Chain
and XT RD 2013, XT RD 2008, XT Shifters

fietsbob

Mountain tamer Quad *, I got one to build a 16-26-36-46 crank . It was a quite silly low , suitable really only for

recumbent trikes . as Development per pedal stroke makes it hard to not fall over on 2 wheels.

*Mountain Tamer Chainring Adapters, Gorilla Brake Beefers, Gorilla Headlocks and more

But Why the "Should I ? ", buy stuff and try it You Dont have to Crowd Source every Decision. Make them yourself!

KC8QVO

Yea, the Mountain tamer is what I have - the Triple set up on a triple crank set (additional ring to the triple crank set = 4 total). They had a Quad option, but don't have them any more. The smallest ring is what I have on there now, I forget how many teeth it is. I want to say 17. I also have one around 20, which I may try swapping in at some point to try.

When I drop down to that I am usually a couple gears down on my cassette, so the GI's aren't bottomed out, but are lower than what the stock driveline lowest is. For most "hills" that I hit that works fine for me. If I am climbing a real steep hill I will use the lowest, but it isn't for long.

To make it work I replaced by bottom bracket. I needed to move the crank set out several mm to make it work. I went the route of the BB spacers first, but with 5mm of space to the stock BB I still didn't have enough to make it work right. I ended up with a Phil Wood BB that was about 15mm wider than the stock one so I could push the crank set out and keep the crank more centered on the bike.

The two downsides to this set up are I don't have use of my large chain ring and if I am in the lowest cassette and go to the small chain ring I throw the chain past it. I have to drop from my second largest chain ring, also, because where the derailleur is set it doesn't have enough range on the inside to get the chain to pop off the second smallest chain ring. I could try adjusting it some more and see what happens, but with the small ring so small, anyway, if I am in the lowest cassette I loose the chain and have to reset it. Loosing the large chain ring wasn't much of an issue. If I am in the second largest I can get going faster than I like to go down hill, anyway, and I can't petal on flat ground hard enough to max out that range.

If you go this route, and any time you are working with your chain rings, make sure to use some thread locker on the chain ring bolts so they stay secure...

With the quirks of the set up it really takes some getting used to, but having a whole extra range to work with, and not just one granny gear, adds an interesting element to cranking the hills. It's odd pedaling so fast and going so slow, but when you can point the bike straight up the hill and go its pretty satisfying!

psy

Depends if your dérailleur is short cage or long, I think. I think the short sent rated for a 34 either, so I assumed you had a long.

Biketouringhobo

36 will not work with 2008 XT RD Long cage and I do not use Shimano cassettes anymore

psy

2008 is the m772 shadow- correct? I've been using it with a 36 for a couple years now. 22-36 is fantastic...wish I could go a little lower sometimes.

bradtx

Comparing your gearing to mine, you're ~.6 GI lower than me if all else were equal. If you haven't wished for a lower granny already then leave it as is. If you are planning to ride somewhere with higher grade ascents, then it's a worthwhile, fairly inexpensive swap

Brad

MassiveD

I had a quad back when they first came out. I do remember using it. On steep grades on the HWY, there comes a point where either the crapiness of the shoulder, or the wind from trucks etc... makes me too unstable to ride the very lowest gears. My last bike, however, had a very high BB and was not easy to ride hands free. A better mannered bike might make all the difference.

I actually can't get off the bike and walk, in the sense that my right ankle is fused, and there are certain middling grades that are just impossible for me to walk, so if I could keep spinning I would. But I also find that some grades that have me reaching for gears never really relent, and I am always in the lowest gear wishing I could drop down another. The solution to that seems to be to attack a little more.

Biketouringhobo

here me "I Do not use Shimano Cassette's" and I just replaced the cheap Shimano HG-50 with Sram PG-970 11-34t Cassette 9 speed in 8-2013 and I am staying with 34t and I prefer to Push my bike up Hills and Mtns = Pushbike! and I am on fixed income SSI and SSDI I already said that! I am on a fixed income and So I will Re-Say this "I do not use Shimano Cassette's!!!"

my XT RD looks like this 2008 XT Shadow+


this is the XT m772 Shadow+ 2014
and I would need this XT RD

I only need is the Raceface 22t granny gear!
is $25.99 and I am going to order this from
bikeman(dot)com on 10-3-2015

Biketouringhobo

only $25.99 at bikeman(dot)com
the Raceface 22t granny gear

psy

You lost me...

If you prefer to push your bike up mountains, why change anything at all?

Biketouringhobo

You lost your Self!!!

I also have 3 Spare Sram PG-970 11-34t Cassettes in my Storage unit and all I need
is a Raceface 22t granny gear only $25.99 at bikeman(dot)com

I also have heart problems and I don't need to kill my heart riding up a MTNS and HILLS and I prefer
to Push my Bike up hills and mtns and I also don't need to kill my legs too!

in California we have rolling hills and I do use the 24t granny gear and the Raceface 24-32-42t was a chain ring set for 10 speed and works with 9 speed

Rowan

Same here. What is documented on the internet by companies like Shimano is not can happen in real practice.

FWIW, OP, just buy the 22t ring, which is much cheaper that a full cogset. Ensure you have the essential tools to remove the crankbolts, and when you get into the mountains and find you can't push the 24T anymore, swap them over.

Or just leave the 22T alone and work harder to improve your leg strength. Saves you money that way (as you always remind us how limited your income is).

bikemig 

This is unnecessary. We all have different levels of resources and interests. But there is no reason to twit someone for this.

Rowan

Bold text on the internet means you are shouting. Please do not shout at posters here who are offering you valued and valuable advice. And to be frank, you are posting mixed messages, and want to argue with people who have much broader experience than you.

And to be honest, no-one really cares about your financial situation other than you are on a budget -- which is how many bicycle tourists run anyway.

Biketouringhobo

I was not shouting and caps lock-on is SHOUTING! and I don't when people don't read! I said I don't use Shimano Cassettes! he keeps re-saying get 12-36t cassette shimano and I joined the learn not fight anyone!