Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
Damn... my new triple is a 40/48/53 mated to a 13-28 block and I am often wishing I had a taller gear (so I can break 50kmh) and almost never have to drop into the 40/28 granny to climb any hill.
I must be a monster... or... ride a folding bike.
Haven't broken anything of late but have been setting my bike on fire and hitting it with a hammer.
Haha, keep trying. Hammers and fire don't count. Neglect and hard miles are the keys to success here.
Your 53 x 13 driving 20 inch wheels is equivalent to about a 35 x 11 on a 26 inch wheel bike, so your meticulously maintained folder will spin out at only a few mph above what my neglected, hobbled Kona could have done stuck in the middle ring.
And I didn't have to shift from that middle ring (even if I could have
) to get a lower gear than your granny...
I'm thinking about building up my old Rockhopper frame as an eight speed with one of these mega range 34-11 cogsets and perhaps a 42 tooth chainring. That would provide a pretty wide range of gears, plenty wide for anything but loaded touring or racing, imo.