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Old 05-30-16 | 05:22 AM
  #4  
T-Mar
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Joined: Nov 2004
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The option of having an extra cog over that wide a gear ratio can make maintaining your preferred cadence easier, as at least one jump will be smaller. However, you need to calculate the individual ratios, compare them to your current setup and how it affects the gear progression and whether it increases needs for things like a double shift. Most importantly, you have to decide whether a smaller steps in the indicated position(s) are beneficial or if you currently manage fine without them. The potential gearing benefits are offset by the longer axle protrusion on the freewheel side which increases the probability of bent axles. So, if you're a heavier rider, ride regularly on poorly maintained roads or are already experiencing bent axle issues, then this option may not be for you.

In addition to the previously mentioned changes to axle length, you will probably have to re-dish the rim to centre it between the stays and have the wheel track properly. When coldsetting make sure to include a parallelism check of the dropout flats, as coldsetting to a wider spacing will take them out of parallel and introduce a bending moment of the axle which further increases of the probability of bending.
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