Originally Posted by
verktyg
Rather than reinvent the wheel....
If I remember correctly, having only been there once or twice, Ft. Wayne is fairly flat country.
A low gear of 42T-28T should be more than adequate for that area. During the 1970's US Bike Boom, 52-42T chainrings x 14-28T freewheels were the norm for "10 Speed Racing Bikes".
That was referred to as Alpine Gearing.
Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to accomplish???
There were several reasons for the development of multi-speed gearing on bicycles. That technology developed around the turn of the 1800's to the 1900's.
The first reason was to provide lower gear ratios for climbing hills. Later on, higher gear ratios allowed for faster speeds at the same pedaling cadence (pedaling RPM).
The introduction of 4, 5, 6 speed gearing and so on allows a rider to maintain a constant cadence over changes in conditions such as hills or winds.
Building up strength by working on increasing you pedaling cadence helps to improve your breathing and cardio vascular system.
Racers used to ride at cadences well over 100 rpm. For a noncompetitive rider, a cadence of 50-60 rpm is a good target
Hopes this helps.
Chas.
Sorry if I was not clear about what I'm trying to accomplish.
You are correct that Fort Wayne area is pretty flat. My daily commute has about a 300 ft total gain, at 13 miles in length. There are a few hills that are pretty challenging without a headwind, and dropping it down into 42/28 I still can't spin faster than 60 rpm. Below about 60, I start to have serious issues with my left knee. Cancer took the adductor muscles from my left leg about 5 years ago, and while this muscle group isn't primarily used for power, it places significant limitations on my strength/flexibility/control.
After doing this ride every weekday for 3 months and 1800+ miles, I have realized that 52/42 and 14-28 is too steep for ME, not necessarily too steep for anybody else, or for recreational riders, or the target demographic of manufacturers during the bike boom.
Also, while this area is pretty flat it can get pretty windy, especially in the winter months. My commute is 90% through the farmland to the north and east of the city. In the winter, when the crops are harvested and the leaves off the trees, the winds are quite a bit stronger than in the city. Further, the prevailing winds here are from the southwest, and I work directly northeast from home, so nearly every ride home is a headwind.
The first 6 weeks or so saw some pretty impressive improvements in my stamina/strength/flexibility/cardio/overall fitness, but this has since entered a "plateau" and the improvements are much smaller now, and this is to be expected I think.
Installing another freewheel with a 34T granny gets me ONE more usable gear. Installing smaller chain rings in the front lowers the gear range of the entire drivetrain and may afford me SEVERAL more usable gears.
Does this make sense?
It may have made more sense for me to have posted this in Commuting, but as my bike is vintage I thought perhaps someone may have had direct experience with this sort of problem. Sorry if I am barking up the wrong tree.