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Old 04-27-18 | 05:19 PM
  #6  
Abu Mahendra
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,244
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From: Bali

Bikes: In service - FSIR Spin 3.0, Bannard Sunny minivelo, Dahon Dash Altena folder. Several others in construction or temporarily decommissioned.

Originally Posted by CanadaWriter
For the Boardwalk D8, crank is 48T and cassette 11-32T. I'm a newbie at the terminology but this seems to indicate a wide range for touring and decent ability on hills. What do you think? Did I miss some info?
You've got about 29-84 gear-inches there. I cannot advise you with certainty about whether you've got enough low end because i don't know the hills you are seeing and the load you are carrying. However, i personally would try to bring the low end down a bit more. The thing is that for you to install a cogset with a wider range of 11-36T, you are likely to have to go to swap to 9- or 10-speed, meaning you are going to need new shifters, chain, and possibly a new RD too. Arguably too much trouble just to gain just another gear's worth of gear-inches.

I run a 47T crankset with 11-36T cogset for 26-83 gear-inches. In essence you and I have the same top end, but I've got an additional gear at the bottom. Whereas you are done once you shift to the 32T cog, I can go from 32T to 36T. I actually wish for a lower bottom end, but 47T x 11-36T on 406 wheels is probably a good Goldie Locks touring range that avoids the increasing complexity and weight of double chainring drivetrains and of wider-range cogsets that require a longer and heavier RD.


Last edited by Abu Mahendra; 04-27-18 at 08:31 PM.
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