Originally Posted by
Road Fan
But Bob, you can use a cassette with a smaller little end, and then shrink the big chainring proportionately. 52/13 is very similar to 44/11. If you then went to 44/30, you could still have an 11/30 cassette with a 26" granny gear, just like with a triple. Or you could do a compact triple, 44/34/24 and actually have gearing a little smaller than that.
At the moment, I'm staying on the GA coast and riding my fold-up, fit in a big suitcase, check as luggage on Southwest, Dahon 20" (406mm) wheeled bike.
It's set up as close as I could make it to a road bike for flat riding. Early to mid-1990s Shimano 105 double, RD, FD, and barend shifters (in friction mode). The chainrings are 53-42 and the 9-speed cassette is 11-24. Only occasionally do I use the 42T for climbing over a couple of bridges crossing the Inter-Coastal waterway. Even when I have a significant tail wind, can I stay in the 11-53 combo very long. Yesterday, when it was slightly breezy, I mostly used the 13-15-17 sprockets.
Originally Posted by
bark_eater
Even on a good day I'm not Bob....
Hahaha! We all do well to just be ourselves!