Originally Posted by TheRCF
Well, I got the winning bid on the bike..............
..............I'm assuming that I can switch to a 12/27 until the store tells me otherwise. But what about an 11/27 or something?.......
Also, we've talked about the rear gears a lot. Can anything be done with the front (presently 39/53)? I was wondering if the 39 could be smaller without causing other problems.
Bob
Congrats on getting the bike you really wanted!
Shimano doesn't offer a 11/27 cassette, though you could purchase an 11t cog and the necessary special lockring needed for it. Most riders can't really use an 11t cog with a 53t chainring, so it's not really missed.
The smallest chainring that will fit is a 38t, which will gain you so little for more than a few dollars.
Buying the 12/27 cogset, and after a little training, you will be able to tell if it will meet your needs or not. Diamond Head is short but steep so your young legs should work fine. Tantalus on the other hand is a *****! When I lived in Hawaii (seems like a hundred years ago) we'd take our motorcycles up it. It was tough, hard and very demanding on them! You will have to learn to pace yourself up Tantalus, and spin, spin, spin.
I have a friend that lives on Maui and likes to ride up Haleakala, 0-10,000 and back down. Now that's a hill!