I have an old Raleigh Sports from 1966--it used to be my dad's bike--that I'd like to keep as an occasional rider. It's in decent shape. From what I've read, the old Raleighs usually came with 46/18 gearing, but for some reason this one has a 48 chainring to go with the 18-tooth cog. That's ridiculously high, it seems to me. I'm planning to switch the cog to something bigger, but can't decide between a 22 or a 24 tooth. The 22 would give a middle gear of about 52 or so, the larger cog would be maybe a 57. Any thoughts? I live in the steep hills of Vermont. Also, if I went with the 22-tooth cog, is it possible that I might be able to get by without a longer chain? Looking at it, it seems possible, but never having tried it I don't know. I'm pretty sure that going to a 24-tooth cog would require a new chain.
JV