Hello Simon.

No clothes catching, although I do usually wear a reflective band around my right ankle.

Waxoyl, good idea, I'll try that thanks. I think I've left it so long this time, as oiling it causes the back wheel to become filthy & it's a continuous cleaning job!

This approach to gears meant I didn't need to change the bottom bracket, as the chain line for the big ring is standard, so I think it's probably the simplest & cheapest way to try out low gears. I did try a 39 t like EvilV has, but it's not low enough for some of the hills I'll encounter.

I suspect a front mech' wouldn't cope easily with the rather large jump from small to big ring, so I'll stick to manual, unless anyone has any bright ideas?

John