This afternoon, I dropped by the bike store, bought a 14T cog for $6. After I got home, I pulled off the rear wheel (had to remove one brake caliper in the process), held onto the cog with a chain whip, slapped on the Shimano freewheel removal tool, applied the 17mm wrench and pulled the old cog off. Put on the new 14T cog, re-assembled, put on the chain tensioner, 18mm cone wrench to tension the tensioner springs, tightened the lock pivot bolt. Went for a ride.
The new combo gives 72 gear inches and is totally sweet, fast, do about 30 km/h good cruising and can speed up to 40 km/h if needed. Depending on your strength, cardio-vascular ability and riding terrain, there is a sweet gear inch range that feels good. At 72 GI, I feel like a god with each stride of the leg (actually each rotation of the crank) producing a corresponding road speed that is satisyfing.
Man oh man - this is now such a sweet ride - I'm luvin' it!
Last edited by puppypilgrim; 05-10-09 at 10:53 PM.