What is the best gear ratio for touring?
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What is the best gear ratio for touring?
Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.
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Originally Posted by Ken Jansen
Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.
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Originally Posted by Ken Jansen
Have a Cannondale with 52/42/30 chainring. Looked at Bruce Gordon with 44/32/22 chainring. I have old knees and just bought a bob for full loaded tour. I would like a lower gear or two. What about the cassette? Thank's Ken J.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
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Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
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Thank You, Your comments are well taken. I was straight up a 800 foot hill unloaded and at that point I know I need to do something with the good old bike. Ken J.
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I am 40 but fit and have done plenty of seriously loaded touring, including a trans-Australia ride, and my philosophy is to go pretty much as low as you can. I now run a 26-39-52 set-up on the front and a 13-34 on the back (only an 8 speed - would go 11-34 if I had a 9 speed). I have never needed anything lower than a 26-34 lowest ratio, even when fully loaded. The 13-34 still gives nice increments between the gears, even if not the ultra fine-tuning available on cassettes with single tooth increments. As for the front, mine was originally 52-42-30, as yours is a present, and all I needed to do was replace the inner two chain-rings. You need to check whether your front derailleur will handle the drop though.
That said, if you have a road rather than MTB rear cassette (ie 11-25 or something similar), I guess that going for the really low front chain rings (44-33-22) may work - although you'll probably need to replace the whole front unit. I doubt that you'll miss the top end gearing much when touring.
Of course, just replacing your two inner chain rings would be the cheaper option: the "disadvantage" is that your have bigger drops between the front gears. Generally, I say in my 39 most of the time, and just drop down into the 26 (and readjust the back) before the start of steep hills. Likewise, I tend to only move up to the 52 when on long downhill runs.
Good luck,
Tom
That said, if you have a road rather than MTB rear cassette (ie 11-25 or something similar), I guess that going for the really low front chain rings (44-33-22) may work - although you'll probably need to replace the whole front unit. I doubt that you'll miss the top end gearing much when touring.
Of course, just replacing your two inner chain rings would be the cheaper option: the "disadvantage" is that your have bigger drops between the front gears. Generally, I say in my 39 most of the time, and just drop down into the 26 (and readjust the back) before the start of steep hills. Likewise, I tend to only move up to the 52 when on long downhill runs.
Good luck,
Tom
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52/42/30 sounds like a 130mm bolt circle, which can take 48/39or38/26or24 chain rings the new Cdale touring rigs come with 4 arm MTB cranks and chainrings of 26/36/48(or close to it) and can go lower.
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Originally Posted by capsicum
52/42/30 sounds like a 130mm bolt circle, which can take 48/39or38/26or24 chain rings the new Cdale touring rigs come with 4 arm MTB cranks and chainrings of 26/36/48(or close to it) and can go lower.
#8
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I just re-geared my commuter bike to handle towing a kid trailer. Trailer + kid weighs in at 50-60 lbs, so I knew I needed some extra gear to handle it. I have 130/74 so I switched from 52/42/30 to 50/39/28. In back I put on an LX derailleur and have an 11-32. That is fine for the moderate hills I will have when towing the trailer, and more than enough for an unloaded bike. Its all about how much you will carry, how steep/long the hills and how strong you are. I can spin pretty well (75-80ish) in 28/32 up a semi-steep hill while towing the trailer and maintain a speed just higher than walking pace.
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Depends on the route and what type of touring. Most gear combinations for flat to rollers, suck in the hills and vice a versa. I still like the old half step + granny for heavy cross country touring. Go to Sheldon Brown's website and look around at the suggested gearing combos.
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There is not a low enough gear for me. I am going to order a 16t front to use as a quad next week and set up with a 34t rear. I have a 38t Suntour rear freewheel and have not been able to get a real derailer to work with it (a Huret Duo Par does not work). I think a Suntour AG is the only thing that will work but cannot find one yet (look everyday on ebay).
A bike shop owner in MN says he has a 12t front and a 41t rear. Sure wish I had that set up.
Everyweek I travel over the mountains in So Cal along some trans US bike route and everytime I see a tourer I stop and talk to them and everyone has said they did not have a low enough gear.
I have a bad leg so I wish I had a 12t front and a 41t rear, no one locallly knows how to do this.
A bike shop owner in MN says he has a 12t front and a 41t rear. Sure wish I had that set up.
Everyweek I travel over the mountains in So Cal along some trans US bike route and everytime I see a tourer I stop and talk to them and everyone has said they did not have a low enough gear.
I have a bad leg so I wish I had a 12t front and a 41t rear, no one locallly knows how to do this.
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Originally Posted by sydney
Actually, it's a 130/74. You need the 74 to get the granny ring.
I was talking about the middle and big rings.