My Raleigh frankenbike (attached photo from last week) is geared 52/42 and 14-28 7 sp FW. We have had some extremely windy days the last week that have made me start thinking about my gearing. I ride this bike 26 miles RT daily as my commuter (we are car-free).

The gearing is a little tall for me. I'm still relatively new to cycling, and there is way too much drivetrain info out there for me to make any sense of it. When I first started commuting 3 months ago I thought there may be a chance that over time my increased fitness level would overcome the gearing, but I also have an injury on my left leg that limits how much I can push/grind.

It's a factory Sakae crankset, 110mm BCD. Has anyone done a similar chain ring swap to lower their gears? I thought about a megarange freewheel and that would get me the granny 34T low gear but what I'd really like is to lower the entire gear range a little. As it stands I can only use the big chain ring on flats without a headwind or downhill.

It seems like 50/34 is a pretty standard road setup and after crunching the numbers into Sheldon's gear calc, looks like it would offer me the additional low end that I'd be looking for, but searching for chain rings it looks like most of them say for 10-11 speed, and I have no idea what the implications would be using those on my 5-6-7 speed drivetrain.

I'm planning to replace the bike next year w/ something with a triple in the front. I may even convert a MTB or hybrid to drop bars. For now, though, I'm in way over my head. What practical options may be available to me? It's a cheap junk bike, but it's all I have and can't justify spending more on a crankset/chain rings than the bike is worth.


-Joseph

first off, its an excellent bike. a couple of ways to go here. i would recommend a 34 and 46 for your chainrings if it were me. i would consider a megarange freewheel as well. they go from 14-34 and are available in 6 and 7 speed.

the number of speeds the chainrings are made to handle is not important. they will work with your bike for sure. keep up the good work man! personally i like that bike a lot.

https://www.modernbike.com/sugino-chainrings

I suggest 48/34. It looks like your rear derailleur can handle a mega range but tighter spacing between gears is better in my opinion.

Nice bike!


Just my .02 here but you can easily convert your bike to a 3x and it would be much cheaper than a new or new to you bike.
If you like the way the Raleigh rides just pick up a triple crankset. A quick check of fleabay shows several Sakae triples and there's even one in my preferred 48/38/28. Putting a triple on will require a new bottom bracket and you might need to swap the RD for a longer cage version and the FD for a triple if your current one won't swing far enough. That said if you take care not to cross chain you might not need a different RD.


Doing a drivetrain upgrade with good used parts will be the cheapest option IMO.

Thanks! I'd never heard of that retailer before, always nice to find additional options.

So ... the 48T "outer" ring is self-explanatory. The 34T that I've found (including on the site you linked) are designated as "middle" - would this likely work on the inner position? I am ignorant of spacing conventions and chainlines.

Tighter spacing between the gears is becoming increasingly important to me as the large jumps between gears can sometimes be painful. Some of that will be addressed by my riding/shifting technique improving continually (and slowly LOL) over time.

A very nice bike OP.
I think a 48/34 combo would be beneficial.

50/34 or 48/34 would work fine and the front doesn't care how many gears are in back, so it would work fine with your 7 speed.

A 48/32 subcompact was practically made for this.

I'm using an 8 speed triple crankset with a 10 speed drivetrain with no issues. The concern is generally about front shifting and total takeup on your rear derailleur. It looks like your bike has stem shifters, which I assume are friction shift. If so, can use basically any rear derailleur you want if it'll bolt up to your hanger, if somehow your current one is insufficient for whatever range you need. A longer cage rear derailleur is probably a good idea.

Whatever you do and whatever you change to, make certain that your chain is the correct length for the large large and small small combinations. Especially if your chain is too short, it could do a great deal of damage to your drivetrain and/or frame if it doesn't fit! A new chain is <$20, so don't take the risk.

I second this. That's a good price for chainrings, and to keep your budget tight, you would just need a crank puller (buy or borrow) to replace them yourself. You would just need to shorten your chain (lots of online sources about chain sizing), so a chain breaker tool as well. Those should be your only expenses if you go that route, providing your chain and freewheel are in good shape and don't warrant replacement.

Nice bike!!

I completed the same type of conversion this summer on my 1990 Fuji Absolute.

Currently, I am running a Shimano MEGA_RANGE 14-34 7speed cassette with a 34-50 up front for chain rings. That range is perfect for all hills and winds for the most part.

Another option is to move your current 42 tooth ring to the outside, and just buy a 34 for the inside. You won’t have as wide a range, but unless you frequently spin out your 52 tooth chainring, you won’t need it.

LOL

I've NEVER spun out the 52. I can't - no descents long or steep enough around here, and my bum leg is the other significant factor.

Maybe I could do 42/38 and do half-step gearing. ;-) That might be original! 'Cept I might be banished to Alt Bike Culture for such an unconventional mod.

In Indiana, we only have climbs. They failed to install descents on the back sides of our hills. You get used to it after a while though.

Seriously, though, good suggestion. I'll play with the numbers and see what it looks like.

Rather than reinvent the wheel....

If I remember correctly, having only been there once or twice, Ft. Wayne is fairly flat country.

A low gear of 42T-28T should be more than adequate for that area. During the 1970's US Bike Boom, 52-42T chainrings x 14-28T freewheels were the norm for "10 Speed Racing Bikes".

That was referred to as Alpine Gearing.

Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to accomplish???

There were several reasons for the development of multi-speed gearing on bicycles. That technology developed around the turn of the 1800's to the 1900's.

The first reason was to provide lower gear ratios for climbing hills. Later on, higher gear ratios allowed for faster speeds at the same pedaling cadence (pedaling RPM).

The introduction of 4, 5, 6 speed gearing and so on allows a rider to maintain a constant cadence over changes in conditions such as hills or winds.

Building up strength by working on increasing you pedaling cadence helps to improve your breathing and cardio vascular system.

Racers used to ride at cadences well over 100 rpm. For a noncompetitive rider, a cadence of 50-60 rpm is a good target

Hopes this helps.

Chas.

34-42 is a real inexpensive solution and middle rings will work inside, just as middle rings will work outside. so for the price of the 34 you could be set. you'll want to lower the front derailleur a bit and you may need to shorten the chain.

as for halfstep... i run 24-39-42 and love it.

one last note, you could buy a triplizer 34 tooth ring that would later convert your crank to a triple. then with 24-34-42 you'd be good for about anything.

I actually have several bikes with a 26-38-42 setup. It works quite well in hilly Seattle. I also still have an older Rodriguez with a 42-46 half-step on a Nuovo Record crank. Nothing at all wrong with half-step gearing when it makes sense.

this is the ring you could use to make your crank a triple. https://www.modernbike.com/interloc-...d-34t---silver

Sorry if I was not clear about what I'm trying to accomplish.

You are correct that Fort Wayne area is pretty flat. My daily commute has about a 300 ft total gain, at 13 miles in length. There are a few hills that are pretty challenging without a headwind, and dropping it down into 42/28 I still can't spin faster than 60 rpm. Below about 60, I start to have serious issues with my left knee. Cancer took the adductor muscles from my left leg about 5 years ago, and while this muscle group isn't primarily used for power, it places significant limitations on my strength/flexibility/control.

After doing this ride every weekday for 3 months and 1800+ miles, I have realized that 52/42 and 14-28 is too steep for ME, not necessarily too steep for anybody else, or for recreational riders, or the target demographic of manufacturers during the bike boom.

Also, while this area is pretty flat it can get pretty windy, especially in the winter months. My commute is 90% through the farmland to the north and east of the city. In the winter, when the crops are harvested and the leaves off the trees, the winds are quite a bit stronger than in the city. Further, the prevailing winds here are from the southwest, and I work directly northeast from home, so nearly every ride home is a headwind.

The first 6 weeks or so saw some pretty impressive improvements in my stamina/strength/flexibility/cardio/overall fitness, but this has since entered a "plateau" and the improvements are much smaller now, and this is to be expected I think.

Installing another freewheel with a 34T granny gets me ONE more usable gear. Installing smaller chain rings in the front lowers the gear range of the entire drivetrain and may afford me SEVERAL more usable gears.

Does this make sense?

It may have made more sense for me to have posted this in Commuting, but as my bike is vintage I thought perhaps someone may have had direct experience with this sort of problem. Sorry if I am barking up the wrong tree.

This was the right place. Commuters would have recommended an Ebike for the headwinds.

Good plan IMHO. Since the bike has a 110 BCD crankset, there's a lot of capacity for changing the gearing through chainring swaps. It's pretty easy to do, and it will give you what you want. You don't even need to take the cranks off to do it. You will need to lower the front derailleur and readjust it afterwards, that is all.

RE "middle" chainrings: A typical Sugino triple crankset doesn't use a middle chainring. The middle is the same as a 110 inner, and the smallest chainring has it's own smaller 74mm bolt circle. However, there is such a thing as a triple crank with all 3 chainrings on the same 110 BCD bolt circle. A true middle chainring is required for cranks like this. They are different because they have no countersunk recesses for the chainring bolts.

The picture of that particular 34t 'middle' looks like it is this type. If so, it won't work. Chainring bolts need those recesses to stay tight. I'm not sure why this is, but it is. You might contact them to ask.

Long story short, you want a 110 34t 'inner'. Pretty common item. Someone has it.

EDIT - Since 34 is the smallest size in this position, seems unlikely this is a middle (uncountersunk) ring. Probably will work fine, but ask to be sure.

It's true!!!!!
LOL

50/34 would be an improvement. Sugino standard chain rings (not ramped or pinned) such as these Sugino Standard Chainring | Jenson USA
would be just fine.

Of course, the question is how low do you need to go, and how much of a high gear do you need. If your current setup comes fairly close but you could do with two more downshifts, 50x34 and your current cassette would do the trick.

If the current setup works OK with a 52/42 and a 14-28 7spd freewheel it should work equally well with a 50/34. This is well within the typical range of short cage rear derailleurs. If you went with a megarange freewheel, on the other hand, that's a different story. If a low gear in the low 30s is sufficient, changing two chain rings is probably the simplest way to get there.

Would 38x28 give you a low enough gear? It's not that much lower than what you have now. Also, you aren't going to be half-steeping with that freewheel, you'll have a bunch of duplicate gears rather than ones half a step apart. And you'd need a new crank: you're not getting a 28T onto a 110 double crank.

Your original idea, on the other hand, does make a lot of sense (provided 33" is low enough). Two chain rings and a new chain, and you're good to go.

by the way, i am on the commuter forum a lot and i would not have suggested an ebike.....

Someone There would have.