foldseeker

I currently bike a non-folder 26" with a 49T chainring and 11-32 crankset. I find myself spending a lot of time on the highest gear, and so I am looking for a 20" folder that will give me something comparable, though I realize that the wheel size limits me in terms of gear-inches. Anyone have any ideas? Budget is ideally <$300.

One more question while I'm here: Is there a standard range with cranksets? For example, if a bike being sold is 8-speed, but it doesn't specify what the crankset range is, is there a default I can assume? I'm currently looking at the Origami Crane 8 (unfortunately, above my budget), which has a 52T chainring (one step in the right direction!), but it doesn't specify the crankset range.

Thanks in advance for the replies! Sorry for the noob question

Joe Remi

49-11 is a really high gear..if you're using that most of the time I'm going to assume you're pedaling quite slowly. A standard high gear on a folder with cassette is 52 front, 11 or 12 rear. That's plenty for general riding if you get your spinning up a little (which you should).

I don't know what "crankset range" means.

Tamiya

foldseeker

Ooops, I meant cassette range. Are 8 speed cassettes typically 11-32 or there's no default range?

prathmann

I doubt you'll find any 'off-the-shelf' folder with gearing that high because it really isn't necessary. As stated before, it's better for muscular endurance to pedal at a faster cadence and reduced force to achieve the same power. But there are various options to increase the gearing if you're really determined to do so. Larger chain rings are available - my Bike Friday came with a 60t ring and here's a source for rings up to 80t:
Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes - Parts and Accessories
Another option is the 'Capreo' cassette and matching hub from Shimano which has a range of 9 -26 teeth on the cogs.
A third possibility is to combine an internal gear hub (typ. 3-speed) with a cassette where the highest gear on the hub multiplies the effective gear.
Similar in concept is the Schlumpf bottom bracket gear which gives you two speeds at the crank. The 'speed' version gives you a higher high gear while the 'mountain' version gives you a lower low.

So it's certainly possible to modify a small-wheeled folder to have very high gears. But it would be difficult to stay within your stated budget. And, again, probably not necessary. I only use the 11t cog on my Bike Friday on good downhills or really strong tailwinds.

Abu Mahendra

No, there's nothing out there within your budget. Otherwise, look into SRAM DualDrive. I once had 123GI with it on a 406 folder.

Joe Remi

Typically for folders, yes, but there is no default setup. My Dahon Mariner 8 is 52 x 11-32..you can find used ones for close to your budget. It's a good bike.

CliffordK

There are several ways to achieve higher than stock gearing, but it may take some extra investment on top of your basic purchase price.

• Large Chainrings.
  Several 60T, one 61T, and a 70T ring are available on E-Bay for reasonable prices.
  One issue with the large rings is if you are running a front derailleur, there can be capacity issues.
• Small rear sprocket.
  9T is available with Shimano Capreo (stock 9s).
  10T is used by the SRAM XD system. Also the new Campy 12S, I think.
• IGH Hubs often have an overdrive. For example, SRAM and Sturmey Archer have a "Dual Drive" hub with about 1.5x gearing that also take a standard rear cassette. Other ones, with 5s, 7s, 8s, or 11s would also work well.

Abu Mahendra

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CliffordK

Ok,

It varies from hub model to hub model, but most IGH hubs have overdrive.

So, the 3 speed dual drive hubs are 1.36x for SRAM and 1.33 for Sturmey Archer.

1.33 x 20 = 26.6
1.36 x 20 = 27.2

That comes pretty close to the proper conversion ratio from a 20" to 700c.

By the specs, the Sturmey Archer 8 speed hubs are 100% overdrive, with a 325% increase in gearing.

Abu Mahendra

The conversion ratio between a 406 (20") and a 622 (700c) wheel is 622/406, or 1.53.

A 406 wheel approaches a 20" diameter only with about a 51mm-wide tire, say Big Apples.

Tourist in MSN

Your budget is a problem.

Several posters mentioned the Sram Dual Drive (now discontinued product, but can still be found new) and the Sturmey Archer equivalent. If you have no idea what these Dual Drives are, they are a three speed internally geared hub that you can install a cassette on. The Dual Drive internal gearing has thee speeds, a low range, direct drive, and an overdrive.

On my folding bike, I have an 11/32 eight speed cassette and a SRAM dual drive, this gearing is very similar to a road triple crank with a standard eight speed 11/32 cassette, thus 24 possible gears. There is a single chainring, I can increase or decrease my entire gearing range by changing the chainring.

I was unable to install a triple crankset on my folder but wanted a wider range. The Sram Dual Drive solved that problem for me. But, your budget likely will preclude this being viable for you. A wheel with a Dual Drive will consume most of your budget for the entire bike.

Winfried

According to SB, 26" wheel + 49T chainring + 11/32 cassette = 38.1 - 110.8 gear inches.

Are you spinning at least at 60RPM, as is recommended for your knees (and better efficiency) ?

A cheap way to get a wider range is to check if the folder can take a double chainring :
https://handsonbike.blogspot.com/201...-16-front.html

pinholecam

Assuming 406 wheels, 10sp compatibility :
Shimano XT or SLX shifter and rear D (med cage)
53T chainring
11-36T cassette + 42T cassette expander (ef. Kore Mega Range Expander Sprocket Shimano | Chain Reaction Cycles)

Most likely to be off your budget though

foldseeker

Woah, did not expect so many quality replies. Thanks for the warm welcome

Let me elaborate a bit on my situation: I currently bike my 26" from my house to the nearby train station and it is mostly on a decline. I'm also usually in a rush in the morning, so I keep it in the highest gear, which allows me to get to the train station relatively quickly. I should add that as a noob, I was unaware that there is an ideal cadence, so I appreciate you guys pointing that out.
Once I get to the city, I switch to the city's bike share system, which has been relatively crappy of late (no bikes at some stations, bad gearing on some of the bikes), so I'm trying to switch my situation to a folder, which I can take with me.

I started by looking at the low-cost folders (damn you, med school budget) like citizen, zizzo, etc., and they all had 48 x 14 as the highest gear, which I realized right away was going to be a disaster for me. So I moved my search up to the next price range and came across the Crane 8, which has a 52T chainring but it does not say what the cassette range is. Someone above mentioned the Mariner D8, which has a 52 x 11. I'm pretty sure this would do the trick for me. Unfortunately, the D8 is a bit on the expensive side. Near me, there are used Mariner D7, Vybe, and Vitesse's for sale within my budget range, but it looks like they all have lower gear inches. Anyone know what the cassette range is for the Crane 8? Or any other recommendations for a folder with a 52 x 11 max?

Thanks again everyone!

fietsbob

NB there are 60t chain rings , you change the parts to suit you needs..

rather than not buy the bike if it does not have it there , out of the box.

(hub alone over $300)
A bike with an Alfine 11speed IGH, 6 of the 11 gears are overdriven
11th is 2.153:1

link

only $300 , you might need to save up , to get more options
or ride what you have in the meantime..

Cuba still educating Medical students for free,?
with a requirement you first serve the lower castes..





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Joe Remi

Mariner 7 has a top gear of 52-13. That should be close enough for you.

Joe Remi

Also, send Paul Pinigis at Origami an email about the Crane 8. I'm almost certain it has the same gearing as Mariner 8.

Joe Remi

Hey FoldSeeker, check your private messages. I might have something for you.

foldseeker

Unfortunately, I get this when I try to view my pm's: "The administrator has restricted use of the private message system to members with less than 10 posts." How annoying. Maybe I'll just reply to everyone on this thread as an individual reply to get me up to 10

foldseeker

Thanks, I asked them through their website.

foldseeker

Sorry, guys. Please excuse my next four posts. Will delete them as soon as I get access to my pm's lol

foldseeker

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Joe Remi

FoldSeeker, email me at joeremi62 at gmail dot com.

jonb5

I don’t wish to hijack the thread, but I have a similar issue. A couple of months ago I bought a Stepdragon a808 (can’t post a link as I haven’t posted enough on here)

I’m happy with my purchase, but I’m almost always in the riding in the highest gear, which is a slight waste as it has 24 and I’d like to go a bit faster on it while still being able to climb.

How easy would it be to change the cassette and would it make much difference​​​​​​?

Thanks