What is the smallest chainring that someone has put in their bike?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,950
Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1834 Post(s)
Liked 2,909 Times
in
1,208 Posts
1 tooth.
Likes For tomato coupe:
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 26,870
Mentioned: 213 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15636 Post(s)
Liked 3,105 Times
in
2,312 Posts
I think 34T is the smallest ring that I've put on any of my bikes.
Maybe I went down to a 30T with a 7703 crankset on one bike.
Mountain Tamer may get you down to 16T if you want, although I'm not sure they regularly stock smaller than 18T?.
Mountain Tamer Quad Plus

Mountain Tamer may get you down to 16T if you want, although I'm not sure they regularly stock smaller than 18T?.
Mountain Tamer Quad Plus
#4
Cyclochondriac
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 5,332
Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Turner 5-Spot, Canfielld Tilt
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2341 Post(s)
Liked 1,972 Times
in
1,097 Posts
22t as the small ring on an MTB. A friend had a 20t.
That was all a long time ago.
That was all a long time ago.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 26,870
Mentioned: 213 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15636 Post(s)
Liked 3,105 Times
in
2,312 Posts
This is a good watch.
The guy in the clip uses an idler to create 7.5 gear inches.
I think that would be equivalent to having a 16T front chainring and 56T rear sprocket.
The guy in the clip uses an idler to create 7.5 gear inches.
I think that would be equivalent to having a 16T front chainring and 56T rear sprocket.
Likes For CliffordK:
#6
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 25,133
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 136 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4793 Post(s)
Liked 2,349 Times
in
1,388 Posts
Four of my current bikes have 20 tooth inner rings. I have had 18 tooth inners and a 16 tooth inner with a Quad adapter.
__________________
Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
Likes For Canker:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 26,870
Mentioned: 213 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15636 Post(s)
Liked 3,105 Times
in
2,312 Posts


When I was "car free" a couple of years ago, there were times when I wanted lower gearing, especially for the 2 small hills I have to go over to get home.
I had planned on moving to a trike for more stability, but started driving again.
As the rider in the clip above discovered, one can adjust the weight on the front by the attachment point. So, connect above the axle and it pulls the front wheel off the ground. Connect below the axle and it could push the front wheel down, unweighting the rear. Connecting at the axle level is probably best.
My bike has a shimmy problem on hills, perhaps due to attaching the trailer behind the rear wheel.
Ideally design a 5th wheel configuration on a trike to get trailer weight onto the bike, and at least as far forward as the rear axle.
Our local bike coop built what they call the tri-hauler. It is front wheel drive, with the cyclist's weight above the front wheel. They do tow a heavy trailer with it, but get a lot of weight on the actual trike too. Their machine is also electric assisted.

Likes For CliffordK:
#10
Enthusiastic Sufferer
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Perth, Australia
Posts: 228
Bikes: 2015 Specialized Roubaix, 2014 Salsa Fargo, 2013 Trek Remedy, 2014 Cannondale Synapse
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 124 Post(s)
Liked 287 Times
in
101 Posts
I've got a 24/38T set of front chainrings. Works a treat
#12
Cheerfully low end
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,393
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 426 Post(s)
Liked 675 Times
in
443 Posts
My RockHopper had a 42-32-22 175mm triple crank when I got it. I replaced it with just a 42 on an old 170mm SR road crank.
With the chain on the 22 ring it would start to drag on the U-brake when shifted to anything much smaller than the middle rear cog, not that that would serve much real riding purpose.
Otto
With the chain on the 22 ring it would start to drag on the U-brake when shifted to anything much smaller than the middle rear cog, not that that would serve much real riding purpose.
Otto
#13
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 8,134
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2344 Post(s)
Liked 1,431 Times
in
1,018 Posts
My homebrewed "K-Mart triple" uses a 22T freewheel cog as the small ring, which gives a 19 inch low when combined with the 34T on the back. This was concocted in '83. Still in use
.
.

Likes For thumpism:
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tichborne, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 324
Bikes: Trek 5200, Giant Rainier, Devinci Destination,Motobecane CF, Bike Friday family tandem, Bike Friday NWT
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
22 on my touring bike.
#15
OwainGyndwr
#16
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 21,088
Bikes: Giant Propel, Colnago V3, Co-Motion Supremo, ICE VTX, ICE VTX WC
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9177 Post(s)
Liked 2,611 Times
in
1,261 Posts
I had a 26T that I took off of a used bike10-15 years ago. I gave it to a guy who wanted something similar for a trike. He still uses it.
__________________
-Dennis T
-Dennis T
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,298
Bikes: Trek 730 (quad), 720 & 830, Bike Friday NWT, Brompton M27R & M6R, Dahon HAT060 & HT060, ...
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 649 Post(s)
Liked 222 Times
in
165 Posts
Along such line, I currently have 18T on my main full-size bike, for 1.24m of development, and in reserve 16T. However, on the main folder I have 20T that yields even lower 1.06m with all the rest I have there. The simple justification is that I take the folder into more challenging places than around home.